turn to Berwick until _demain_--I mean the morrow; and we vill
have the long night for one jolly carousal. I vill go _sans delai_, and
give the poor fellows, in the meantime, one leetle tasting of the grand
cheer."

("Then I am too long here," muttered Kate. "Alexander told his men that
the Persian stream was poisonous, to prevent them from stopping to
drink, whereby they would have fallen into the hands of the enemy. One
not less than he--ha! ha!--will save her men, by telling them there is
treachery in the cup.")

She descended instantly to the base-court, and, passing from one guard
to another, she whispered in their ears certain instructions, which, by
the nodding of their heads, they seemed to understand, while those she
had not time to visit received from their neighbours the communication
at second-hand, and thus, in a short space of time, she prepared the
whole retainers for the part they were destined to play. She had
scarcely finished this part of her operations, and got out of the court,
when the wine merchant made his appearance on the steps leading to the
hall. He nodded pleasantly to the men, and, proceeding to his mules,
took out of one of the panniers a large vessel filled with wine. This he
laid on the flagstones of the base-court, and alongside of it he placed
a large cup. He then called out to the retainers to approach, and seemed
pleased with the readiness with which they complied with his request.

"Mine very good fellows," said he, "I have sold your master,
Innerkepple, one grand quantity of vine; and he says I am under one
obligation to treat you vit a hamper, for the sake of the grand
affection he bears to you. You may drink as much as ever you vill
please; and ven this is brought to one termination, I will supply you
vit more."

"We're a' under a suitable obligation to ye, sir," replied the oldest of
the retainers, a sly, pawky Scotchman--"and winna fail to do credit to
the present ye've sae nobly presented to us; but do ye no hear
Innerkepple callin' for ye frae the ha'? Awa, sir, to the guid baron,
and leave us to our carouse."

"Ay," said another; "we'll inform ye when this is finished."

"Finished!" said a third; "we'll be a' on oor backs before we see the
end o't."

"Aha! excellent jolly troup!" cried the merchant, delighted with this
company.

The voice of Katherine, who appeared on the steps leading to the hall,
now arrested their attention.

"My father is impatient for thee,