I can. I make no doubt that
MacDonald's position in Stirling is less pleasant than my own. He is
practically a prisoner, held hostage here for the good conduct of his
father, the firebrand of Sleat, so we must not take too seriously the
vapouring of a youth whose leg is tied. I was once a captive myself to
the Douglas, and I used words that would scarcely have been pleasant
for my gaoler to hear had some kind friend carried them, so I have
ever a soft side for the man in thrall."

To the amazement of the courtiers, who had shown some inclination to
avoid the company of MacDonald after he had unburdened his soul, the
king continued to treat the Highlander as affably as ever, but many
thought his majesty was merely biding his time, which was indeed the
case. The wiser heads about the court strongly approved of this
diplomacy, as before they had looked askance at the king's rivalry
with the irascible youth. They knew that affairs were not going well
in the north, and so loose were the bonds restraining MacDonald, that
at any moment he might very readily have escaped, ridden to the hills,
and there augmented the almost constant warfare in those mountainous
regions. Every clan that could be kept quiet was so much to the good,
for although they fought mostly among themselves, there was ever a
danger of a combination which might threaten the throne of Scotland.
Very often the king recklessly offended those whom he should
conciliate, but even the wiseacres were compelled to admit that his
jaunty kindness frequently smoothed out what looked like a dangerous
quarrel. The sage counsellors, however, thought the king should keep
a closer watch on those Highland chieftains who were practically
hostages in his court. But to this advice James would never listen.
Having been a captive himself not so very long before, as he
frequently remarked, he thus felt an intense sympathy for those in
like condition, even though he himself kept them so through the
necessity of internal politics, yet he always endeavoured to make
the restraint sit as lightly as possible on his victims.

Some weeks after the ill-considered anti-royal threats had been made,
their promulgator was one of a group in the courtyard of the castle,
when the captain of the guard came forward and said the king wished to
see him in his private chamber. MacDonald may have been taken aback by
the unexpected summons, but he carried the matter off nonchalantly
enough, with the air