tant as your lordship. Our communication
together, as your lordship must well recollect, bore only concerning a
proposed restraint of my unfortunate nephew until the advance of a year
or two had taught him discretion?"

"Such was certainly your Grace's purpose, as expressed to me," said the
Earl; "I can safely avouch it."

"Why, then, noble earl, we cannot be censured because villains, for
their own revengeful ends, appear to have engrafted a bloody termination
on our honest purpose?"

"The Parliament will judge it after their wisdom," said Douglas. "For my
part, my conscience acquits me."

"And mine assoilzies me," said the Duke with solemnity. "Now, my lord,
touching the custody of the boy James, who succeeds to his father's
claims of inheritance?"

"The King must decide it," said Douglas, impatient of the conference.
"I will consent to his residence anywhere save at Stirling, Doune, or
Falkland."

With that he left the apartment abruptly.

"He is gone," muttered the crafty Albany, "and he must be my ally, yet
feels himself disposed to be my mortal foe. No matter, Rothsay sleeps
with his fathers, James may follow in time, and then--a crown is the
recompense of my perplexities."

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Thretty for thretty faucht in barreris,
At Sanct Johnstoun on a day besyde the black freris.

WYNTOUN.

Palm Sunday now dawned. At an earlier period of the Christian Church,
the use of any of the days of Passion Week for the purpose of combat
would have been accounted a profanity worthy of excommunication. The
Church of Rome, to her infinite honour, had decided that during the holy
season of Easter, when the redemption of man from his fallen state was
accomplished, the sword of war should be sheathed, and angry monarchs
should respect the season termed the Truce of God. The ferocious
violence of the latter wars betwixt Scotland and England had destroyed
all observance of this decent and religious Ordinance. Very often the
most solemn occasions were chosen by one party for an attack, because
they hoped to find the other engaged in religious duties and unprovided
for defence. Thus the truce, once considered as proper to the season,
had been discontinued; and it became not unusual even to select the
sacred festivals of the church for decision of the trial by combat, to
which this intended contest bore a considerable resemblance.

On the present occasion, however, the duties of the day were obse