's hand as they passed through the
corridor to the Queen's apartments, gave the word to the two yeomen who
were on guard for the night at the head of the stairs, and tapped at
the outmost door of the royal suite of rooms. It was opened by a
French valet; but Mrs. Kennedy instantly advanced, took the maiden by
the hand, and with a significant smile said: "Gramercy, madam, we will
take unco gude tent of the lassie. A fair gude nicht to ye." And Mrs.
Talbot felt, as she put the little hand into that of the nurse, and saw
the door shut on them, as if she had virtually given up her daughter,
and, oh! was it for her good?

Cis was led into the bedchamber, bright with wax tapers, though the sky
was not yet dark. She heard a sound as of closing and locking double
doors, while some one drew back a crimson, gold-edged velvet curtain,
which she had seen several times, and which it was whispered concealed
the shrine where Queen Mary performed her devotions. She had just
risen from before it, at the sound of Cis's entrance, and two of her
ladies, Mary Seaton and Marie de Courcelles, seemed to have been
kneeling with her. She was made ready for bed, with a dark-blue velvet
gown corded round her, and her hair, now very gray, braided beneath a
little round cap, but a square of soft cambric drapery had been thrown
over her head, so as to form a perfectly graceful veil, and shelter the
features that were aging. Indeed, when Queen Mary wore the exquisite
smile that now lit up her face as she held out her arms, no one ever
paused to think what those lineaments really were. She held out her
arms as Cis advanced bashfully, and said: "Welcome, my sweet
bed-fellow, my little Scot--one more loyal subject come to me in my
bondage."

Cis's impulse was to put a knee to the ground and kiss the hands that
received her. "Thou art our patient," continued Mary. "I will see
thee in bed ere I settle myself there." The bed was a tall, large,
carved erection, with sweeping green and silver curtains, and a huge
bank of lace-bordered pillows. A flight of low steps facilitated the
ascent; and Cis, passive in this new scene, was made to throw off her
dressing-gown and climb up.

"And now," said the Queen, "let me see the poor little shoulder that
hath suffered so much."

"My arm is still bound, madam," said Cis. But she was not listened to;
and Mrs. Kennedy, much to her discomfiture, turned back her
under-garment. The marks were, in fact, so