g
unwittingly fostered one of the viper brood. Then, via! off goes a
post--boots and spurs are no doubt already on--and by and by comes
Knollys, or Garey, or Walsingham, to bear off the perilous maiden to
walk in Queen Bess's train, and have her ears boxed when her Majesty is
out of humour, or when she gets weary of dressing St. Katherine's hair,
and weds the man of her choice, she begins to taste of prison walls,
and is a captive for the rest of her days."

Cis was reduced to tears, and assurances that if the Queen would only
broach the subject to Master Richard, she would perceive that he
regarded as sacred, secrets that were not his own; and to show that he
meant no betrayal, she repeated his advice as to seeing, hearing, and
saying as little as possible.

"Wholesome counsel!" said Mary. "Cheer thee, lassie mine, I will
credit whatever thou wilt of this foster-father of thine until I see it
disproved; and for the good lady his wife, she hath more inward, if
less outward, grace than any dame of the mastiff brood which guards our
prison court! I should have warned thee that they were not excepted
from those who may deem thee my poor Mary's child."

Cicely did not bethink herself that, in point of fact, she had not
communicated her royal birth to her adopted parents, but that it had
been assumed between them, as, indeed, they had not mentioned their
previous knowledge. Mary presently proceeded--"After all, we may not
have to lay too heavy a burden on their discretion. Better days are
coming. One day shall our faithful lieges open the way to freedom and
royalty, and thou shalt have whatever boon thou wouldst ask, even were
it pardon for my Lady Shrewsbury."

"There is one question I would fain ask, Madam mother: Doth my real
father yet live? The Earl of--"

Jean Kennedy made a sound of indignant warning and consternation,
cutting her short in dismay; but the Queen gripped her hand tightly for
some moments, and then said: "'Tis not a thing to speir of me, child,
of me, the most woefully deceived and forlorn of ladies. Never have I
seen nor heard from him since the parting at Carbery Hill, when he left
me to bear the brunt! Folk say that he took ship for the north.
Believe him dead, child. So were it best for us both; but never name
him to me more."

Jean Kennedy knew, though the girl did not, what these words conveyed.
If Bothwell no longer lived, there would be no need to declare the
marriage null and v