"
"Be silent, young man," said Melville, in a tone of grave rebuke; "add
not brands to fire--this is no time to make a flourish of thy boyish
chivalry."
"She has not appeared even yet," said Lindesay, who had now reached
the midst of the parlour or audience-room; "how call you this
trifling?"
"Patience, my lord," replied Sir Robert, "time presses not--and Lord
Ruthven hath not as yet descended."
At this moment the door of the inner apartment opened, and Queen Mary
presented herself, advancing with an air of peculiar grace and
majesty, and seeming totally unruffled, either by the visit, or by the
rude manner in which it had been enforced. Her dress was a robe of
black velvet; a small ruff, open in front, gave a full view of her
beautifully formed chin and neck, but veiled the bosom. On her head
she wore a small cap of lace, and a transparent white veil hung from
her shoulders over the long black robe, in large loose folds, so that
it could be drawn at pleasure over the face and person. She wore a
cross of gold around her neck, and had her rosary of gold and ebony
hanging from her girdle. She was closely followed by her two ladies,
who remained standing behind her during the conference. Even Lord
Lindesay, though the rudest noble of that rude age, was surprised into
something like respect by the unconcerned and majestic mien of her,
whom he had expected to find frantic with impotent passion, or
dissolved in useless and vain sorrow, or overwhelmed with the fears
likely in such a situation to assail fallen royalty.
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