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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Days of Bruce  Vol 1, by Grace Aguilar
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Days of Bruce  Vol 1
+       A Story from Scottish History
+
+Author: Grace Aguilar
+
+Release Date: May 14, 2006 [EBook #18387]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DAYS OF BRUCE  VOL 1 ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by University of Michigan Digital Library,
+Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Janet Blenkinship and the Online
+Distributed Proofreaders Europe at http://dp.rastko.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: p. 148.]
+
+The
+
+DAYS OF BRUCE
+
+BY
+
+GRACE AGUILAR
+
+D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.
+
+THE
+
+DAYS OF BRUCE;
+
+A Story
+
+FROM
+
+
+SCOTTISH HISTORY.
+
+BY
+
+GRACE AGUILAR,
+
+  AUTHOR OF "HOME INFLUENCE," "THE MOTHER'S RECOMPENSE,"
+  "WOMAN'S FRIENDSHIP," "THE VALE OF CEDARS"
+  ETC. ETC.
+
+IN TWO VOLUMES.
+
+VOL. I.
+
+
+  NEW YORK:
+  D. APPLETON & CO., 90, 92 & 94 GRAND ST.
+  1871.
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+As these pages have passed through the press, mingled feelings of pain
+and pleasure have actuated my heart. Who shall speak the regret that
+she, to whom its composition was a work of love, cannot participate in
+the joy which its publication would have occasioned--who shall tell of
+that anxious pleasure which I feel in witnessing the success of each and
+all the efforts of her pen?
+
+THE DAYS OF BRUCE must be considered as an endeavor to place
+before the reader an interesting narrative of a period of history, in
+itself a romance, and one perhaps as delightful as could well have been
+selected. In combination with the story of Scotland's brave deliverer,
+it must be viewed as an illustration of female character, and
+descriptive of much that its Author considered excellent in woman. In
+the high minded Isabella of Buchan is traced the resignation of a heart
+wounded in its best affections, yet trustful midst accumulated misery.
+In Isoline may be seen the self-inflicted unhappiness of a too
+confident and self reliant nature; while in Agnes is delineated the
+overwhelming of a mind too much akin to heaven in purity and innocence
+to battle with the stern and bitter sorrows with which her life is
+strewn.
+
+How far the merits of this work may be perceived becomes not me to
+judge; I only know and _feel_ that on me has devolved the endearing task
+of publishing the writings of my lamented child--that I am fulfilling
+the desire of her life.
+
+SARAH AGUILAR.
+
+_May_, 1852.
+
+
+
+
+THE DAYS OF BRUCE.
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+
+The month of March, rough and stormy as it is in England, would perhaps
+be deemed mild and beautiful as May by those accustomed to meet and
+brave its fury in the eastern Highlands, nor would the evening on which
+our tale commences bely its wild and fitful character.
+
+The wind howled round the ancient Tower of Buchan, in alternate gusts of
+wailing and of fury, so mingled with the deep, heavy roll of the lashing
+waves, that it was impossible to distinguish the roar of the one element
+from the howl of the other. Neither tree, hill, nor wood intercepted the
+rushing gale, to change the dull monotony of its gloomy tone. The Ythan,
+indeed, darted by, swollen and turbid from continued storms, threatening
+to overflow the barren plain it watered, but its voice was
+undistinguishable amidst the louder wail of wind and ocean. Pine-trees,
+dark, ragged, and stunted, and scattered so widely apart that each one
+seemed monarch of some thirty acres, were the only traces of vegetation
+for miles round. Nor were human habitations more abundant; indeed, few
+dwellings, save those of such solid masonry as the Tower of Buchan,
+could hope to stand scathless amidst the storms that in winter ever
+swept along the moor.
+
+No architectural beauty distinguished the residence of the Earls of
+Buchan; none of that tasteful decoration peculiar to the Saxon, nor of
+the more sombre yet more imposing style introduced by the Norman, and
+known as the Gothic architecture.
