The monastery; The abbot.

476 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
deserve the name-who deem that they love the gratification of their
vanity, or the mean purpose of engrossing a lover's admiration and affection,
better than they love the virtue and honour of the man they may be brought
to prefer. He that serves his religion, his prince, and his country, with
ardour and devotion, need not plead his cause with the commonplace rant
of romantic passion- the woman whom he honours with his love becomes
his debtor, and her corresponding affection is engaged to repay his glorious
toil."
"You hold a glorious prize for such toil," said the youth, bending his
eyes on her with enthusiasm.
"Only a heart which knows how to value it," said Catherine. " He that
should free this injured Princess from these dungeons, and set her at liberty
among her loyal and warlike nobles, whose hearts are burning to welcome
her-where is the maiden in Scotland whom the love of such a hero would
not honour, were she sprung from the blood royal of the land, and he the
offspring of the poorest cottager that ever held a plough?"
" I am determined," said Roland, " to take the adventure. Tell me first,
however, fair Catherine, and speak it as if you were confessing to the priest
— this poor Queen, I know she is unhappy -but, Catherine, do you hold
her innocent? She is accused of murder."
" Do I hold the lamb guilty, because it is assailed by the wolf?" answered
Catherine; "do I hold yonder sun polluted, because an earth-damp sullies
his beams?"
The page sighed and looked down. " Would my conviction were as deep
as thine! But one thing is clear, that in this captivity she hath wrongShe rendered herself up, on a capitulation, and the terms have been refused
her-I will embrace her quarrel to the death!"
"Will you —will you, indeed?" said Catherine, taking his hand in her
turn. "Oh, be but firm in mind, as thou art bold in deed and quick in
resolution; keep but thy plighted faith, and after ages shall honour thee as
the saviour of Scotland!"
"But when I have toiled successfully to win that Leah, Honour, thou
wilt not, my Catherine," said the page, "condemn me to a new term of
service for that Rachel, Love?"
"Of that," said Catherine, again extricating her hand from his grasp,
"we shall have full time to speak; but Honour is the-elder sister, and
must be won the first."
" I may not win her," answered the page; "but I will venture fairly for
her, and man can do no more. And know, fair Catherine, -for you shall
see the very secret thought of my heart,-that not Honour only-not only
that other and fairer sister, whom you frown on me for so much as mentioning -but the stern commands of duty also, compel me to aid the Queen's
deliverance."
"Indeed!" said Catherine; "you were wont to have doubts on that
matter."
"Ay, but her life was not then threatened," replied Roland.
"And is it now more endangered than heretofore?" asked Catherine
Seyton, in anxious terror.
"Be not alarmed," said the page; "but you heard the terms on which
your royal mistress parted with the Lady of Lochleven?"
"Too well - but too well," said Catherine; " alas! that she cannot rule
her princely resentment, and refrain from encounters like these!"
"That hath passed betwixt them," said Roland, "for which woman never
forgives woman. I saw the Lady's brow turn pale, and then black, when,
before all the menzie, and in her moment of power, the Queen humbled her
to the dust by taxing her with her shame. And I heard the oath of deadly
resentment and revenge which she muttered in the ear of one, who by his
aiswer will, I judge, be but too ready an executioner of her will."