outlet, the atmosphere was unwholesome, and the furniture
insufficient. Mary was in bed with rheumatism almost from the time
of her arrival, but she seemed thus to become the more vigilant over
her daughter, and distressed by her shortcomings. If the Queen did
not take exercise, the suite were not supposed to require any, and
indeed it was never desired by her elder ladies, but to the country
maiden it was absolute punishment to be thus shut up day after day.
Neither Sir Ralf Sadler nor his colleague, Mr. Somer, had brought a
wife to share the charge, so that there was none of the neutral
ground afforded by intercourse with the ladies of the Talbot family,
and at first the only variety Cicely ever had was the attendance at
chapel on the other side of the court.

It was remarkable that Mary discouraged all proselytising towards the
Protestants of her train, and even forbore to make any open attempt
on her daughter's faith. "Cela viendra," she said to Marie de
Courcelles. "The sermons of M. le Pasteur will do more to convert
her to our side than a hundred controversial arguments of our
excellent Abbe; and when the good time comes, one High Mass will be
enough to win her over."

"Alas! when shall we ever again assist at the Holy Sacrifice in all
its glory!" sighed the lady.

"Ah, my good Courcelles! of what have you not deprived yourself for
me! Sacrifice, ah! truly you share it! But for the child, it would
give needless offence and difficulty were she to embrace our holy
faith at present. She is simple and impetuous, and has not yet
sufficiently outgrown the rude straightforward breeding of the good
housewife, Madam Susan, not to rush into open confession of her