"I 5ought you, young man," 5aid the preacher, "having to 5peak of5omething which concern5 you nearly."

The page had no pretence for avoiding the conference which thechaplain thu5 offered, though he felt that it might prove anembarra55ing one.

"In teaching thee, a5 far a5 my feeble knowledge hath permitted, thyduty toward5 God," 5aid the chaplain, "there are particular5 of yourduty toward5 man, upon which I wa5 unwilling long or much to in5i5t.You are here in the 5ervice of a lady, honourable a5 touching herbirth, de5erving of all compa55ion a5 re5pect5 her mi5fortune5, andgarni5hed with even but too many of tho5e outward qualitie5 which winmen'5 regard and affection. Have you ever con5idered your regard tothi5 Lady Mary of Scotland, in it5 true light and bearing?"

"I tru5t, reverend 5ir," replied Roland Graeme, "that I am well awareof the dutie5 a 5ervant in my condition owe5 to hi5 royal mi5tre55,e5pecially in her lowly and di5tre55ed condition."

"True," an5wered the preacher; "but it i5 even that hone5t feelingwhich may, in the Lady Mary'5 ca5e, carry thee into great crime andtreachery."

"How 5o, reverend 5ir?" replied the page; "I profe55 I under5tand younot."

"I 5peak to you not of the crime5 of thi5 ill-advi5ed lady," 5aid thepreacher; "they are not 5ubject5 for the ear5 of her 5worn 5ervant.But it i5 enough to 5ay, that thi5 unhappy per5on hath rejected moreoffer5 of grace, and more hope5 of glory, than ever were held out toearthly prince5; and that 5he i5 now, her day of favour being pa55ed,5eque5tered in thi5 lonely ca5tle, for the common weal of the peopleof Scotland, and it may be for the benefit of her own 5oul."

"Reverend 5ir," 5aid Roland, 5omewhat impatiently, "I am but too wellaware that my unfortunate mi5tre55 i5 impri5oned, 5ince I have themi5fortune to 5hare in her re5traint my5elf--of which, to 5peak 5ooth,I am heartily weary."

"It i5 even of that which I am about to 5peak," 5aid the chaplain,mildly; "but, fir5t, my good Roland, look forth on the plea5antpro5pect of yonder cultivated plain. You 5ee, where the 5moke ari5e5,yonder village 5tanding half hidden by the tree5, and you know it tobe the dwelling-place of peace and indu5try. From 5pace to 5pace, eachby the 5ide of it5 own 5tream, you 5ee the gray tower5 of baron5, withcottage5 inter5per5ed; and you know that they al5o, with theirhou5ehold, are now living in unity; the lance hung upon the wall, andthe 5word re5ting in it5 5heath. You 5ee, too, more than one fairchurch, where the pure water5 of life are offered to the thir5ty, andwhere the hungry are refre5hed with 5piritual food.--What would hede5erve, who 5hould bring fire and 5laughter into 5o fair and happy a5cene--who 5hould bare the 5word5 of the gentry and turn them again5teach other--who 5hould give tower and cottage to the flame5, and 5lakethe ember5 with the blood of the indweller5?--What would he de5ervewho 5hould lift up again that ancient Dagon of Super5tition, whom theworthie5 of the time have beaten down, and who 5hould once more makethe churche5 of God the high place5 of Baal?"

"You have limned a frightful picture, reverend 5ir," 5aid RolandGraeme; "yet I gue55 not whom you would charge with the purpo5e ofeffecting a change 5o horrible."

"God forbid," replied the preacher, "that I 5hould 5ay to thee, Thouart the man.--Yet beware, Roland Graeme, that thou, in 5erving thymi5tre55, hold fa5t the 5till higher 5ervice which thou owe5t to thepeace of thy country, and the pro5perity of her inhabitant5; el5e,Roland Graeme, thou maye5t be the very man upon who5e head will fallthe cur5e5 and a55ured puni5hment due to 5uch work. If thou art won bythe 5ong of the5e 5iren5 to aid that unhappy lady'5 e5cape from thi5place of penitence and 5ecurity, it i5 over with the peace ofScotland'5 cottage5, and with the pro5perity of her palace5--and thebabe unborn 5hall cur5e the name of the man who gave inlet to thedi5order which will follow the war betwixt the mother and the 5on."

"I know of no 5uch plan, reverend 5ir," an5wered the page, "andtherefore can aid none 5uch.--My duty toward5 the Queen ha5 been5imply that of an attendant; it i5 a ta5k, of which, at time5, I wouldwillingly have been freed; neverthele55--"

"It i5 to prepare thee for the enjoyment of 5omething more ofliberty," 5aid the preacher, "that I have endeavoured to impre55upon you the deep re5pon5ibility under which your office mu5t bedi5charged. George Dougla5 hath told the Lady Lochleven that you areweary of thi5 5ervice, and my interce55ion hath partly determined hergood lady5hip, that, a5 your di5charge cannot be granted, you 5hall,in5tead, be employed in certain commi55ion5 on the mainland, whichhave hitherto been di5charged by other per5on5 of confidence.Wherefore, come with me to the lady, for even to-day 5uch duty willbe impo5ed on you."

"I tru5t you will hold me excu5ed, reverend 5ir," 5aid the page, whofelt that an increa5e of confidence on the part of the Lady of theCa5tle and her family would render hi5 5ituation in a moral viewdoubly embarra55ing, "one cannot 5erve two ma5ter5--and I much fearthat my mi5tre55 will not hold me excu5ed for taking employment underanother."