his wrist, and wrung her head off before all our eyes; then turning
fiercely on your poor sister, told her that "yon gled should be a token
to her, of how they fared who withheld themselves from him." Then rose
the Duke, trembling within rage; "Ay, Wat," said he, "ye hae been
owermuch for me. We will soon have ane at home that will ken how to
guide ye." Walter looked at him insolently, and muttered, "I've heard of
this before! They that wad have a master, may live under a master--but
I'm not ane of them;" and then, turning upon Lady Lilias, he pointed to
the dead hawk, and told her that, unless she yielded to him with a good
grace, that bird showed her what she might expect, long ere the King or
her brother were across the border.'

'And where is he now?'

'In Fife, striving to get a force together to hinder the King's return.
He'll not do that; men are too weary of misrule to join him against King
James; but he is like, any day, to come back with reivers enough to
terrify his father, and get your sister into his hands--indeed, his
mother is ready to give her up to him whenever he asks. He has sworn to
have her now, were it merely to vex the King and you, and show that he is
to be daunted neither by man, heaven, nor hell.'

'And he may come?'

'Any day or any night,' said James. 'Since he went I have striven, in
vain, to devise some escape for your sister; but Heaven has surely sent
you to hinder so foul a wrong! Yet, if you went to Glenuskie and raised
your vassals--'

'It would be loss of time,' said Malcolm; 'and this matter may not be put
to the doubtful issue of a fray between my men and his villains. Out of
this place must she go at once. But, alas! how win to the speech of
her?'

'That can I do,' said Kennedy. 'For a few brief moments, each day, have
I spoken to her in the chapel. Nay, I had left this place before now,
had she not prayed me to remain as her only friend.'

'Heaven must requite you, Cousin James,' said Malcolm, warmly. 'I
deserved not this of you.'

'All that I desire,' said Kennedy, 'is to see this land of ours cease to
be full of darkness and cruel habitations. Malcolm, you know the King
better than I; may we not trust that he will come as a redresser of
wrongs?'

'Know you not his pledge to himself?--"I will make the key keep the
castle, and the bracken bush keep the cow, though I live the life of a
dog to bring it about!"'

'God strengthen his hand,' said Kennedy, wit