g you. It was no place for a
prince--nay, for any honest man; otherwise no hand should have been laid
on my guest or my brother's near kinsman. And whereas I hear that both
you and my fiery hot Percy verily credited the cry that prisoners were
hid in that house, let me warn you that never was place yielded on
composition but some villain got up the shout, and hundreds of fools
followed it, till they learnt villainy in their turn. Therefore I ever
chastise transgression of my command to touch neither dwelling nor
inhabitant. You have both learnt your lesson, and the lion rampant and
he of the straight tail will both be reined up better another time.'

Malcolm had no choice but to bend his head, mutter something, and let the
King grasp his hand, though to him the apology seemed none at all, but
rather to increase the offence, since the blame was by no means taken
back again, while the condescension was such as could not be rejected,
and thus speciously took away his excuse for brooding over his wrath. His
hand lay so unwillingly in that strong hearty clasp that the King dropped
it, frowned, shrugged his shoulders, and muttered to himself, 'Sullen
young dog! No Scot can let bygones be bygones!' and then he turned away
and cast the trifle from his memory.

James was amazed not to see the moody face clear up, and asked of Malcolm
whether he were not gratified with this ample satisfaction.

'I trow I must be, Sir,' said Malcolm.

'I tell thee, boy,' said James, 'not one king--nay, not one man--in a
thousand would have offered thee the frank amends King Harry hath done
this day: nay, I doubt whether even he could so have done, were it not
that the hope of his wife's coming hath made him overflow with joy and
charity to all the world.'

Malcolm did not make much reply, and James regarded him with some
disappointment. The youth was certainly warmly attached to him, but
these tokens of superiority to the faults of his time and country which
had caused the King to seek him for a companion seemed to have vanished
with his feebleness and timidity. The manhood that had been awakened was
not the chivalrous, generous, and gentle strength of Henry and his
brothers, but the punctilious pride and sullenness, and almost something
of the license, of the Scot. The camp had not proved the school of
chivalry that James, in his inexperience, had imagined it must be under
Henry, and the tedium and wretchedness of the siege had great