, she becomes a little fury when I
express my fears lest you should have scruples."

"No, madam, this is no state secret; such as I might not with honour
conceal," returned Richard.

"There is true English sense!" exclaimed Mary. "I may then count on
your giving my daughter the protection of your name and your home until
I can reclaim her and place her in her true position. Yea, and if your
concealment should give offence, and bring you under any displeasure of
my good sister, those who have so saved and tended my daughter will
have the first claim to whatever I can give when restored to my
kingdom."

"We are much beholden for your Grace's favour," said Richard, somewhat
stiffly, "but I trust never to serve any land save mine own."

"Ah! there is your fierete," cried Mary. "Happy is my sister to have
subjects with such a point of honour. Happy is my child to have been
bred up by such parents!"

Richard bowed. It was all a man could do at such a speech, and Mary
further added, "She has told me to what bounds went your goodness to
her. It is well that you acted so prudently that the children's hearts
were not engaged; for, as we all know but too well royal blood should
have no heart."

"I am quite aware of it, madam," returned Richard, and there for the
time the conversation ended. The Queen had been most charming, full of
gratitude, and perfectly reasonable in her requests, and yet there was
some flaw in the gratification of both, even while neither thought the
disappointment would go very hard with their son. Richard could never
divest himself of the instinctive prejudice with which soft words
inspire men of his nature, and Susan's maternal heart was all in revolt
against the inevitable, not merely grieving over the wrench to her
affections, but full of forebodings and misgivings as to the future
welfare of her adopted child. Even if the brightest hopes should be
fulfilled; the destiny of a Scottish princess did not seem to Southern
eyes very brilliant at the best, and whether poor Bride Hepburn might
be owned as a princess at all was a doubtful matter, since, if her
father lived (and he had certainly been living in 1577 in Norway), both
the Queen and the Scottish people would be agreed in repudiating the
marriage. Any way, Susan saw every reason to fear for the happiness
and the religion alike of the child to whom she had given a mother's
love. Under her grave, self-contained placid demeanour, perhaps D