+
+Originally a hunting-lodge, it had been continually enlarged by
+succeeding lords, without any regard either to symmetry or proportion,
+elegance or convenience; and now, early in the year 1306, appeared
+within its outer walls as a most heterogeneous mass of ill-shaped
+turrets, courts, offices, and galleries, huddled together in ill-sorted
+confusion, though presenting to the distant view a massive square
+building, remarkable only for a strength and solidity capable of
+resisting alike the war of elements and of man.
+
+Without all seemed a dreary wilderness, but within existed indisputable
+signs of active life. The warlike inhabitants of the tower, though
+comparatively few in number, were continually passing to and fro in the
+courts and galleries, or congregating in little knots, in eager
+converse. Some cleansing their armor or arranging banners; others, young
+and active, practising the various manoeuvres of mimic war; each and
+all bearing on their brow that indescribable expression of anticipation
+and excitement which seems ever on the expectant of it knows not what.
+The condition of Scotland was indeed such as to keep her sons constantly
+on the alert, preparing for defence or attack, as the insurging efforts
+of the English or the commands of their lords should determine. From the
+richest noble to the veriest serf, the aged man to the little child,
+however contrary their politics and feelings, one spirit actuated all,
+and that spirit was war--war in all its deadliest evils, its unmitigated
+horrors, for it was native blood which deluged the rich plains, the
+smiling vales, and fertile hills of Scotland.
+
+Although the castle of Buchan resembled more a citadel intended for the
+accommodation of armed vassals than the commodious dwelling of feudal
+lords, one turret gave evidence, by its internal arrangement, of a
+degree of refinement and a nearer approach to comfort than its fellows,
+and seeming to proclaim that within its massive walls the lords of the
+castle were accustomed to reside. The apartments were either hung with
+heavy tapestry, which displayed, in gigantic proportions, the combats of
+the Scots and Danes, or panelled with polished oak, rivalling ebony in
+its glossy blackness, inlaid with solid silver. Heavy draperies of
+damask fell from the ceiling to the floor at every window, a pleasant
+guard, indeed, from the constant winds which found entrance through many
+creaks and corners of the Gothic casements, but imparting a dingy aspect
+to apartments lordly in their dimensions, and somewhat rich in
+decoration.
+
+The deep embrasures of the casements were thus in a manner severed from
+the main apartment, for even when the curtains were completely lowered
+there was space enough to contain a chair or two and a table. The
+furniture corresponded in solidity and proportion to the panelling or
+tapestry of the walls; nor was there any approach even at those doubtful
+comforts already introduced in the more luxurious Norman castles of
+South Britain.
+
+The group, however, assembled in one of these ancient rooms needed not
+the aid of adventitious ornament to betray the nobility of birth, and
+those exalted and chivalric feelings inherent to their rank. The sun,
+whose stormy radiance during the day had alternately deluged earth and
+sky with fitful yet glorious brilliance, and then, burying itself in the
+dark masses of overhanging clouds, robed every object in deepest gloom,
+now seemed to concentrate his departing rays in one living flood of
+splendor, and darting within the chamber, lingered in crimson glory
+around the youthful form of a gentle girl, dyeing her long and
+clustering curls with gold. Slightly bending over a large and cumbrous
+frame which supported her embroidery, her attitude could no more conceal
+the grace and lightness of her childlike form, than the glossy ringlets
+the soft and radiant features which they shaded. There was archness
+lurking in those dark blue eyes, to which tears seemed yet a stranger;
+the clear and snowy forehead, the full red lip, and health-bespeaking
+cheek had surely seen but smiles, and mirrored but the joyous light
+which filled her gentle heart. Her figure seemed to speak a child, but
+there was a something in that face, bright, glowing as it was, which yet
+would tell of somewhat more than childhood--that seventeen summers had
+done their work, and taught that guileless heart a sterner tale than
+gladness.
