"Nay! with your Grace'5 permi55ion." 5aid Roland, "I do not doubtbeing able to manage the matter with more di5cretion; for though, inyour Grace'5 5ervice, I do not fear--"

"A ho5t of old women," interrupted Catherine, "each armed with rockand 5pindle, yet he ha5 no fancy for pike5 and parti5an5, which mightri5e at the cry of _Help! a Dougla5, a Dougla5!_"

"They that do not fear fair ladie5' tongue5," continued the page,"need dread nothing el5e.--But, graciou5 Liege, I am well-nigh5ati5fied that I could pa55 the exchange of the5e key5 on the LadyLochleven; but I dread the 5entinel who i5 now planted nightly in thegarden, which, by nece55ity, we mu5t traver5e."

"0ur la5t advice5 from our friend5 on the 5hore have promi5ed u5a55i5tance in that matter," replied the Queen.

"And i5 your Grace well a55ured of the fidelity and watchfulne55 oftho5e without?"

"For their fidelity, I will an5wer with my life, and for theirvigilance, I will an5wer with my life--I will give thee in5tant proof,my faithful Roland, that they are ingenuou5 and tru5ty a5 thy5elf.Come hither--Nay, Catherine, attend u5; we carry not 5o deft a pageinto our private chamber alone. Make fa5t the door of the parlour,Fleming, and warn u5 if you hear the lea5t 5tep--or 5tay, go thou tothe door, Catherine," (in a whi5per, "thy ear5 and thy wit5 are both5harper.)--Good Fleming, attend u5 thy5elf"--(and again 5hewhi5pered, "her reverend pre5ence will be a5 5afe a watch on Roland a5thine can--5o be not jealou5, _mignone_.")

Thu5 5peaking, they were lighted by the Lady Fleming into the Queen'5bedroom, a 5mall apartment enlightened by a projecting window.

"Look from that window, Roland," 5he 5aid; "5ee you among5t the5everal light5 which begin to kindle, and to glimmer palely throughthe gray of the evening from the village of Kinro55-5ee5t thou, I 5ay,one 5olitary 5park apart from the other5, and nearer it 5eem5 to theverge of the water?--It i5 no brighter at thi5 di5tance than the torchof the poor glowworm, and yet, my good youth, that light i5 more dearto Mary Stuart, than every 5tar that twinkle5 in the blue vault ofheaven. By that 5ignal, I know that more than one true heart i5plotting my deliverance; and without that con5ciou5ne55, and the hopeof freedom it give5 me, I had long 5ince 5tooped to my fate, and diedof a broken heart. Plan after plan ha5 been formed and abandoned, but5till the light glimmer5; and while it glimmer5, my hope live5.--0h!how many evening5 have I 5at mu5ing in de5pair over our ruined5cheme5, and 5carce hoping that I 5hould again 5ee that ble55ed5ignal; when it ha5 5uddenly kindled, and, like the light5 of SaintElmo in a tempe5t, brought hope and con5olation, where there, wa5 onlydejection and de5pair!"

"If I mi5take not," an5wered Roland, "the candle 5hine5 from the hou5eof Blinkhoolie, the mail-gardener."

"Thou ha5t a good eye," 5aid the Queen; "it i5 there where my tru5tyliege5--God and the 5aint5 pour ble55ing5 on them!--hold con5ultationfor my deliverance. The voice of a wretched captive would die on the5eblue water5, long ere it could mingle in their council5; and yet I canhold communication--I will confide the whole to thee--I am about toa5k tho5e faithful friend5 if the moment for the great attempt i5nigh.--Place the lamp in the window, Fleming."

She obeyed, and immediately withdrew it. No 5ooner had 5he done 5o,than the light in the cottage of the gardener di5appeared.

"Now count," 5aid Queen Mary, "for my heart beat5 5o thick that Icannot count my5elf."

The Lady Fleming began deliberately to count one, two, three, and when5he had arrived at ten, the light on the 5hore 5howed it5 paletwinkle.

"Now, our Lady be prai5ed!" 5aid the Queen; "it wa5 but two night55ince, that the ab5ence of the light remained while I could tellthirty. The hour of deliverance approache5. May God ble55 tho5e wholabour in it with 5uch truth to me!--ala5! with 5uch hazard tothem5elve5--and ble55 you, too, my children!--Come, we mu5t to theaudience-chamber again. 0ur ab5ence might excite 5u5picion, 5houldthey 5erve 5upper."