Here's to the MacLeod!" he cried.

"I drink to the king, and good luck to him!" said MacDonald.

"I drink to anything, so long as the wine is sound," rejoined his
majesty, enjoying a deep draught. "E-god, Jamie," he cried setting the
flagon down again, "that's better claret than we have in Stirling."

"There is no reason why it shouldn't be excellent," replied MacDonald,
"for the laird's own ships bring it direct from the coast of France to
the coast of Skye, and there's little chance of adulteration between
the two."

When the repast was finished the aged man who had received them at the
door entered and announced that MacLeod of MacLeod was ready to greet
them in his study. They followed him and were ushered into an oblong
room somewhat larger than the one they had left. The king was
astonished to find the walls lined with numerous volumes, some of the
tomes massive in heavy binding. As books were not over-plentiful even
in the realms of civilisation, he had not expected to find them in a
corner of the world so remote.

Allaster the Hunchback sat by the side of a huge oaken table, and he
did not rise from his chair when his visitors were presented to him,
either because he wished the better to conceal the deformity which
gave him his nickname, or because he did not consider his guests of
such importance as to deserve a more courteous reception. He addressed
them in excellent English, and the king constituted himself spokesman
for the occasion, MacDonald standing by taciturn, in spite of the
excellence of the wine, which indeed he had consumed somewhat
sparingly.

"I understand," began MacLeod, "that you have honoured my poor rugged
island of Skye with your presence for some days."

"The honour, sir, has been ours," replied the king with an inclination
of his head. "I was visiting my friend MacDonald in Sleat and heard of
the king's barge, so we came over to see it."

"This is your friend MacDonald of Sleat then?"

"Yes. May I have the pleasure of presenting Mr. James MacDonald to the
MacLeod?"

The two Highlanders, one sitting, one standing, bowed somewhat
distantly to each other as the king, with a flourish of his hand,
made the introduction.

"Perhaps," continued MacLeod suavely, "your friend from Sleat will do
a like obligement for yourself."

"I shall not put him to that trouble," said the king airily. "I am of
such small account that it would be a pity to put upon a Highland
chieftain the task of