+
+A young man, but three or four years her senior, occupied an embroidered
+settle at her feet. In complexion, as in the color of his hair and eyes,
+there was similarity between them, but the likeness went no further, nor
+would the most casual observer have looked on them as kindred. Fair and
+lovely as the maiden would even have been pronounced, it was perhaps
+more the expression, the sweet innocence that characterized her features
+which gave to them their charm; but in the young man there was
+infinitely more than this, though effeminate as was his complexion, and
+the bright sunny curls which floated over his throat, he was eminently
+and indescribably beautiful, for it was the mind, the glorious mind, the
+kindling spirit which threw their radiance over his perfect features;
+the spirit and mind which that noble form enshrined stood apart, and
+though he knew it not himself, found not their equal in that dark period
+of warfare and of woe. The sword and lance were the only instruments of
+the feudal aristocracy; ambition, power, warlike fame, the principal
+occupants of their thoughts; the chase, the tourney, or the foray, the
+relaxation of their spirits. But unless that face deceived, there was
+more, much more, which charactered the elder youth within that chamber.
+
+A large and antique volume of Norse legends rested on his knee, which,
+in a rich, manly voice, he was reading aloud to his companion,
+diversifying his lecture with remarks and explanations, which, from the
+happy smiles and earnest attention of the maiden, appeared to impart the
+pleasure intended by the speaker. The other visible inhabitant of the
+apartment was a noble-looking boy of about fifteen, far less steadily
+employed than his companions, for at one time he was poising a heavy
+lance, and throwing himself into the various attitudes of a finished
+warrior; at others, brandished a two-handed sword, somewhat taller than
+himself; then glancing over the shoulder of his sister--for so nearly
+was he connected with the maiden, though the raven curls, the bright
+flashing eye of jet, and darker skin, appeared to forswear such near
+relationship--criticising her embroidery, and then transferring his
+scrutiny to the strange figures on the gorgeously-illuminated
+manuscript, and then for a longer period listening, as it were,
+irresistibly to the wild legends which that deep voice was so
+melodiously pouring forth.
+
+"It will never do, Agnes. You cannot embroider the coronation of Kenneth
+MacAlpine and listen to these wild tales at one and the same time. Look
+at your clever pupil, Sir Nigel; she is placing a heavy iron buckler on
+the poor king's head instead of his golden crown." The boy laughed long
+and merrily as he spoke, and even Sir Nigel smiled; while Agnes,
+blushing and confused, replied, half jestingly and half earnestly, "And
+why not tell me of it before, Alan? you must have seen it long ago."
+
+"And so I did, sweet sister mine; but I wished to see the effect of such
+marvellous abstraction, and whether, in case of necessity, an iron
+shield would serve our purpose as well as a jewelled diadem."
+
+"Never fear, my boy. Let but the king stand forth, and there will be
+Scottish men enow and willing to convert an iron buckler into a goodly
+crown;" and as Sir Nigel spoke his eyes flashed, and his whole
+countenance irradiated with a spirit that might not have been suspected
+when in the act of reading, but which evidently only slept till awakened
+by an all-sufficient call. "Let the tyrant Edward exult in the
+possession of our country's crown and sceptre--he may find we need not
+them to make a king; aye, and a king to snatch the regal diadem from the
+proud usurper's brow--the Scottish sceptre from his blood-stained
+hands!"
+
+"Thou talkest wildly, Nigel," answered the lad, sorrowfully, his
+features assuming an expression of judgment and feeling beyond his
+years. "Who is there in Scotland will do this thing? who will dare again
+the tyrant's rage? Is not this unhappy country divided within itself,
+and how may it resist the foreign foe?"
+
+"Wallace! think of Wallace! Did he not well-nigh wrest our country from
+the tyrant's hands? And is there not one to follow in the path he
+trod--no noble heart to do what he hath done?"
+
+"Nigel, yes. Let but the rightful king stand forth, and were there none
+other, I--even I, stripling as I am, with my good sword and single arm,
+even with the dark blood of Comyn in my veins, Alan of Buchan, would
+join him, aye, and die for him!"
