n the walls--a fearful field, for
there was no retreat--and often the combatants, entwined in a deadly
struggle, fell together into the moat. Still there were no signs of
wavering on either side, still did the massive walls give no sign of
yielding to the tremendous and continued discharge of heavy stones, that
against battlements less strongly constructed must long ere this have
dealt destruction and inevitable mischief to the besieged. One tower,
commanding the causeway across the moat and its adjoining platform on
the wall, had indeed been taken by the English, and was to them a
decided advantage, but still their further progress even to the next
tower was lingering and dubious, and it appeared evident to both parties
that, from the utter impossibility of the Scotch obtaining supplies of
provision and men, success must finally attend the English; they would
succeed more by the effects of famine than by their swords.

It was, as we have said, seven days after the execution of the traitor
Roy. A truce for twelve hours had been concluded with the English, at
the request of Sir Nigel Bruce, and safe conduct granted by the Earl of
Hereford to those men, women, and children of the adjoining villages who
chose even at this hour to leave the castle, but few, a very few took
advantage of this permission, and these were mostly the widows and
children of those who had fallen in the siege; a fact which caused some
surprise, as the officers and men-at-arms imagined it would have been
eagerly seized upon by all those contentious spirits who had appeared so
desirous of a league with England. A quiet smile slightly curled the
lips of Nigel as this information was reported to him--a smile as of a
mind prepared for and not surprised at what he heard; but when left
alone, the smile was gone, he folded his arms on his breast, his head
was slightly bent forward, but had there been any present to have
remarked him, they would have seen his features move and work with the
intensity of internal emotion. Some mighty struggle he was enduring;
something there was passing at his very heart, for when recalled from
that trance by the heavy bell of the adjoining church chiming the hour
of five, and he looked up, there were large drops of moisture on his
brow, and his beautiful eye seemed for the moment strained and
blood-shot. He paced the chamber slowly and pensively till there was no
outward mark of agitation, and then he sought for Agnes.

She