"See," said Stanloff to her, "now you can see your king: he is standing with Gaston by the door."

Mary turned round, and immediately gave utterance to a cry of joy, exclaiming,

"Oh God! my uncle !" and she threw herself at his feet.

The astonishment of the spectators was indescribable: they all rose from the table, and hastened towards the king.

"For God's sake, Lady Mary, what are you doing?" exclaimed the duchess, deeply agitated by the appearance of an object which her proud heart had wished to keep hidden from the king.

But the scene changed; for Charles, lifting the maiden from the ground, clasped her in his arms, while he pronounced her name in accents of the tenderest affection. Lady Mary laid her head upon his breast, and said, tenderly, but gravely,

Now I have found again a home upon earth. You will solve all the mystery which hangs over me: now I shall know the name which I ought to bear."

"Oh! thou dear, unhappy, persecuted child," said the king, in accents of grief. My whole power will not be sufficient to repay thee for what thou hast suffered to give thee back what thou hast lost. But thou shalt have a name of which thou may'st be proud-thou shalt have a home worthy of the name which thou bearest.

"Madam," continued he, turning to the duchess, "know now, that you have made your king your everlasting debtor, through the kindness which you have shown to this child. In this moment I declare her to be the sweetest happiness of my life. She is my daughter; and her mother was Elizabeth Buckingham, whom God called from this world before I was able to make known her holy rights."

"You, the king? Elizabeth, my mother?" cried Mary; and the surprise appeared to have deprived her of all strength. The king led her to a couch, and affectionately supported her, while the rest of the party gave utterance to their surprise at this discovery.

We can understand the maternal feelings which led the duchess, with whose long, painful struggles we are acquainted, to hasten to

her beloved Richmond, and press him with a happy smile to her heart.

The elder duchess looked upon the scene with mute but intense joy; for the moment in which the king had proclaimed the Lady Mary his daughter, had restored to her the image of her son in its virtue and purity.

But both surprise and joy were soon interrupted; for Ramsey appeared, and kneeling solemnly before Charles, who was still supporting his daughter, addressed him in the following manner :—

"A royal messenger has just arrived at this castle, commissioned respectfully to inform your majesty, that the long-desired treasure is come, and that the soil of England has at length been trodden by the royal Henrietta of France, our present queen."

The unhappy Charles started; and then, pressing Mary to his heart, tore himself away from her, saying,

me.

“I thank you, sir, for the joyful news which you have brought You will oblige me by telling me what your wishes are. The person who brings me such intelligence ought to have no wish unfulfilled, if it be within our power to grant it. The moments of my stay are numbered," added he, turning to the duchess. "Grant

me a short interview, my lady; I am debtor to you, and also to this dear child;" and he begged Mary to accompany them to another room.

What passed in this interview must remain untold; but we may imagine much of what occurred from the circumstances with which we have become acquainted during our narrative. The king requested the duchess to allow his child to remain at Godway Castle, until he had informed the Princess Henrietta of the affair, and till he could bestow upon her that rank to which her birth entitled her.

When they returned to the saloon, Charles approached Lord Richmond, and thus addressed him:

"What you, my lord, have done for my daughter has deeply touched my heart. I know of no request that you could make which I should think too high to grant, in return for the services which you have rendered her. Till we meet again," added he,

smiling, " you may continue the performance of those chivalrous duties which you so well understand, towards my daughter. To you, my friends, I commit my child, Lady Mary Stuart; and I hope to receive you all as guests at the approaching festival in London."

Charles departed, after having bid farewell to all; and his noble form was soon seen in the centre of the train, surrounded by the gentlemen of the castle.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

The herald had announced the first levée of the queen of England, and all the inhabitants of the kingdom appeared to have arrived in London. The people stood in dense masses to witness the spectacle; while among them moved a procession of the nobles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, adorned with all the brilliancy to which their rank and station entitled them.

The joyfulness of the youths, whose minds were filled with a thousand bright hopes, bore a striking contrast to the quiet demeanour of the elder part of the train; who, knowing how such hopes are often doomed to disappointment, looked beyond this important event, and found in the future many indications which justified the gravity with which they approached the royal pair.

