de in peace and evil-doers be put
down, the peaceable prevented with power, and the Earl of Douglas
stand openly in the honourable place of his forebears."

The Chancellor finished his reading and looked around for approbation.
James of Avondale was nodding gravely. de Retz, with a ghastly smile
on his face, seemed to be weighing the phrases. Livingston was
admiring, with a self-satisfied smile, the pinkish lights upon his
finger-nails, and the girl was gazing as before out of the window into
the green close wherein the leaves stirred and the shadows had begun
to swim lazily on the grass with the coming of the wind from off the
sea.

"To this I would add as followeth," continued Crichton. "The
Chancellor of Scotland to William, Earl of Douglas, greeting and
homage! Sir William Crichton ventures to hope that the Earl of Douglas
will do him the great honour to come to his new Castle of Crichton,
there to be entertained as beseemeth his dignity, to the healing of
all ancient enmities, and also that they both may do honour to the
ambassador of the King of France ere he set sail again for his own
land."

"It is indeed a worthy epistle," said James the Gross, who, being
sleepy, wished for an end to be made.

"There is at least in it no lack of 'Chancellor of Scotland!'" sneered
Livingston, covertly.

"Gently, gently, great sirs," interposed de Retz, as the Chancellor
looked up with anger in his eye; "have out your quarrels as you
will--after the snapping of the trap. Remember that this which we do
is a matter of life or death for all of us."

"But the Douglases will wash us off the face of Scotland if we so much
as lay hand on the Earl," objected Livingston. "It might even affect
the safety of his Majesty's person!"

James the Gross laughed a low laugh and looked at Crichton.

"Perhaps," he said; "but what if the gallant boy David go with his
brother? Whoever after that shall be next Earl of Douglas can easily
prevent that. Also Angus is for us, and my Lord Maxwell will move no
hand. There remains, therefore, only Galloway, and my son William will
answer for that. I myself am old and fat, and love not fighting, but
to tame the Douglases shall be my part, and assuredly not the least."

All this while the Lady Sybilla had been standing motionless gazing
out of the window. de Retz now motioned her away with an almost
imperceptible signal of his hand, whereat Sir Alexander Livingston,
seeing the girl about to leave th