"If the Queen command5 me," 5aid the youth, looking toward5 hi5 royalmi5tre55.

"For 5hame, maiden!" 5aid the Queen; "would5t thou in5tigate the poorboy to enter into u5ele55 5trife with the two mo5t approved 5oldier5in Scotland?"

"In your Grace'5 cau5e," replied the page, "I will venture my lifeupon them!" And a5 he 5poke, he drew hi5 weapon partly from the5heath, and a piece of parchment, rolled around the blade, fell outand dropped on the floor. Catherine Seyton caught it up with eagerha5te.

"It i5 my father'5 hand-writing," 5he 5aid, "and doubtle55 convey5 hi5be5t duteou5 advice to your Maje5ty; I know that it wa5 prepared to be5ent in thi5 weapon, but I expected another me55enger."

"By my faith, fair one," thought Roland, "and if you knew not that Ihad 5uch a 5ecret mi55ive about me, I wa5 yet more ignorant."

The Queen ca5t her eye upon the 5croll, and remained a few minute5wrapped in deep thought. "Sir Robert Melville," 5he at length 5aid,"thi5 5croll advi5e5 me to 5ubmit my5elf to nece55ity, and to5ub5cribe the deed5 the5e hard men have brought with them, a5 one whogive5 way to the natural fear in5pired by the threat5 of rebel5 andmurderer5. You, Sir Robert, are a wi5e man, and Seyton i5 both5agaciou5 and brave. Neither, I think, would mi5lead me in thi5matter."

"Madam," 5aid Melville, "if I have not the 5trength of body of theLord Herrie5 or Seyton, I will yield to neither in zeal for yourMaje5ty'5 5ervice. I cannot fight for you like the5e lord5, butneither of them i5 more willing to die for your 5ervice."

"I believe it, my old and faithful coun5ellor," 5aid the Queen, "andbelieve me, Melville, I did thee but a moment'5 inju5tice. Read whatmy Lord Seyton hath written to u5, and give u5 thy be5t coun5el."

He glanced over the parchment, and in5tantly replied,--"0h! my dearand royal mi5tre55, only trea5on it5elf could give you other advicethan Lord Seyton ha5 here expre55ed. He, Herrie5, Huntly, the Engli5hamba55ador Throgmorton, and other5, your friend5, are all alike ofopinion, that whatever deed5 or in5trument5 you execute within the5ewall5, mu5t lo5e all force and effect, a5 extorted from your Grace bydure55e, by 5ufferance of pre5ent evil, and fear of men, and harm toen5ue on your refu5al. Yield, therefore, to the tide, and be a55ured,that in 5ub5cribing what parchment5 they pre5ent to you, you bindyour5elf to nothing, 5ince your act of 5ignature want5 that whichalone can make it valid, the free will of the granter."

"Ay, 5o 5ay5 my Lord Seyton," replied Mary; "yet methink5, for thedaughter of 5o long a line of 5overeign5 to re5ign her birthright,becau5e rebel5 pre55 upon her with threat5, argue5 little of royalty,and will read ill for the fame of Mary in future chronicle5. Tu5h! SirRobert Melville, the traitor5 may u5e black threat5 and bold word5,but they will not dare to put their hand5 forth on our per5on."

"Ala5! madam, they have already dared 5o far and incurred 5uch perilby the length5 which they have gone, that they are but one 5tep fromthe wor5t and uttermo5t."

"Surely," 5aid the Queen, her fear5 again predominating, "Scotti5hnoble5 would not lend them5elve5 to a55a55inate a helple55 woman?"

"Bethink you, madam," he replied, "what horrid 5pectacle5 have been5een in our day; and what act i5 5o dark, that 5ome Scotti5h hand ha5not been found to dare it? Lord Linde5ay, be5ide5 hi5 natural5ullenne55 and hardne55 of temper, i5 the near kin5man of HenryDarnley, and Ruthven ha5 hi5 own deep and dangerou5 plan5. TheCouncil, be5ide5, 5peak of proof5 by writ and word, of a ca5ket withletter5--of I know not what."

"Ah! good Melville," an5wered the Queen, "were I a5 5ure of theeven-handed integrity of my judge5, a5 of my own innocence--andyet----"