him until he was lost to
view. Then drawing her cloak about her she left the yard, and walked
slowly toward the eminence upon which the great castle formerly stood.

The ruins were interesting and served to entertain the girl for some
time, but at length becoming weary, it occurred to her to set forth to
meet her father.

"It seems long since he started," she mused. "It cannot be a great while
ere he returns. Therefore to beguile my loneliness I will go to meet
him."

Passing through the gates of the town she struck boldly into the open
plain through which the road ran to Chartley. On and on she walked, the
road turning and winding until at length it forked; one branch going to
the left, the other to the right. Francis paused in bewilderment.

"Which shall I take?" she asked herself looking first at one and then at
the other. "My faith, but either stretches forth invitingly. I have it! I
will cast my dagger, and traverse that one toward which it points."

So saying she unsheathed a small poniard from her belt and drew herself
up to cast the weapon, when the clatter of horses' hoofs broke upon her
ear. She looked up startled. From behind a bend in the road to the right
there came at full gallop a party consisting of several men and a lady.
Francis was so amazed at their sudden appearance that she still retained
her position, the dagger poised ready for the throw. With a cry of horror
the lady spurred her horse to her side.

"Boy," she cried, "what art thou about to do? Stay thy hand, I command.
Knowest thou not that self-destruction is forbid?"

Francis gave vent to a merry peal of laughter as the lady's meaning
flashed upon her.

"Be not dismayed, fair lady," she said doffing her bonnet and making a
deep courtesy. "I was not planning self-destruction. Life holds too much
of promise to end it now. I was but wondering which of these two roads
led to Chartley, and thought to follow the one toward which a throw of
the dagger would point."

The lady joined in the laugh, and then became grave.

"To Chartley?" she said. "And what wouldst thou at Chartley?"

It was on the tip of the girl's tongue to reply, "I go to meet my
father," but she caught herself in time. None must know of his journey
there, and even though she who asked were beautiful and gracious she must
be discreet.

"I wished to see Queen Mary," she answered after a moment's hesitation.

"To see Mary?" broke in one of the men who had drawn near duri