bbers do to you,
My fair lady?"_

The lady on the delicately pacing palfrey turned the darkness of her
eyes from the white-robed choristers to the face of the young man.
Then, with an impetuous motion of her hand, she urged him to listen
for the next words, which swept over Earl William's heart with a
cadence of unutterable pain and inexplicable melancholy.

_"They broke my lock and stole my gold, stole my gold, stole my gold,
Broke my lock and stole my gold,
My fair lady!"_

He turned upon his companion with a quick energy, as if he were afraid
of losing himself again.

"Who are you, lady, and what do you here?"

The girl (for in years she was little more) smiled and reined her
steed a little back from him with an air at once prettily petulant and
teasing.

"Is that spoken as William Douglas or as the Justicer of Galloway--a
country where, as I understand, there is no trial by jury?"

The light of a radiant smile passed from her lips into his soul.

"It is spoken as a man speaks to a woman beautiful and queenly," he
said, not removing his eyes from her face.

"I fear I may have startled you," she said, without continuing the
subject. "Even as I came I saw you were wrapped in meditation, and my
palfrey going lightly made no sound on the grass and leaves."

Her voice was so sweet and low that William Douglas, listening to it,
wished that she would speak on for ever.

"The hour grows late," he said, remembering himself. "You must have
far to ride. Let me be your escort homewards if you have none worthier
than I."

"Alas," she answered, smiling yet more subtly, "I have no home near
by. My home is very far and over many turbulent seas. I have but a
maiden's pavilion in which to rest my head. Yet since I and my company
must needs travel through your domains, Earl William, I trust you will
not be so cruel as to forbid us?"

"Yes,"--he was smiling now in turn, and catching somewhat of the gay
spirit of the lady,--"as overlord of all this province I do forbid you
to pass through these lands of Galloway without first visiting me in
my house of Thrieve!"

The lady clapped her hands and laughed, letting her palfrey pace
onwards through the woodland glades bridle free, while Black Darnaway,
compelled by his master's hand, followed, tossing his head indignantly
because it had been turned from the direction of his ni