consideration of her consenting to put herself, for the space of twenty-four hours, if required, within the iron gate of the Castle of Lochleven.'
'Knave!' said the Lady, turning to the Chamberlain, 'how dared you grant her such a protection?'
'It was by your Ladyship's orders, transmitted by Randal, as he can bear witness,' replied Doctor Lundin; 'nay, I am only like the pharmacopolist, who compounds the drugs after the order of the mediciner.'
'I remember?I remember,' answered the Lady; 'but I meant the assurance only to be used in case, by residing in another jurisdiction, she could not have been apprehended under our warrant.'
'Nevertheless,' said the Queen, 'the Lady of Lochleven is bound by the action of her deputy in granting the assurance.'
'Madam,' replied the Lady, 'the house of Douglas have never broken their safe-conduct, and never will?too deeply did they suffer by such a breach of trust, exercised on themselves, when your Grace's ancestor, the second James, in defiance of the rights of hospitality, and of his own written assurance of safety, poniarded the brave Earl of Douglas with his own hand, and within two yards of the social board, at which he had just before sat the King of Scotland's honoured guest.'
'Methinks,' said the Queen, carelessly, 'in consideration of so very recent and enormous a tragedy, which I think only chanced some six-score years agone, the Douglasses should have shown themselves less tenacious of the company of their sovereigns, than you, Lady of Lochleven, seem to be of mine.'
'Let Randal,' said the Lady, 'take the hag back to Kinross, and set her at full liberty, discharging her from our bounds in future, on peril of her head.?And let your wisdom,' to the Chamberlain, 'keep her company. And fear not for your character, though I send you in such company; for, granting her to be a witch, it would be a waste of fagots to burn you for a wizard.'
The crest-fallen Chamberlain was preparing to depart; but Magdalen Graeme, collecting herself, was about to reply, when the Queen interposed, saying, 'Good mother, we heartily thank you for your unfeigned zeal towards our person, and pray you, as our liege-woman, that you abstain from whatever may lead you into personal danger; and, farther, it is our will that you depart without a word of farther parley with any one in this castle. For thy present guerdon, take this small reliquary?it was given to us by our uncle the Cardinal, and hath had the benediction of the Holy Father himself;?and now depart in peace and in silence.?For you, learned sir,' continued the Queen, advancing to the Doctor, who made his reverence in a manner doubly embarrassed by the awe of the Queen's presence, which made him fear to do too little, and by the apprehension of his lady's displeasure, in case he should chance to do too much?'for you, learned sir, as it was not your fault, though surely our own good fortune, that we did not need your skill at this time, it would not become us, however circumstanced, to suffer our leech to leave us without such guerdon as we can offer.'
With these words, and with the grace which never forsook her, though, in the present case, there might lurk under it a little gentle ridicule, she offered a small embroidered purse to the Chamberlain, who, with extended hand and arched back, his learned face stooping until a physiognomist might have practised the metoposcopical science upon it, as seen from behind betwixt his gambadoes, was about to accept of the professional recompense offered by so fair as well as illustrious a hand. But the Lady interposed, and, regarding the Chamberlain, said aloud, 'No servant of our house, without instantly relinquishing that character, and incurring withal our highest displeasure, shall dare receive any gratuity at the hand of the Lady Mary.'
Sadly and slowly the Chamberlain raised his depressed stature into the perpendicular attitude, and left the apartment dejectedly, followed by Magdalen Graeme, after, with mute but expressive gesture, she had kissed the reliquary with which the Queen had presented her, and, raising her clasped hands and uplifted eyes towards Heaven, had seemed to entreat a benediction upon the royal dame. As she left the castle, and went towards the quay where the boat lay, Roland Graeme, anxious to communicate with her if possible, threw himself in her way, and might have succeeded in exchanging a few words with her, as she was guarded only by the dejected Chamberlain and his halberdiers, but she seemed to have taken, in its most strict and literal acceptation, the command to be silent which she had received from the Queen; for, to the repeated signs of her grandson, she only replied by laying her finger on her lip. Dr. Lundin was not so reserved. Regret for the handsome gratuity, and for the compulsory task of self-denial imposed on him, had grieved the spirit of that worthy officer and learned mediciner?'Even thus, my friend,' said he, squeezing the page's hand as he bade him farewell, 'is merit rewarded. I came to cure this unhappy Lady?and I profess she well deserves the trouble, for, say what they will of her, she hath a most winning manner, a sweet voice, a gracious smile, and a most majestic wave of her hand. If she was not poisoned, say, my dear Master Roland, was that fault of mine, I being ready to cure her if she had??and now I am denied the permission to accept my well-earned honorarium?O Galen! O Hippocrates! is the graduate's cap and doctor's scarlet brought to this pass!
He wiped his eyes, stepped on the gunwale, and the boat pushed off from the shore, and went merrily across the lake, which was dimpled by the summer wind.[32]
Chapter the Thirty-Third.
From the agitating scene in the Queen's presence-chamber, the Lady of Lochleven retreated to her own apartment, and ordered the steward to be called before her.
'Have they not disarmed thee, Dryfesdale?' she said, on seeing him enter, accoutred, as usual, with sword and dagger.
'No!' replied the old man; 'how should they??Your ladyship, when you commanded me to ward, said nought of laying down my arms; and, I think none of your menials, without your order, or your son's, dare approach Jasper Dryfesdale for such a purpose.?Shall I now give up my sword to you??it is worth little now, for it has fought for your house till it is worn down to old iron, like the pantler's old chipping knife.'
