my worthless self for one moment. Ah! you are only teasing your poor
Margot! You will act for your own honour and theirs in sending out to
seek them!'

'My honour and theirs may be best served by their being forgotten.'

Margaret became inarticulate with dismay, indignation, disappointment,
as these envenomed stings went to her very soul, further pointed by the
curl of Louis's thin lips and the sinister twinkle of his little eyes.
Almost choked, she stammered forth the demand what he meant, only to
be answered that he did not pretend to understand the Scottish errant
nature, and pointing to a priest entering the church, he bade her not
make herself conspicuous, and strolled away.

Margaret's despair and agony were inexpressible. She stood for some
minutes leaning against a pillar to collect her senses. Then her first
thought was of consulting the Drummonds, and she impetuously dashed
back to her own apartments and ordered her palfrey and suite to be ready
instantly to take her to Chalons.

Madame la Dauphine's palfreys were all gone to Ghalons to be shod.
In fact, there were some games going on there, and trusting to the
easy-going habits of their mistress, almost all her attendants had
lounged off thither, even the maidens, as well as the pages, who felt
Madame de Ste. Petronelle's sharp eyes no longer over them.

'Tell me,' said Margaret, to the one lame, frightened old man who alone
seemed able to reply to her call, 'do you know who commanded the escort
which were with my sisters, the Princesses of Scotland?'

The old man threw up his hands. How should he know? 'The escort was of
the savage Scottish archers.'

'I know that; but can you not tell who they were--nor their commander?'

'Ah! Madame knows that their names are such as no Christian ears can
understand, nor lips speak!'

'I had thought it was the Sire Andrew Gordon who was to go with them. He
with the blue housings on the dapple grey.'

'No, Madame; I heard the Captain Mercour say Monsieur le Dauphin
had other orders for him. It was the little dark one--how call they
him?--ah! with a more reasonable name--Le Halle, who led the party of
Mesdames. Madame! Madame! let me call some of Madame's women!'

'No, no,' gasped Margaret, knowing indeed that none whom she wished to
see were within call. 'Thanks, Jean, here--now go,' and she flung him a
coin.

She knew now that whatever had befallen her sisters had been by the
connivance if not the contrivance