le?"

"Aye, unto all who thwart him now," said the earl; "there is no hope for
any of the race of Bruce. Be advised, then, gentle boy, retain thy
freedom while thou mayest."

"No, no!" he answered, passionately, "Oh, do not seek to fright me from
my purpose; do not think aught of me, save but to grant my boon, and oh,
I will bless thee, pray for thee to my dying hour! thou wilt, I know
thou wilt."

"I were no father could I refuse thee, my poor child," he replied, with
earnest tenderness. "Alas! I fear me thou hast asked but increase of
misery, yet be it as thou list. And yet," he added, after a brief pause,
during which the boy had sprung from his knee, with an inarticulate cry
of joy, and flung himself into the minstrel's arms, "Sir Nigel hath
resolutely refused the attendance of any of his former followers, who
would willingly have attended him to England. Hast thou so much
influence, thinkest thou, to change his purpose in thy favor?"

"I know not," answered the boy, timidly; "yet an it please your noble
lordship to permit my pleading mine own cause without witness, I may
prevail, as I have done before."

"Be it so, then," replied the earl. "And now, ere we part, I would bid
thee remember I have trusted thee; I have granted that to thee, without
_condition_, with perfect liberty of action, which to others could only
have been granted on their surrendering themselves, rescue or no rescue,
even as thy master. I have done this, trusting to that noble
faithfulness, the candor and honesty of youth, which hath breathed forth
in all that thou hast said. Let me not repent it. And now, Hugo de
l'Orme," he called aloud, but Lancaster himself declared his intention
of conducting the boy to Sir Nigel's tent, and the esquire was
consequently dismissed; but ere they departed, the boy turned once more
to the aged minstrel.

"And thou--whither goest thou?" he said, in low yet thrilling tones. "My
more than father, thou hast seen thy child's earnest wish fulfilled;
that for which thou didst conduct me hither is accomplished; yet ere I
say farewell, tell me--oh, tell me, whither goest thou?"

"I know not," answered the old man, struggling with unexpressed emotion;
"yet think not of me, my child, I shall be free, be safe, untouched by
aught of personal ill, while young and lovely ones, for whom it would be
bliss to die, are crushed and bleeding in their spring; the mountains,
and rocks, and woods, yet unstained with blood, cal