of death
with the loud "_Arre!_" of a muleteer.

But Rollo had learned to be calm-eyed before royalties. He was a
Scottish gentleman, and had grown accustomed to Queens during these
latter days. Court lords and the ruck of Madrid politicians stared at
him in the corridors, but, affrayed by something in his eye, meekly or
reluctantly according to their mood took the wall from him as he strode
on, careless, hard-bitten, a little insolent, perhaps, in bearing. At
last he stood in the great hall of audience, his plain well-worn coat
and knee-breeches the secret scorn of every courtier. But a glance at
Killiecrankie, once more a-swing by his side, was sufficient to sober
too impertinent male interest, while the reputation of his exploits and
the keen soldierlike face which he turned so pensively towards the
window, awakened the liveliest interest in many a pair of dark eyes.

Somewhat after this fashion ran the prattle.

"Look! there goes the man who delivered the Regent and the young Queen!
They say that both Jose Maria, whom every one thought dead, and El
Sarria the outlaw were of his band. More than that, it is certain that
one very near to the Queen-Regent's person was content to take service
with him as a common soldier. How great and famous then must he be! And,
above all, how certain of preferment! It were indeed well to cultivate
his acquaintance. For what shall be done to the man whom two Queens and
a Consort unite in delighting to honour? His threadbare coat? A mere
eccentricity of genius, my love. His huge battered sword a-dangle at his
side? It is said that he has slain over twenty men with that same blade!
Decidedly not a man to be despised; speaks all languages, even the
crabbed Gitano-Castilian like a native of Valladolid. He will marry a
Spanish wife and become one of _nosotros_, as did O'Donnel, Duke of
Tetuan, Sarsfield, Blake, and a score of others--all once poor and
neglected, now thrice-hatted and set among the finest clay of the court
potter."

Thus in the ante-chambers of Queens spake the wily, the wise, the
far-seeing. And from such Rollo had many offers of service. But with a
delicate politeness at which none could take offence he declined all
these, making (as his father had advised him) his words at once "firm
and mannerly."

Thank you, but he was content to wait. He had been sent for by the
Queen-Regent. Till then--but at that moment, after a preliminary peep
from behind a curtain, the Princ