at courtesy from a
mountain churl which even my own followers can forget. Yet before thou
drawest thy brand," for the intruder laid his hand upon the hilt of his
sword, "thou wilt do well to reflect that I came with a safe-conduct from
thy king, and have no time to waste in brawls with such as thou."

"From my king,--from my king!" re-echoed the mountaineer. "I care not
that rotten truncheon," striking the shattered spear furiously on the
ground, "for the king of Fife and Lothian. But Habby of Cessford will be
here belive; and we shall soon know if he will permit an English churl to
occupy his hostelry."

Having uttered these words, accompanied with a lowering glance from under
his shaggy black eyebrows, he turned on his heel and left the house with
his two followers; they mounted their horses, which they had tied to an
outer fence, and vanished in an instant.

"Who is this discourteous ruffian?" said Lord Lacy to the franklin, who
had stood in the most violent agitation during this whole scene.

"His name, noble lord, is Adam Kerr of the Moat, but he is commonly
called by his companions the Black Rider of Cheviot. I fear, I fear, he
comes hither for no good; but if the Lord of Cessford be near, he will
not dare offer any unprovoked outrage."

"I have heard of that chief," said the baron; "let me know when he
approaches. And do thou, Rodulph," to the eldest yeoman, "keep a strict
watch. Adelbert," to the page, "attend to arm me." The page bowed, and
the baron withdrew to the chamber of the lady Isabella, to explain the
cause of the disturbance.

No more of the proposed tale was ever written; but the Author's purpose
was that it should turn upon a fine legend of superstition which is
current in the part of the Borders where he had his residence, where, in
the reign of Alexander III. of Scotland, that renowned person, Thomas of
Hersildoune, called the Rhymer, actually flourished. This personage, the
Merlin of Scotland, and to whom some of the adventures which the British
bards assigned to Merlin Caledonius, or the Wild, have been transferred
by tradition, was, as is well known, a magician, as well as a poet and
prophet. He is alleged still to live in the land of Faery, and is
expected to return at some great convulsion of society, in which he is to
act a distinguished part,--a tradition common to all nations, as the
belief of the Mahomedans respecting their twelfth Imaum demonstrates.

Now, it chanced many years si