The monastery; The abbot.

THE ABBOT. 533'
could not find it when my successor, Ambrosius, spoke on't -but the
troopers found it, and the Knight who commanded the party struck his.
breast, till the target clattered like an empty watering-can."
"Saint Mary!" said the Abbot, "in whom could such a paper excite
such interest! What was the appearance of the knight, his arms, his
colours?"
" Ye distract me with your questions-I dared hardly look at him-they
charged me with bearing letters for the Queen, and searched my mailThis was all along of your doings at Lochleven.'
"I trust in God," said the Abbot to Roland, who stood beside him,
shivering and trembling with impatience, "the paper has fallen into the
hands of my brother-I heard he had been with his followers on the scout
betwixt Stirling and Glasgow. - Bore not the Knight a holly-bough on his
helmct? -Canst thou not remember?"
"Oh, remember-remember," said the old man pettishly; "count as
many years as I do, if your plots will let you, and see what, and how much,
you remember. -Why, I scarce remember the pear-mains which I graffed
here with my own hands some fifty years since."
At this moment a bugle sounded loudly from the beach.
"It is the death-blast to Queen Mary's royalty," said Ambrosius; "the
English warden's answer has been received, favourable doubtless, for when
was the door of the trap closed against the prey which it was set for?Droop not, Roland-this matter shall be sifted to the bottom-but we must
not now leave the Queen-follow me —let us do our duty, and trust the
issue with God —Farewell, good Father - I will visit thee again soon."
He was about to leave the garden, followed by Roland, with half-reluctant
steps. The Ex-Abbot resumed his spade.
" I could be sorry for these men," he said, " ay, and for that poor Queen,
but what avail earthly sorrows to a man of fourscore? -and it is a rare
dropping morning for the early colewort."
"He is stricken with age," said Ambrosius, as he dragged Roland down
to the sea-beach; "we must let him take his time to collect himself —nothing now can be thought on but the fate of the Queen."
They soon arrived where she stood, surrounded by her little train, and by
her side the sheriff of Cumberland, a gentleman of the house of Lowther,
richly dressed and accompanied by soldiers. The aspect of the Queen exhibited a singular mixture of alacrity and reluctance to depart. Her language and gestures spoke hope and consolation to her attendants, and she
seemed desirous to persuade even herself that the step she adopted was
secure, and that the assurance she had received of kind reception was altogether satisfactory; but her quivering lip, and unsettled eye, betrayed at
once her anguish at departing from Scotland, and her fears of confiding
herself to the doubtful faith of England.
"Welcome, my Lord Abbot," she said, speaking to Ambrosius, "and
you, Roland Avenel, we have joyful news for you-our loving sister's officer
proffers us, in her name, a safe asylum from the rebels who have driven us
from our home - only it grieves me we must here part from you for a short
space."
" Part from us, madam!" said the Abbot. "Is your welcome in England,
then, to commence with the abridgment of your train, and dismissal of
your counsellors?"
"Take it not thus, good Father," said Mary; "the Warden and the
Sheriff, faithful servants of our Royal Sister, deem it necessary to obey her
instructions in the present case, even to the letter, and can only take upon
them to admit me with my female attendants. An express will instantly
be despatched from London, assigning me a place of residence; and I will
speedily send to all of you whenever my Court shall be formed."
"Your Court formed in England! and while Elizabeth lives and reigns?"'2u2