ret's song
came clear. Forget them shall I never, till I too be on my death-bed,
and can remember nothing but "The Lord's my Shepherd," which every Scot
minds on his dying day. These were the words she sang:

"Turn unto me Thy face,
And to me mercy show;
Because that I am desolate,
And am brought very low.

"O do Thou keep my soul,
Do Thou deliver me;
And let me never be ashamed,
Because I trust in Thee."

After the last line there was a break and a silence, and no more--and no
more! But after the silence had endured a space, there arose a wailing
that went from the hill of Wigtown to the farthest shore of the
Cree--the wailing of a whole country-side for a young lass done to death
in the flower of her youth, in the untouched grace and favour of her
virginity.

CHAPTER LII.

THE MADNESS OF THE BULL OF EARLSTOUN.

How they carried me to Edinburgh I cannot stop to tell, though the
manner of it was grievous enough. But in my heart all the way there
remained the fear that while I was laid up in Edinburgh, Robert
Grierson, the wild beast of Galloway, might come and take my mother and
Maisie. And do so with them even as he had done with Margaret Lauchlison
and our little Margaret of Glen Vernock. And this vexed me more than
torments.

In Edinburgh they cast me into an inner den of the prison, where in the
irons there were ten men already. Then when my name was made known,
through the darkness and the fearsome stench of the place, where no
fresh air had come for years, what was my joy to hear the voice of Anton
Lennox bidding me be of good cheer--for that our Lord was a strong Lord,
and would see me win with credit from off the stage of life.

At this I took heart of grace at the kenned voice and face, and we fell
to discoursing about Maisie Lennox and how she did. He told me that to
the honour of the King's service the soldiers had treated him kindly,
and had given him the repute of being a man honourable above most.
Nevertheless, the warrant for his execution was daily expected from
London. He told me also that my brother Sandy was in Blackness Castle,
but that it was reported again that he was soon to be examined by
torture. Indeed there was a talk among the guard that I was to share
this with him, which made them the more careful of me, as one whom the
Council had an eye upon.

But it was not long before this matter was brought to a probation. About
three of t