The monastery; The abbot.

500 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
"Madam, the Earl of Murray was indeed weak enough," said the Lady
Lochleven, "to give so far way to your unhappy prejudices, and a religioner
of the Pope presented himself on his part at our town of Kinross. But the
Douglass is Lord of his owh castle, and will not permit his threshold to be
darkened, no not for a single moment, by an emissary belonging to the
Bishop of Rome."
" Methinks it were well, then," said Mary, " that my Lord Regent would
send me where there is less scruple and more charity."
"In this, madam," answered the Lady Lochleven, "you mistake the
nature both of charity and of religion. Charity giveth to those who are in
delirium the medicaments which may avail their health, but refuses those
enticing cates and liquors which please the palate, but augment the
disease."
"This your charity, Lady Lochleven, is pure cruelty, under the hypocritical disguise of friendly care. I am oppressed amongst you as if you meant
the destruction both of my body and soul; but I-eaven will not endure such
iniquity for ever, and they who are the most active agents in it may speedily
expect their reward."
At this moment Randal entered the apartment, with a look so much
perturbed, that the Lady Fleming uttered a faint scream, the Queen was
obviously startled, and the Lady of Lochleven, though too bold and proud
to evince any marked signs of alarm, asked hastily what was the matter?
"Dryfesdale has been slain, madam," was the reply; "murdered as soon
as he gained the dry land by young Master Ienry Seyton."
It was now Catherine's turn to start and grow pale-" Has the murderer
of the Douglas's vassal escaped?" was the Lady's hasty question.
" There was none to challenge him but old Keltie, and the carrier Aucltermuchty," replied Randal; "unlikely men to stay one of the frackest*
youths in Scotland of his years, and who was sure to have friends and
partakers at no great distance."
"Was the deed completed?" said the Lady.
"Done, and done thoroughly," said Randal; " a Seyton seldom strikes
twice-But the body was not despoiled, and your honour's packet goes
forward to Edinburgh by Auchtermuchty, who leaves Keltie-Bridge early
to-morrow- marry, he has drunk two bottles of aquavitxe to put the fright
out of his head, and now sleeps them off beside his cart-avers."t
There was a pause when this fatal tale was told. The Queen and Lady
Douglas looked on each other, as if each thought how she could best turn
the incident to her own advantage in the controversy, which was continually
kept alive betwixt them -Catherine Seyton kept her kerchief at her eyes
and wept.
"You see, madam, the bloody maxims and practice of the deluded
Papists," said Lady Lochleven.
"Nay, madam," replied the Queen, "say rather you see the deserved
judgment of Heaven upon a Calvinistical poisoner."
"Dryfesdale was not of the Church of Geneva, or of Scotland," said the
Lady of Lochleven, hastily.
"He was a heretic, however," replied Mary; "there is but one true and
unerring guide; the others lead alike into error."
" Well, madam, I trust it will reconcile you to your retreat, that this deed
shovws the temper of those who might wish you at liberty. Blood-thirsty
tyrants, and cruel men-quellers are they all, from the Clan-Ranald and ClanTosach in the north, to the Ferniherst and Buccleuch in the south —the
murdering Seytons in the east, and "
" Methinks, madam, you forget that I am a Seyton?" said Catherine,
withdrawing her kerchief from her face, which was now coloured with
indignation.
* Boldest-most forward. t Cart-horses.