hile thy father holds the power in Scotland.
Take that oath, thou livest: refuse it, and--' He held up the deadly
little dagger called the misericorde.

'And who art thou, caitiff land-louper,' muttered Walter, 'to put to oath
knights and princes?'

The knight raised the visor of his helmet. The evening sun shone
resplendently on his damasked blue armour and the St. Andrew's cross on
his breast, and lighted up that red fire that lurked in his eyes, and
withal the calm power and righteous indignation on his features might
have befitted an avenging angel wielding the lightning.

'Thou wilt know me when we meet again,' was all he said; and for the very
calmness of the voice the Master of Albany, who was but a mere
commonplace insolent ruffian, quailed with awe and terror to the very
backbone.

'Loose me, and I will swear,' he faintly murmured.

Sir James, before removing his foot, unclasped his gorget, and undoing a
chain, held up a jewel shaped like a St. Andrew's cross, with a diamond
in the midst, covering a fragmentary relic. At the sight Walter
Stewart's eyes, large pale ones, dilated as if with increased
consternation, the sweat started on his forehead, and his breath came in
shorter gasps. Malcolm and Lilias, standing near, likewise felt a sense
of strange awe, for they too had heard of this relic, a supposed fragment
of St. Andrew's own instrument of martyrdom, which had belonged to St.
Margaret, and had been thought a palladium to the royal family and House
of Stewart.

'Rise on thy knees,' said Sir James, now taking away his foot, 'and swear
upon this.'

Walter, completely cowed and overawed, rose to his knees at his victor's
command, laid his hand on the relic, and in a shaken, almost tremulous
voice, repeated the words of the oath after his dictation: 'I, Walter
Stewart, Master of Albany, hereby swear to God and St. Andrew, to fight
in no private brawl, to spoil no man nor woman, to oppress no poor man,
clerk, widow, maid, or orphan, to abstain from all wrong or spulzie from
this hour until the King shall come again in peace.'

He uttered the words, and kissed the jewel that was tendered to him; and
then Sir James said, in the same cold and dignified tone, 'Let thine oath
be sacred, or beware. Now, mount and go thy way, but take heed _how_ I
meet thee again.'

Sir Walter's horse was held for him by Brewster, the knight's English
attendant, and without another word he flung himself into the saddl