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‘

He
read that through again, even though he knew every word of it by
heart. And then, throwing it down on the table, he slammed down his
clenched fist upon it, decision taken. It was necessary. He couid no
longer put off, procrastinate. Magdalen was wrong, as was her
father. And others. A man must do what he was bom to do. Especially
when he was bom the Graham.

Turning,
he ran down those same twisting stairs, back straighter, shoulders
braced. Near the stair-root he began shouting for Black Pate of
Inchbrakie.

18

S
ix
weeks later,
in
cold and windy february weather,

Montrose
was back near his former winter quarters at Newcastle, this
time not with an army but with a squadron of 120 Graham troopers,
and the lordlings Ogilvy and Aboyne - the latter with him as his
father's representative, to vouch for the swords of 5000 Gordons.
Black Pate and Kilpont were also of the company. Montrose's numbers
were carefully chosen - enough to provide a safe escort for a great
noble in dangerous days, but not enough to be seen as a threat to
any faction or as part of an army. And it was a company which could
move fast, for they had a long way to go. They were making for
Oxford and the Royal Court - so close was the King to London again.

But
at Newcastle Montrose heard news which changed his direction
somewhat. The Queen, Henrietta Maria, had gone to France and the
Continent less than a year before, to raise foreign support for her
husband, taking the crown jewels and other treasure to sell, for the
purchase of munitions of war. She had, it seemed, just arrived
back, disembarking at Bridlington with artillery and warlike
stores. Henrietta Maria was said by many to have more influence on
die King's decisions even than had Archbishop Laud; indeed it was
she who had been sent to the Continent largely to get her out of
England because parliament was proposing to impeach even the Queen
for having undue and hostile influence on the monarch in matters of
state. Montrose wanted to influence Charles Stewart in no small
fashion. He decided to see Henrietta first.

The
Graham company bore away slightly east of south, for Bridlington.

They
found the Queen, with her artillery train assembled, on die point of
setting out for York on her way to Oxford. She was a slight, pretty
woman, wearing well, vivacious, hot-tempered and wilful, alleged to
be much interested in good-looking young men. If so, Montrose and
his young friends caught her on one of her off-days. She was, of
course, scarcely at her best. A poor traveller, she had suffered
much on the February seas, and was not yet recovered. Moreover her
welcome back to England had been a cannon-ball, fired from one of
the parliament fleet, into her own chamber in the harbour-side
house; indeed the town was still under occasional fire. Enough to
upset any lady. She was, it appeared, prepared to distrust most
Englishmen, and all Scots. She greeted the Graham coldly, and had it
not been that his 120 troopers made a valuable addition to the guard
for her baggage-train, he might have got little further with her.
She would by no means grant him the private interview he
sought, and he had to make do with snatches of conversation as they
rode, amidst the chatter of her bevy of courtiers and the fears of
armed attack.

'Madam,'
he urged, at an open stretch of country, as they left the village of
Burton Agnes behind them, ‘I pray that you hear me. In this
situation, His Majesty sorely needs the help of Scotland. More, that
it should be denied to his enemies. Of this none can be in doubt.
But the present Scots leaders incline towards the English parliament
- whatever their words. I know. So long as the King appears to be
winning, they will be most careful. They intend to send an army
across the Border. But not to aid His Majesty. To threaten him,
rather. The moment parliament seems to get the upper hand, they will
turn against the King.'

'So
? Was it not ever so ? The Scots are a treacherous race, my lord.'

'Not
so, Madam. The Scots are amongst the loyalest folk on this earth.
But they have been betrayed, neglected, abandoned. Ever since
His Majesty's father left Scotland for London, in 1603, on the death
of Elizabeth, the canker has been eating in. They are a people who
cherish and love their chiefs, grouped in their clans and families,
a patriarchal people. They require a chief of chiefs - their King.
All the system, the direction, of the Scots depends on this. But
their kings have left them, to live 400 miles away, and in another
land with other customs. Their loyalty, then, lacks focus, lacks its
true centre. So it spends itself on the lesser chiefs, on the
chieftains of clans and heads of houses. Who, lacking a master,
often turn and rend each other. So we have feud, clan warfare, while
he who should be ruling us, rules instead another people,
differently spirited, who know him not.'

