The Queen's Quair (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER I HERE YOU ARE IN THE ANTECHAMBER It is quite true that when they had buried the little wasted King Francis, and while the days of Black Dule still held, the Cardinal of Lorraine tried three times to see his niece, and was three times refused. Not being man enough to break a way in, he retired; but as he knew very well that the Queen-Mother, the King, the King of Navarre, and Madame Marguerite went in and out all day long, he had a suspicion that they, or the seasons, were more at fault than the hidden mourner. ' A time, times, and half a time,' he said, ' have good scriptural warrant. I will try once more ? at this hour of high mass.' So he did, and saw Mary Livingstone, that strapping girl, who came into the antechamber, rather flushed, and devoutly kissed his ring. ' How is it with the Queen my niece ?' ' Sadly, Eminence.' ' I must know how sadly, my girl. I must see her. It is of great concern.' The young woman looked scared. ' Eminence, she sees only the Queen-Mother.' ' The more reason,' says he, ' why she should see somebody else. She may be praying one of these fine days that she never see the Queen-Mother again.' Livingstone coloured up to the eyes. ' Oh, sir! Oh, Lord Cardinal, and so she doth, and so do we all! They are dealing wickedly with our mistress. It is true, what I told you, that she sees the Queen-Mother: that is because bet Majesty will not be denied. She forces the doors ? she hath had a door taken down. She comes and goes as she will; rails at our lady before us all. She, poor lamb, what can she do ? Oh, sir, if you could stop this traffic I would let you in of my own venture.' ' Take me in, then,' said the cardinal: ' I will stop it.' In the semi-dark he found his niece, throned upon the knee of Mary Beaton for comf...