The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-23


 of hearing" And this strange subject of metamorphosis drew from beneath his cloak a sword in silver scabbard, giving it to Roland as from the Lord seyton upon the condition that he would draw 1t only at the command of his royal mistress.
 Roland tried in vain to make Catherine admit that they had met before. but the only reply was banter and the messenger left the mystifed Roland with swagger- ing adjustment of cape and rapier
 The castle of Lochlevan. like. that of Avanel, was situated on a small island in lake. To it the page journeyed in the train of the Lords Ruthven and Lndesay and Sir Robert Melville. When Roland was ushered into the Queens presence he was astonished to see in attendance upon her majesty Catherine Seyton, who, with the mature Lady Fleming. now formed the court of the imprisoned heir of the Stuarts.
 It was in the garden of the castle that Roland was presented to his royal mis- tress, a garden within the circumscribed limits of whose walls Mary Stuart was learning to perform the weary part of a prisoner which. with little interval, she was doomed to sustain during the rest of her life. Her face, her form, have been so deeply impressed upon the imagination that even at this distance of centuries it is unnecessary to remind the most ignor- ant and uninformed reader of those strils- | t,~ able countenance, which seem at once to combine our ideas of the majestic and the pleasing and the brilliant. Even those who feel themselves compelled to believe all or much that 7rer enemies have charged against her cannot think without a sigh upon a countenance expressive of anything rather than the foul crimes with which she was charged when living and which will continue to shade her memory. The charm, the fascination, the power of Mary Stuart reach across the centuries. and never in all the world beat a generous and chivalrous heart but has felt the spell which she still casts through the years in spite of the uncertainty and doubt which always has, and always must, enshroud her character and her history. 1t Is one of the most extraor- dinary facts of human psychology that Mary Stuart. dethroned, imprisoned, de- capitated, her memory blackened by the charge of crimes from which neither she nor her devotees were ever able com pletely to clear her, retains-not in the case, the narrow-minded and the sordid but in the valorous, the broad-minded and the knightly-a sentiment of intense de- votion. and that 'the tomb of Elizabeth daily echoes to the signs heaved at the tomb of her rival"
 Roland Gaeme was at once captivated by the sight of the Queen and longed only for some opportunity to show that his sword was with his heart and hand. In his Youthful and impetuous manner he at once declared himself the Queens man unto death Scarcely had Mary received the allegiance of the page when the Lady of Lochleven announced in her curt manner that the Lords of Ruthven and Lindesay desired to see her. The meet ing took place in the Queens outer apart ment in the castle. In brutal terms Lind esay told the Queen that she was re- quired by the secret council to sign her abdictation and another instrument ap- pointing her half brother. the Earl of Murray. regent during the minority of her son. 'The demand of the councilr' cried the Queen. 'say rather the demand of set of robbers impatient to divide the spoil. To such a demand and sent : by the mouth of traitor whose scalp but for my womanish mercy would long since have stood upon the city gates Mary Stuart has no answer. Had but inherited my fathers sword as I did his crown such traitors as thou should long ere this have been dead on the ] scaffold or bloody field"
 Sir Robert Melville, who had joined the company, tried to modify the brusque and taunting retorts of the } Lords. but Mary bade him be quiet ] Tears starting to her eyes,, her face still reddened with her anger. she said My kerchief, Fleming-I shame me that these traitors should have power to nerve me thus" The altercation be- tween the Lords and the Queen was long and bitter, her power of sarcasm finding full swing as she sent stab after stab into the hearts of the grim nobles Ruthven plainly intimated that if the documents were not signed death to the royal prisoner would be the conse- quences. At length they gave her halr an hour in which to make her de- cision. and retired for that space. As soon as they were gone Mary threw herself into her seat and gave way to her grief fear and agitation. Her fe- male attendants. weeping themselves, endeavored to calm her. Roland Graeme could with stand no longer his earnest desire to offer his services. "If one i. sword. madam" said he "can do any thing in your behalf. here Is my hand ready to draw 1t and use it." As he thus spoke he laid his hand upon the hilt of the sword which he wore, the sone which had been given to him in the hostelry at Edinburgh.
 At sight of this sword Catherine sey- ton exclaimed: "Methinks see token from my father, madam" "Methinks s this is no presence in which to jest replied Roland. Surely. damsel. you yourself know best how I obtained this weapon. In your Grace's quarrel only will I draw this sword" As he spoke he half unsheathed the weapon and a roll of parchment fell from the scab- bard It proved to be writing from the Lord Seyton and others of Mary s adherents, beseeching her to do as the