The monastery; The abbot.

THE ABBOT. 501
"If I had forgot it, fair mistress, your forward bearing would have
reminded me," said Lady Lochleven.
" If my brother has slain the villain that would have poisoned his
Sovereign, and his sister," said Catherine, " I am only so far sorry that he
should have spared the hangman his proper task. For aught farther, had
it been the best Douglas in the land, he would have been honoured in falling
by the Seyton's sword."
v " Farewell, gay mistress," said the Lady of Lochleven, rising to withdraw;
"it is such maidens as you, who make giddy-fashioned revellers and deadly
brawlers. Boys must needs rise, forsooth, in the grace of some sprightly
damsel, who thinks to dance through life as through a French galliard."
She then made her reverence to the Queen, and added, " Do you also, madam,
fare you well, till curfew time, when I will make, perchance, more bold than
welcome in attending upon your supper board.-Come with me, Rlandal, and
tell me more of this cruel fact."
"'Tis an extraordinary chance," said the Queen, when she had departed;
"and, villain as he was, I would this man had been spared time for repentance. We will cause something to be done for his soul, if we ever
attain our liberty, and the Church will permit such grace to a heretic.-But,
tell me, Catherine, ma mign6ne - this brother of thine, who is sofrack, as
the fellow called him, bears he the same wonderful likeness to thee as
formerly?"
" If your Grace means in temper, you know whether I am sofrack as the
serving-man spoke him."
" Nay, thou art prompt enough in all reasonable conscience," replied the
Queen; "but thou art my own darling notwithstanding-But I meant, is
this thy twin-brother as like thee in form and features as formerly? I
remember thy dear mother alleged it as a reason for destining thee to the
veil, that, were ye both to go at large, thou wouldst surely get the credit of
some of thy brother's mad pranks."
"I believe, madam," said Catherine, "there are some unusually simple"
people even yet, who can hardly distinguish betwixt us, especially when, for
diversion's sake, my brother hath taken a female dress," and as she spoke,
she gave a quick glance at Roland Grnemle, to whom this conversation conveyed a ray of light, welcome as ever streamed into the dungeon of a captive
through the door which opened to give him freedom.
"lHe must be a handsome cavalier this brother of thine, if he be so like
you," replied Mary. " lie was in France, I think, for these late years, so
that I saw him not at IHolyrood."
" His looks, madam, have never been much found fault with," answered
Catherine Seyton; "but I would he had less of that angry and heady spirit
which evil times have encouraged amongst our young nobles. God knows,
I grudge not his life in your Grace's quarrel; and love him for the willingness with which he labours for your rescue. But wherefore should he brawl
with an old ruffianly serving-man, and stain at once his name with such a
broil, and his hands with the blood of an old and ignoble wretch?"
"Nay, be patient, Catherine; I will not have thee traduce my gallant
young knight. With Henry for my knight, and Roland Grseme for my
trusty squire, methinks I am like a princess of-romance, who may shortly
set at defiance the dungeons and the weapons of all wicked sorcerers.-But
my head aches with the agitation of the day. Take me La Mer Des
Histoires, and resume where we left off on Wednesday.-Our Lady help thy
head, girl, or rather may she help thy heart!-I asked thee for the Sea of
Histories, and thou hast brought La Cronique d'Amour."
Once embarked upon the Sea of Histories, the Queen continued her labours with her needle, while Lady Fleming and Catherine read to her alternately for two hours.
As to Roland Graeme, it is probable that he continued in secret intent