pirits of the two sisters; the first wrench of parting
was over with them, and they found themselves treated with much more
observance than usual, though they did not know that the horses
they were riding had been trained for the special use of the Lady of
Glenuskie and her daughter Annis upon the journey.

They rode on gaily, Jean with her inseparable falcon Skywing, Eleanor
with her father's harp bestowed behind her--she would trust it to no one
else. They were squired by their two cousins, David and Malcolm, who, in
spite of David's murmurs, felt the exhilaration of the future as much
as they did, as they coursed over the heather, David with two great
greyhounds with majestic heads at his side, Finn and Finvola, as they
were called.

The graver and sadder ones of the party, father, mother, and the two
young sisters, rode farther back, the father issuing directions to the
seneschal, who accompanied them thus far, and the mother watching over
the two fair young girls, whose hearts were heavy in the probability
that they would never meet again, for how should a Scottish Benedictine
nun and the wife of a French seigneur ever come together? nor would
there be any possibility of correspondence to bridge over the gulf.

The nunnery was strong, but not with the strength of secular buildings,
for, except when a tempting heiress had taken refuge there, convents
were respected even by the rudest men.

Numerous unkempt and barely-clothed figures were coming away from the
gates, a pilgrim or two with brown gown, broad hat, and scallop shell,
the morning's dole being just over; but a few, some on crutches,
some with heads or limbs bound up, were waiting for their turn of the
sister-infirmarer's care. The pennon of the Drummond had already been
recognised, and the gate-ward readily admitted the party, since the
house of Glenuskie were well known as pious benefactors to the Church.

They were just in time for a mass which a pilgrim priest was about to
say, and they were all admitted to the small nave of the little chapel,
beyond which a screen shut off the choir of nuns. After this the ladies
were received into the refectory to break their fast, the men folk being
served in an outside building for the purpose. It was not sumptuous
fare, chiefly consisting of barley bannocks and very salt and dry fish,
with some thin and sour ale; and David's attention was a good deal taken
up by a man-at-arms who seemed to have attached himself