sad little
song--a bergerelle of my own country. Harp and voice together died
away in inexpressible sorrow at the last words, and a strange stillness
filled the room, but was broken at last by a half-suppressed sob. Then
in a moment all was changed. There came a bright little flourish, and
she sang, joyous and blithe as a lark:

"Si le roi m'avait honne
Paris sa grand'ville,
Et qu'il m'eut fallu quitter
L'Amour de m'amie;
J'aurais dit au Roi Henri
Reprenez votre Paris,
J'aime mieux m'amie
O gai!
J'aime mieux m'amie
O gai!"

"_O gai!_" burst the chorus, almost unconsciously, from those around
her, and with a flush on her face and a smile on her lips Mary of
Scotland moved from the harp, and was immediately lost to view in the
circle of those who crowded around her. I looked for my companions.
Mademoiselle Davila had found a lanky page to flirt with; Le Brusquet
seemed to have vanished; but De Lorgnac was at hand.

"Come now!" he said, and I followed him across the crowded room to
where the Queen sat, amidst a group of her ladies, with the Dauphin--a
small, ill-formed boy of thirteen or fourteen--at her knees. She
received me graciously; and on my delivering my packet she broke the
seals, glanced at the contents with apparent carelessness, and then
handed it--all open as it was--to a lady who stood behind her.

"La Beauce, put this on my table." And then turning to me, said, with
a laugh:

"Your ears should be tingling, monsieur, for the last hour or so there
has been nothing but you talked of by my maids-of-honour. It seems
that the cock of Orrain has not forgotten the use of his spurs."

My tongue had long since forgotten such courtier tricks as it had
learned. In truth, it was never good at these; and whilst I was
casting about for something to say, and wishing myself well away from
the ring of faces that circled me in, a gay, laughing voice broke in:

"But where is the heroine, madame? Where is Diane of the Forest? She
should thank her preserver before your Majesty." And Mary of Scotland,
heedless and blithe of heart, made me a mock little courtesy as she
moved to the Queen's side.

"Here she is," cried twenty voices; "she has been hiding here." And,
before I knew how it was, I found myself face to face with mademoiselle.

"Thank him! thank him!" the reckless voices around us began to shout;
and, as I stood fumbling about, mademoiselle, with a face li