ad already dashed away with all his horse's speed, and as he
was splendidly mounted, he flew across the space with lightning rapidity,
and reached the gorge before the enemy. There he stopped, put his lance
in rest, and alone against five bravely awaited the encounter.

As to the queen, she had no desire to go; but, on the contrary, as if
turned to stone, she remained in the same place, her eyes fastened on
this combat which was taking place at scarcely five hundred paces from
her. Suddenly, glancing at her enemies, she saw that one of them bore in
the middle of his shield a bleeding heart, the Douglas arms. Then she
uttered a cry of pain, and drooping her head--

"Douglas against Douglas; brother against brother!" she murmured: "it
only wanted this last blow."

"Madam, madam," cried her escort, "there is not an instant to lose: the
young master of Douglas cannot hold out long thus alone against five; let
us fly! let us fly!" And two of them taking the queen's horse by the
bridle, put it to the gallop, at the moment when George, after having
beaten down two of his enemies and wounded a third, was thrown down in
his turn in the dust, thrust to the heart by a lance-head. The queen
groaned on seeing him fall; then, as if he alone had detained her, and as
if he being killed she had no interest in anything else, she put
Rosabelle to the gallop, and as she and her troop were splendidly
mounted, they had soon lost sight of the battlefield.

She fled thus for sixty miles, without taking any rest, and without
ceasing to weep or to sigh: at last, having traversed the counties of
Renfrew and Ayr, she reached the Abbey of Dundrennan, in Galloway, and
certain of being, for the time at least, sheltered from every danger, she
gave the order to stop. The prior respectfully received her at the gate
of the convent.

"I bring you misfortune and ruin, father," said the queen, alighting from
her horse.

"They are welcome," replied the prior, "since they come accompanied by
duty."

The queen gave Rosabelle to the care of one of the men-at-arms who had
accompanied her, and leaning on Mary Seyton, who had not left her for a
moment, and on Lord Herries, who had rejoined her on the road, she
entered the convent.

Lord Herries had not concealed her position from Mary Stuart: the day had
been completely lost, and with the day, at least for the present, all
hope of reascending the throne of Scotland. There remained but three
courses