bare the arm and shoulder, which had been severely bruised and
twisted, but neither broken nor dislocated, as Mrs. Kennedy informed
her, after a few rapid words from the Frenchman, unintelligible to the
English lady, who felt somewhat impatient of this invasion of her
privileges, and was ready to say she had never supposed any such thing.

The chirurgeon skipped to the door, and for a moment she hoped that she
was rid of him, but he had only gone to bring in a neat case with which
his groom was in waiting outside, whence he extracted a lotion and
sponge, speaking rapidly as he did so.

"Now, madam," said Jean Kennedy, "lift the lassie, there, turn back her
boddice, and we will bathe her shouther. So! By my halidome!"

"Ah! Mort de ma vie!"

The two exclamations darted simultaneously from the lips of the
Scottish nurse and the French doctor. Susan beheld what she had at the
moment forgotten, the curious mark branded on her nursling's shoulder,
which indeed she had not seen since Cicely had been of an age to have
the care of her own person, and which was out of the girl's own sight.
No more was said at the moment, for Cis was reviving fast, and was so
much bewildered and frightened that she required all the attention and
soothing that the two women could give, but when they removed the rest
of her clothing, so that she might be laid down comfortably to rest,
Mrs. Kennedy by another dexterous movement uncovered enough of the
other shoulder to obtain a glimpse of the monogram upon it.

Nothing was spoken. Those two had not been so many years attendants on
a suspected and imprisoned queen without being prudent and cautious;
but when they quitted the apartment after administering a febrifuge,
Susan felt a pang of wonder, whether they were about to communicate
their discovery to their mistress. For the next quarter of an hour,
the patient needed all her attention, and there was no possibility of
obeying the summons of a great clanging bell which announced dinner.
When, however, Cis had fallen asleep it became possible to think over
the situation. She foresaw an inquiry, and would have given much for a
few words with her husband; but reflection showed her that the one
point essential to his safety was not to betray that he and she had any
previous knowledge of the rank of their nursling. The existence of the
scroll might have to be acknowledged, but to show that Richard had
deciphered it would put him in danger on