ng up to his face in pleading, and changing to the
familiar pronoun, "thou likest not my charge, and I know that it is
hard on an upright man like thee to have all this dissembling thrust on
thee, but what can a poor captive mother do but strive to save her
child from an unworthy lot, or from captivity like her own? I ask thee
to say nought, that is all, and to shelter the maid, who hath been as
thine own daughter, yet a little longer. Thou wilt not deny me, for
her sake."

"Madam, I deny nothing that a Christian man and my Queen's faithful
servant may in honour do. Your Grace has the right to choose your own
daughter's lot, and with her I will deal as you direct me. But, madam,
were it not well to bethink yourself whether it be not a perilous and a
cruel policy to hold out a bait to nourish hope in order to bind to
your service a foolish though a generous youth, whose devotion may,
after all, work you and himself more ill than good?"

Mary looked a good deal struck, and waved back her two attendants, who
were both startled and offended at what Marie de Courcelles described
as the Englishman's brutal boldness.

"Silence, dear friends," said she. "Would that I had always had
counsellors who would deal with me with such honour and
disinterestedness. Then should I not be here."

However, she then turned her attention to the accounts, where Sir
Andrew Melville was ready to question and debate every item set down by
Shrewsbury's steward; while his mistress showed herself liberal and
open-handed. Indeed she had considerable command of money from her
French dowry, the proceeds of which were, in spite of the troubles of
the League, regularly paid to her, and no doubt served her well in
maintaining the correspondence which, throughout her captivity, eluded
the vigilance of her keepers. On taking leave of her, which Richard
Talbot did before joining his host at the mid-day meal, she reiterated
her thanks for his care of her daughter, and her charges to let no
persuasion induce him to consent to Babington's overtures, adding that
she hoped soon to obtain permission to have the maiden amongst her
authorised attendants. She gave him a billet, loosely tied with black
floss silk and unsealed, so that if needful, Sadler and Shrewsbury
might both inspect the tender, playful, messages she wrote to her
"mignonne," and which she took care should not outrun those which she
had often addressed to Bessie Pierrepoint.

Cicely wa