The saloons of Whitehall were already filled with those persons of distinction who possessed the privilege of appearing there. Henrietta of France had an agreeable word or a flattering remark ready for all whose names were renowned in the history of that country which was now to be her home. She appeared the ideal of grace and beauty, and her bright eye seemed to promise a happy reign. The old, grave, English barons could not resist the youthful and beautiful queen; their intention of mistrusting her, which they had considered prudent, was forgotten by nearly all, and an involun

tary confession of hope escaped them, as they saw her noble and intellectual forehead; while the young men swore by the hilt of their swords to dedicate their lives to her-more because she was a beautiful woman than because she was their queen.

Charles observed with pleasure the impression which his lovely wife produced. His features, which were naturally stamped with melancholy, were now illumined by a smile of satisfaction, and his whole demeanour betokened a cheerfulness which promised a happy life to the young queen. Yet something seemed occasionally to disquiet the royal pair; for they looked from time to time towards the doors, through which all the high and mighty of the land thronged to offer their homage.

The assembly, whose whole attention was fixed upon the king and queen, soon perceived that they impatiently expected some particular arrival, and they listened attentively to every name which the herald announced. At length a murmur of applause arose in the anteroom; and presently the Duke of Buckingham appeared, leading a lovely maiden, whose surpassing beauty and gorgeous attire attracted the attention of all present.

The murmur of admiration which met her ear as she passed along had given her manner a slight tinge of bashfulness, and caused a deep blush to appear in her cheeks. A ducal coronet, of the most costly gems, rested upon her dark tresses; her purple velvet train was trimmed with the royal ermine, and borne by two pages of the king's household; while from under it, hung, in rich folds, a dress of silver brocade, which was ornamented with the richest jewels.

She must be one of the royal house-but who was she? She had never been seen before; and how happened it that she was conducted by the Duke of Buckingham, who, to judge by his proud smile, seemed to regard the admiration she excited as a triumph belonging to himself.

They were followed by the young Duke of Nottingham, with his wife, his brother, Lord Richmond Derbery, and his uncle, Archibald Lord Glandford. The assembly were now silent with expectation, as the little train stopped at the entrance of the audience

chamber, while the herald proclaimed their names. The beautiful creature seemed to hesitate a moment, and deep emotion appeared in her countenance; she then raised her dark eyes, and looked at the king, who had taken the hand of his wife, and was directing her attention to the stranger.

The most lovely smile illumined the features of the unknown: she withdrew her hand from that of Buckingham, and, forgetting her timidity, stepped proudly as a queen over the threshold.

"Mary Stuart, niece of the Duke of Buckingham!" cried the herald; and the astonished spectators beheld the royal pair leave the throne, and hasten towards the lady. They embraced her, and then led her between them to the throne, on the second step of which, and on the left of the queen, a seat was placed, of which she took possession. The Duke of Buckingham stood behind her; and the herald now proclaimed the family of Nottingham, with the addition of "Richmond, Duke of Glandford !"

As the young duke approached the throne, the king presented his hand to kiss; and Lord Dorset offered him a chair, which stood one step lower than that of, the Duchess of Buckingham.

The assembly soon discovered that these two were betrothed, and that their marriage would take place in the king's chapel immediately after the levée. But this intelligence left room for many conjectures, for the announcement of her name had not satisfied the general curiosity. Why did she receive the rank of a princess of the blood royal? Where had she been until now? What position would be assigned to her in the future?

It is not to be expected that these questions would be correctly answered: the affair occupied the thoughts of the curious for some time; but as the parties concerened soon disappeared from public view, all by degrees was forgotten.

The young Duchess of Glandford accompanied her husband to Godway Castle, and remained there until the estate in the vicinity of her mother's castle, and which the king had presented to the noble pair, was ready for their reception.

They resided the greater part of the year at Buckingham Park, a place rich in happy recollections, near to Godway Castle, and