With these words, Mary went into her bedroom; while the old lady, still
quite stunned with the shower of sarcasms that the queen had rained on
her, withdrew, murmuring, "Yes, yes, he is a Douglas, and with God's help
he will prove it, I hope."

The queen had had strength as long as she was sustained by her enemy's
presence, but scarcely was she alone than she sank into a chair, and no
longer having any witness of her weakness than Mary Seyton, burst into
tears. Indeed, she had just been cruelly wounded: till then no man had
come near her who had not paid homage either to the majesty of her rank
or to the beauty of her countenance. But precisely he, on whom she had
reckoned, without knowing why, with instinctive hopes, insulted her at
one and the same time in her double pride of queen and woman: thus she
remained shut up till evening.

At dinner-time, just as Lady Lochleven had informed Mary, she ascended to
the queen's apartment, in her dress of honour, and preceding four
servants who were carrying the several dishes composing the prisoner's
repast, and who, in their turn, were followed by the old castle steward,
having, as on days of great ceremony, his gold chain round his neck and
his ivory stick in his hand. The servants' placed the dishes on the
table, and waited in silence for the moment when it should please the
queen to come out of her room; but at this moment the door opened, and in
place of the queen Mary Seyton appeared.

"Madam," said she on entering, "her grace was indisposed during the day,
and will take nothing this evening; it will be useless, then, for you to
wait longer."

"Permit me to hope," replied Lady Lochleven, "that she will change her