himsell had mastered his sword."

"Fie, fie, Hobbie; it was a foolish brawl, occasioned by wine and
politics--many swords were drawn--it is impossible to say who struck the
blow."

"At ony rate, auld Ellieslaw was aiding and abetting; and I am sure if
ye were sae disposed as to take amends on him, naebody could say it was
wrang, for your father's blood is beneath his nails--and besides there's
naebody else left that was concerned to take amends upon, and he's a
prelatist and a jacobite into the bargain--I can tell ye the country
folk look for something atween ye."

"O for shame, Hobbie!" replied the young Laird; "you, that profess
religion, to stir your friend up to break the law, and take vengeance
at his own hand, and in such a bogilly bit too, where we know not what
beings may be listening to us!"

"Hush, hush!" said Hobbie, drawing nearer to his companion, "I was nae
thinking o' the like o' them--But I can guess a wee bit what keeps your
hand up, Mr. Patrick; we a' ken it's no lack o' courage, but the twa
grey een of a bonny lass, Miss Isabel Vere, that keeps you sae sober."

"I assure you, Hobbie," said his companion, rather angrily, "I assure
you you are mistaken; and it is extremely wrong of you, either to think
of, or to utter, such an idea; I have no idea of permitting freedoms to
be carried so far as to connect my name with that of any young lady."

"Why, there now--there now!" retorted Elliot; "did I not say it was nae
want o' spunk that made ye sae mim?--Weel, weel, I meant nae offence;
but there's just ae thing ye may notice frae a friend. The auld Laird
of Ellieslaw has the auld riding blood far hetter at his heart than ye
hae--troth, he kens naething about thae newfangled notions o' peace and
quietness--he's a' for the auld-warld doings o' lifting and laying on,
and he has a wheen stout lads at his back too, and keeps them weel up in
heart, and as fu' o' mischief as young colts. Where he gets the gear to
do't nane can say; he lives high, and far abune his rents here; however,
he pays his way--Sae, if there's ony out-break in the country, he's
likely to break out wi' the first--and weel does he mind the auld
quarrels between ye, I'm surmizing he'll be for a touch at the auld
tower at Earnscliff."

"Well, Hobbie," answered the young gentleman, "if he should be so ill
advised, I shall try to make the old tower good against him, as it has
been made good by my betters against his betters many a day ago