, may the fury of every fiend follow me, if I place
her not in the hands of Edward, alive or dead! his wrath will save me
the trouble of seeking further vengeance."

"Nay, thou art a very fool to be so chafed," coolly observed Fife. "Thou
hast taken no care of thy wife, and therefore hast no right to demand
strict account of her amusements in thy absence; and how do we know she
is not as virtuous as the rest of them? I do but tell thee of these
things to pass away the time. Ha! there goes the prince's Gascon
favorite, by mine honor. Gaveston sports it bravely; look at his crimson
mantle wadded with sables. He hath changed his garb since morning.
Faith, he is a lucky dog! the prince's love may be valued at some
thousand marks a year--worth possessing, by St. Michael!"

A muttered oath was all the reply which his companion vouchsafed, nor
did the thunder-cloud upon his brow disperse that evening.

The careless recklessness of Fife had no power to lessen in the earl's
mind the weight of the shameful charge he had brought against the
countess. Buchan's dark, suspicious mind not alone received it, but
cherished it, revelled in it, as giving him that which he had long
desired, a good foundation for dislike and jealousy, a well-founded
pretence for every species of annoyance and revenge. The Earl of Fife,
who had, in fact, merely spoken, as he had said, to while away the
time, and for the pleasure of seeing his brother-in-law enraged, thought
as little of his words _after_ as he had _before_ they were uttered. A
licentious follower of pleasure in every form himself, he imagined, as
such thoughtless characters generally do, that everybody must be like
him. From his weak and volatile mind, then, all remembrance of that
evening's conversation faded as soon as it was spoken; but with the Earl
of Buchan it remained brooding on itself, and filling his dark spirit
with yet blacker fancies.

The confinement of the Scottish noblemen was not of long duration.
Edward, whose temper, save when his ambition was concerned, was
generally just and equitable, discovering, after an impartial
examination, that they were in no ways connected with the affairs in the
north, and feeling also it was his interest to conciliate the regard of
all the Scottish nobles disaffected to Bruce, very soon restored them
alike to their personal liberty and to his favor; his courteous apology
for unjust suspicion, frankly acknowledging that the news from Scotlan