ary, "that in wedding a princess, 'tis no crown,
no kingdom, that is set before thee, only the loss of thine own
inheritance. For now that the poor child has made herself known to
Elizabeth, there will be no safety for her between these seas. I have
considered it well. I had thought of sending her abroad with my French
servants, and making her known to my kindred there. That would have
been well if she could have accepted the true faith, or if--if her
heart had not been thine; but to have sent her as she is would only
expose her to persecution, and she hath not the mounting spirit that
would cast aside love for the sake of rising. She lived too long with
thy mother to be aught save a homely Cis. I would have made a princess
of her, but it passes my powers. Nay, the question is, whether it may
yet be possible to prevent the Queen from laying hands on her."

"My father is still here," said Humfrey, "and I deem not that any
orders have come respecting her. Might not he crave permission to take
her home, that is, if she will leave your Grace?"

"I will lay my commands on her! It is well thought of," said the
Queen. "How soon canst thou have speech with him?"

"He is very like to come to my post," said Humfrey, "and then we can
walk the gallery and talk unheard."

"It is well. Let him make his demand, and I will have her ready to
depart as early as may be to-morrow morn. Bourgoin, I would ask thee
to call the maiden hither."

Cicely appeared from the apartment where she had been sitting with the
other ladies.

"Child," said the Queen, as she came in, "is thy mind set on wedding an
archduke?"

"Marriage is not for me, madam," said Cicely, perplexed and shaken by
this strange address and by Humfrey's presence.

"Nay, didst not once tell me of a betrothal now many years ago? What
wouldst say if thine own mother were to ratify it?"

"Ah! madam," said Cicely, blushing crimson however, "but I pledged
myself never to wed save with Queen Elizabeth's consent."

"On one condition," said the Queen. "But if that condition were not
observed by the other party--"

"How--what, mother!" exclaimed Cicely, with a scream. "There is no
fear--Humfrey, have you heard aught?"

"Nothing is certain," said Mary, calmly. "I ask thee not to break thy
word. I ask thee, if thou wert free to marry, if thou wouldst be an
Austrian or Lorraine duchess, or content thee with an honest English
youth whose plighted word is more pr