The
Queen, it is to be feared, was paying little attention to this
disquisition. 'I care not
why
they
are treacherous, sir, so long as they are,' she told him.
'Parbleu
-
what would you have? For His Majesty to give up his great English
throne and return to beggarly Scotland?'

The
man was patient. 'That I do not ask. Although His Majesty might do
worse, I think! But in this present case, I say, he would be wiser
to return to his own people, there to put his ancient house in
order, first. Scotland. He cannot bend both England and Scotland to
his will, at one time.'

'He
came to Scotland, did he not, my lord? And was received with
contumely and insult.'

'He
came on a brief visit. With all the bishops trouble at his back. He
chose to uphold the very men who were his enemies...'

'Enough,
sir! Enough.
Mon
Dieu
—
must I listen to this, this
calomnie,
this
medisance
of
my husband! It is too much!'

'Your
pardon, Madam. But His Grace's situation is parlous. And
demands plain speaking.'

'No.
No more. Sir Peter - here come, ride by me. I have finished speaking
with the lord of Montrose . . .'

Late
that afternoon they were in a brush with a small force of
parliamentary cavalry near Great Driffield, and the Queen had good
reason to be grateful to the Graham squadron for seeing them off in
gallant style. In consequence, she was rather more gracious to
Montrose when they halted for the night. Loth as he was to be
subjected to another rejection, he did not spare her, or himself —
for to this end had been his journey.

"Your
Majesty will, I hope, forgive me if I offended by my plain
speaking,' he said. 'It is only out of my love for the King's Grace.
All along he has suffered much from ill advice as to Scotland. He
wrote to me, in August, seeking my advice in this pass. It is to
offer him it that I ride south now. But
...
he is surrounded by men who give him bad counsel - as, dear God, has
been more than amply proved! But you, Madam, he will heed. You can
greatly move him. If I could make
you
understand...'

'What
is it that you want, my lord? What is your petition? But make it
short, of a mercy! For I am tired.'

'No
petition, Majesty. Only the advice he asked. Briefly this. Scotland
is being mustered
against
the
King. By his enemies. Argyll in especial. Hamilton aiding . . .'

'That
I will not believe, sir.
Monsieur
le Marquis
is
the King's good friend. And mine.'

'Not
a true friend, Madam - that I swear. By his acts ...'

'Stop,
sir! I will hear no more of this. If you insist on speaking evil of
my friends, as also my husband!
'

"Very
well. I shall say no more of persons. But - Scotland
is
being
mustered against the King. But the people do not hate him, despite
the preachings of some divines. The people could be raised against
the King's enemies, instead. I know it well. If His Majesty struck
first.'

'How
can he so strike? He has no army in Scotland. The Scots army is in
his foes' hands. You say it yourself.'

‘
I
could
find him an army, quickly. Let His Majesty give me a commission to
raise Scotland for him, and I will have 10,000 men in two weeks,
20,000 in six! Young Lord Aboyne, here, is empowered to promise 5000
Gordons. But give me the authority, and I will win Scotland for the
King. Let him come north himself, when I have mustered his army, and
all the land will fall to him. Come in strength, as a king should,
not in weakness, and the Scots people will prove their loyalty.'

‘
You
are most sure of yourself.'

'I
am most sure of my countrymen, Madam.'

'Others
say differently.'

'Others
may not wish the King so well as do I.'

Yet
you are one of those of this Covenant, are you not? One of the most
strong, sir?'

‘
I
was. Still I believe in what I signed then. But that battle is won.
And I walk no more with those who misuse the power it won.'

'In
France, we have a saying how if a man changes sides once, he may do
so again!'

'And
in Scotland we say, Majesty, that it is only a fool who holds to a
road past his destination! What I have said is true. Will you so
advise the King? To his great good?'

'I
will think of it, sir. I do not know. I will tell you, at York...'

But
at York, next evening, they discovered more travellers awaiting them
- Hamilton and Traquair, of all people, with quite a large
entourage. It seemed that Loudoun, Henderson and Warriston, with
themselves, were forming a deputation to Oxford, to urge on the King
that he accept the concept of Presbyterian uniformity of worship
thoughout his dominions, banning episcopacy entirely - obviously
only a time-filling device while forces were raised in Scotland,
since Charles would certainly never agree to it. Hearing of the
Queen's coming, these two practised courtiers had waited, letting
the others go ahead. No doubt they were as sensible of the lady's
influence on her husband as was Montrose.