las is right," said Lord Seyton. "To horse! to horse!"

Immediately, and while four couriers set out in four different directions
to announce to the queen's friends her happy escape, they brought her a
horse saddled for her, which she mounted with her usual skill; then the
little troop, which, composed of about twenty persons, was escorting the
future destiny of Scotland, keeping away from the village of Kinross, to
which the castle firing had doubtless given the alarm, took at a gallop
the road to Seyton's castle, where was already a garrison large enough to
defend the queen from a sudden attack.

The queen journeyed all night, accompanied on one side by Douglas, on the
other by Lord Seyton; then, at daybreak, they stopped at the gate of the
castle of West Niddrie, belonging to Lord Seyton, as we have said, and
situated in West Lothian. Douglas sprang from his horse to offer his
hand to Mary Stuart; but Lord Seyton claimed his privilege as master of
the house. The queen consoled Douglas with a glance, and entered the
fortress.

"Madam," said Lord Seyton, leading her into a room prepared for her for
nine months, "your Majesty must have need of repose, after the fatigue
and the emotions you have gone through since yesterday morning; you may
sleep here in peace, and disquiet yourself for nothing: any noise you may
hear will be made by a reinforcement of friends which we are expecting.
As to our enemies, your Majesty has nothing to fear from them so long as
you inhabit the castle of a Seyton."

The queen again thanked all her deliverers, gave her hand to Douglas to
kiss one last time, kissed Little William on the forehead, and named him
her favourite page for the future; then, profiting by the advice given
her, entered her room where Mary Seyton, to the exclusion of every other
woman, claimed the privilege of performing about her the duties with
which she had been charged during their eleven months' captivity in
Lochleven Castle.

On opening her eyes, Mary Stuart thought she had had one of those dreams
so gainful to prisoners, when waking they see again the bolts on their
doors and the bars on their windows. So the queen, unable to believe the
evidence of her senses, ran, half dressed, to the window. The courtyard
was filled with soldiers, and these soldiers all friends who had hastened
at the news of her escape; she recognised the banners of her faithful
friends, the Seytons, the Arbroaths, the Herries, and the H