bts arise," said Douglas; "but
men say the eagle was killed with an arrow fledged from his own wing,
and the oak trunk rent by a wedge of the same wood."

"Earl of Douglas," said the Duke of Albany, "I am no reader of riddles."

"Nor am I a propounder of them," said Douglas, haughtily, "Your Grace
will find particulars in these papers worthy of perusal. I will go for
half an hour to the cloister garden, and then rejoin you."

"You go not to the King, my lord?" said Albany.

"No," answered Douglas; "I trust your Grace will agree with me that we
should conceal this great family misfortune from our sovereign till the
business of tomorrow be decided."

"I willingly agree," said Albany. "If the King heard of this loss, he
could not witness the combat; and if he appear not in person, these men
are likely to refuse to fight, and the whole work is cast loose. But
I pray you sit down, my lord, while I read these melancholy papers
respecting poor Rothsay."

He passed the papers through his hands, turning some over with a hasty
glance, and dwelling on others as if their contents had been of the
last importance. When he had spent nearly a quarter of an hour in this
manner, he raised his eyes, and said very gravely: "My lord, in these
most melancholy documents, it is yet a comfort to see nothing which can
renew the divisions in the King's councils, which were settled by the
last solemn agreement between your lordship and myself. My unhappy
nephew was by that agreement to be set aside, until time should send him
a graver judgment. He is now removed by Fate, and our purpose in that
matter is anticipated and rendered unnecessary."

"If your Grace," replied the Earl, "sees nothing to disturb the good
understanding which the tranquillity and safety of Scotland require
should exist between us, I am not so ill a friend of my country as to
look closely for such."

"I understand you, my Lord of Douglas," said Albany, eagerly. "You
hastily judged that I should be offended with your lordship for
exercising your powers of lieutenancy, and punishing the detestable
murderers within my territory of Falkland. Credit me, on the contrary, I
am obliged to your lordship for taking out of my hands the punishment of
these wretches, as it would have broken my heart even to have looked
on them. The Scottish Parliament will inquire, doubtless, into this
sacrilegious deed; and happy am I that the avenging sword has been
in the hand of a man so impor