a wedding
march, had reached the mouth of the river which enters the side of
Loch Awe; the party had crossed the river, and were ready to take boat
across to the Islet, when they saw a solitary man rowing towards them
with all speed. "It is some messenger from my lady," said the Baron,
and he waited eagerly to hear the message. With dreadful consternation
he listened to the unexpected words as the clansman delivered them,
and then bade the pipers cease their music. "We must return; there
will be no wedding to-day, since Black Colin is home again," quoth he;
and the crestfallen party retraced their steps, quickening them more
and more as they thought of the vengeance of the long-lost chieftain;
but they reached their home in safety.

Castle Kilchurn

In the meantime Colin had much to tell his wife of his adventures, and
to ask her of her life all these years. They told each other all, and
Colin saw the false letter that had been sent to the Lady of Loch Awe,
and guessed who had plotted this deceit. His anger grew against the
bad man who had wrought this wrong and had so nearly gained his end,
and he vowed that he would make the Baron dearly abide it. His wife
calmed his fury somewhat by telling him how she had waited even
beyond the seven years, and what stratagem she had used, and at last
he promised not to make war on the Baron, but to punish him in other
ways.

"Tell me what you have done with the rents of Glenurchy these seven
years," said he. Then the happy wife replied: "With part I have lived,
with part I have guarded the glen, and with part have I made a cairn
of stones at the head of Loch Awe. Will you come with me and see it?"
And Colin went, deeply puzzled. When they came to the head of Loch
Awe, there stood the new castle, on the site of the old house of the
MacGregors; and the proud wife laughed as she said: "Do you like my
cairn of stones? It has taken long to build." Black Colin was much
pleased with the beautiful castle she had raised for him, and renamed
it Kilchurn Castle, which title it still keeps. True to his vow, he
took no bloody vengeance on the Baron MacCorquodale, but when a few
years after he fell into his power the Knight of Loch Awe forced him
to resign a great part of his lands to be united with those of
Glenurchy.

CHAPTER XIII: THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAYNE

Introduction

The heroes of chivalry, from Roland the noble paladin to Spenser's
Red-Cross Knight, have many virtues