The monastery; The abbot.

561 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
sleep be broken by the trampling of horse; but only think that here are
some scores more of the saucy Seytons come to attend you.'
" And by better friends than the Saucy Seytons, a Scottish Queen cannot
be guarded," replied Mary. "Rosabelle went fleet as the summer breeze,
and well-nigh as easy; but it is long since I have been a traveller, and I
feel that repose will be welcome. - Catherine, ma mignone, you must sleep
in my apartment to-night, and bid me welcome to your noble father's
castle. — Thanks, thanks to all my kind deliverers thanks, and a good
night is all I can now offer; but if I climb once more to the upper side of
Fortune's wheel, I will not have her bandage. Mary Stewart will keep
her eyes open, and distinguish her friends.- Seyton, I need scarcely recommend the venerable Abbot, the Douglas, and my page, to your honour
able care and hospitality."
Henry Seyton bowed, and Catherine and Lady Fleming attended the
Queen to her apartment; where, acknowledging to them that she should
have found it difficult in that moment to keep her promise of holding her
eyes open, she resigned herself to repose, and awakened not till the morning was advanced.
Mary's first feeling when she awoke, was the doubt of her freedom; and
the impulse prompted her to start from bed, and hastily throwing her
mantle over her shoulders, to look out at the casement of her apartment.
Oh, sight of joy! instead of the crystal sheet of Lochleven, unaltered save
by the influence of the wind, a landscape of wood and moorland lay before
her, and the park around the castle was occupied by the troops of her most
faithful and most favourite nobles.
"Rise, rise, Catherine," cried the enraptured Princess; "arise and come
hither - here are swords and spears in true hands, and glittering armour
on loyal breasts. Here are banners, my girl, floating in the wind, as lightly
as summer clouds -Great God! what pleasure to my weary eyes to trace
their devices- thine own brave father's —the princely Hamilton's —the
faithful Fleming's - See - see - they have caught a glimpse of me, and
throng towards the window 1"
She flung the casement open, and with her bare head, from which the
tresses flew back loose and dishevelled, her fair arm slenderly veiled by her
mantle, returned by motion and sign the exulting shouts of the warriors,
which echoed for many a furlong around. When the first burst of ecstatic
joy was over, she recollected how lightly she was dressed, and, putting her
hands to her face, which was covered with blushes at the recollection, with-:drew abruptly from the window. The cause of her retreat was easily conjectured, and increased the general enthusiasm for a Princess, who had
forgotten her rank in her haste to acknowledge the services of her subjects.
The unadorned beauties of the lovely woman, too, moved the military
spectators more than the highest display of her regal state might; and
what might have seemed too free in her mode of appearing before them,
was more than atoned for by the enthusiasm of the moment, and by the
delicacy evinced in her hasty retreat. Often as the shouts died away, as
often were they renewed, till wood and hill rung again; and many a'deep
path was made that morning on the cross of the sword, that the hand should
not part with the weapon, till Mary Stewart was restored to her rights.'But what are promises, what the hopes of mortals? In ten days, these,gallant and devoted votaries were slain, were captives, or had fled.
Mary flung herself into the nearest seat, and still blushing, yet half
*.smiling, exclaimed, " Ma mign6ne, what will they think of me?- to show
myself to them with my bare feethastily thrust into the slippers-only this,loose mantle about me-my hair loose on my shoulders-my arms and neck:so bare.-Oh, the best they can suppose is, that her abode in yonder dungeon
has turned their Queen's brain! But my rebel subjects saw me exposed
-when I was in the depth of affliction, why should I hold colder ceremony