uch a message to his lord.

"I dinna want ye to deliver my message, man," said Margaret. "I merely
wished to be polite to ye, and show ye a little attention. God be
thankit, the mistress o' Gilnockie can deliver her ain errand."

And, pushing the waiting man aside by a sudden jerk of her brawnie arm,
she proceeded calmly forward to a door, which she intended to open; but
the servant was at her heels, and, laying hold of her plaid, was in the
act of hauling her back, when the Warden himself came out, and asked the
cause of the affray.

"Is the house yours, my Lord, or this man's?" said Margaret. "Take
my advice, my Lord," (whispering in his ear,) "turn him aff--he's a
traitor; would you believe it, my Lord, that, though placed there for
the purpose o' lettin' folk into yer Lordship, he actually--ay, as sure
as death--tried to keep me oot! Can ye deny it, sir? Look i' my face,
and deny it if ye daur!"

The man smiled, and his Lordship laughed; and Margaret wondered at the
easy good-nature of a Lord in forgiving such a heinous offence on the
part of a servitor.

"If ye're as kind to me as ye are to that rebel," continued Margaret, as
she followed his Lordship into his sitting chamber, "Christie's Will
winna hang yet."

"What mean you, good woman?" said the Warden. "What is it that you
want?"

"As if your Lordship didna ken," answered Margaret, with a knowing look.
"Is it likely that a Liddesdale woman frae the Hollows, should ca' upon
the great Warden for aught short o' the life and safety o' the man wha's
in Jedburgh jail?" (Another Scotch wink.)

"I am still at a loss, good woman," said the Warden.

"At a loss!" rejoined Margaret. "What! doesna a' the Forest,[C] and
Teviotdale and Tweeddale to boot, ken that Christie's Will is in
Jedburgh jail?"

[C] Selkirkshire.

"I know, I know, good dame," replied the Warden, "that that brave riever
is in prison; but I thought his crime was the stealing of a cow, and not
a tether, as I heard you say to my servant."

"Weel, weel--the cow may have been at the end o' the tether," replied
Margaret.

"She is a wise woman who concealeth the _extremity_ of her husband's
crime," replied Lord Traquair, with a smile, "But what wouldst thou have
me to do?"

"Just to save Christie's Will frae the gallows, my Lord," answered
Margaret. And, going up close to his Lordship, and whispering in his
ear--"And sometimes a Lord needs a lift as weel as ither folk. If
there's nae buck o