ests of the
King and of the noble lady whose care for her child hath led her to
such sacrifices, we ought to put a limit to the pride and insolence of
this youth!"

The Chancellor bent over a parchment to hide a smile at the sacrifices
which the Queen Mother had made for her son.

"It is indeed, doubtless," said Sir William Crichton, "a sacrifice
that the King and his mother should dwell so long within this Castle
of Stirling, exposed to every rude blast from off these barren
Grampians. Let her bring him to the mild and equable climate of
Edinburgh, which, as I am sure your Excellency must have observed, is
peculiarly suited to the rearing of such tender plants."

He appealed to the Sieur de Retz.

The marshal bowed and answered immediately, "Indeed, it reminds me of
the sunniest and most favoured parts of my native France."

The tutor of the King looked somewhat uncomfortable at the suggestion
and shook his head. He had no idea of putting the King of Scots
within the power of his arch enemy in the strong fortress of
Edinburgh.

But the Frenchman broke in before the ill effects of the Chancellor's
speech had time to turn the mind of the King's guardian from the
present project against the Earl of Douglas.

"But surely, gentlemen, it should not be difficult for two such
honourable men to unite in destroying this curse of the
commonweal--and afterwards to settle any differences which may in the
past have arisen between themselves."

"Good," said the Chancellor, "you speak well. But how are we to bring
the Earl within our danger? Already I have sent him offers of
alliance, and so, I doubt not, hath my honourable friend the tutor of
the King. You know well what answer the proud chief of Douglas
returned."

The lips of Sir Alexander Livingston moved. He seemed to be taking
some bitter and nauseous drug of the apothecary.

"Yes, Sir Alexander, I see you have not forgot. The words,'If dog eat
dog, what should the lion care?' made us every caitiff's scoff
throughout broad Scotland."

"For that he shall yet suffer, if God give me speed," said the tutor,
for the answer had been repeated to the Queen, who, being English,
laughed at the wit of the reply.

"I would that my boy should grow up such another as that Earl
Douglas," she had said.

The tutor stroked his beard faster than ever, and there was in his
eyes the bitter look of a handsome man whose vanity is wounded in its
weakest place.

"But, after all, who