Us, my liege.' 'Trust you, my friends!' said James, deeply to

[Indeck Belnap]

Ave lived in castle or in cloister.' Little had Esclairmonde expected to
hear the greeting with which the Countess received her, breaking out
into peals of merriment as she told her of the choice destiny in store
for her, to be wedded to the little lame Scot, pretending to read her a
grave lecture on the consequences of the advances she had made to him.
Esclairmonde was not put out of countenance; in fact, she did not think
the Countess in earnest, and merely replied with a smile that at least
there was less harm in Lord Malcolm than in the suitors at home.
Jaqueline clapped her hands and cried, 'Good tidings, Clairette. I'll
never forgive you if you make me lose my emerald carcanet! So the arrow
was winged, after all. She prefers him--her heart is touched by the
dainty step.' 'Madame!' entreated Esclairmonde, with agitation; 'at
least, infirmity should be spared.' 'It touches her deeply!' exclaimed
the Duchess. 'Ah! to see her in the mountains teaching the wild men to
say their Aye, and to wear _culottes_, the little prince interpreting
for her, as King James told us in his story of the saint his ancestor.'
Raillery about Malcolm had been attempted before, but never so
pertinaciously; and Esclairmonde heeded it not at all, till James
himself sought her out, and, within all his own persuasive grace, told
her that he was rejoiced to hear from Madame of Hainault that she had
spoken kindly of his youthful kinsman, for whose improvement he was sure
he had in great measure to thank her. Esclai