+
+"There spoke the blood of Duff, and not of Comyn!" burst impetuously
+from the lips of Nigel, as he grasped the stripling's ready hand; "and
+doubt not, noble boy, there are other hearts in Scotland bold and true
+as thine; and even as Wallace, one will yet arise to wake them from
+their stagnant sleep, and give them freedom."
+
+"Wallace," said the maiden, fearfully; "ye talk of Wallace, of his bold
+deeds and bolder heart, but bethink ye of his _fate_. Oh, were it not
+better to be still than follow in his steps unto the scaffold?"
+
+"Dearest, no; better the scaffold and the axe, aye, even the iron
+chains and hangman's cord, than the gilded fetters of a tyrant's yoke.
+Shame on thee, sweet Agnes, to counsel thoughts as these, and thou a
+Scottish maiden." Yet even as he spoke chidingly, the voice of Nigel
+became soft and thrilling, even as it had before been bold and daring.
+
+"I fear me, Nigel, I have but little of my mother's blood within my
+veins. I cannot bid them throb and bound as hers with patriotic love and
+warrior fire. A lowly cot with him I loved were happiness for me."
+
+"But that cot must rest upon a soil unchained, sweet Agnes, or joy could
+have no resting there. Wherefore did Scotland rise against her
+tyrant--why struggle as she hath to fling aside her chains? Was it her
+noble sons? Alas, alas! degenerate and base, they sought chivalric fame;
+forgetful of their country, they asked for knighthood from proud
+Edward's hand, regardless that that hand had crowded fetters on their
+fatherland, and would enslave their sons. Not to them did Scotland owe
+the transient gleam of glorious light which, though extinguished in the
+patriot's blood, hath left its trace behind. With the bold, the hardy,
+lowly Scot that gleam had birth; they would be free to them. What
+mattered that their tyrant was a valiant knight, a worthy son of
+chivalry: they saw but an usurper, an enslaver, and they rose and
+spurned his smiles--aye, and they _will_ rise again. And wert thou one
+of them, sweet girl; a cotter's wife, thou too wouldst pine for freedom.
+Yes; Scotland will bethink her of her warrior's fate, and shout aloud
+revenge for Wallace!"
+
+Either his argument was unanswerable, or the energy of his voice and
+manner carried conviction with them, but a brighter glow mantled the
+maiden's cheek, and with it stole the momentary shame--the wish, the
+simple words that she had spoken could be recalled.
+
+"Give us but a king for whom to fight--a king to love, revere, obey--a
+king from whose hand knighthood were an honor, precious as life itself,
+and there are noble hearts enough to swear fealty to him, and bright
+swords ready to defend his throne," said the young heir of Buchan, as he
+brandished his own weapon above his head, and then rested his arms upon
+its broad hilt, despondingly. "But where is that king? Men speak of my
+most gentle kinsman Sir John Comyn, called the Red--bah! The sceptre
+were the same jewelled bauble in his impotent hand as in his sapient
+uncle's; a gem, a toy, forsooth, the loan of crafty Edward. No! the Red
+Comyn is no king for Scotland; and who is there besides? The rightful
+heir--a cold, dull-blooded neutral--a wild and wavering changeling. I
+pray thee be not angered, Nigel; it cannot be gainsaid, e'en though he
+is thy brother."
+
+"I know it Alan; know it but too well," answered Nigel, sadly, though
+the dark glow rushed up to cheek and brow. "Yet Robert's blood is hot
+enough. His deeds are plunged in mystery--his words not less so; yet I
+cannot look on him as thou dost, as, alas! too many do. It may be that I
+love him all too well; that dearer even than Edward, than all the rest,
+has Robert ever been to me. He knows it not; for, sixteen years my
+senior, he has ever held me as a child taking little heed of his wayward
+course; and yet my heart has throbbed beneath his word, his look, as if
+he were not what he seemed, but would--but must be something more."
+
+"I ever thought thee but a wild enthusiast, gentle Nigel, and this
+confirms it. Mystery, aye, such mystery as ever springs from actions at
+variance with reason, judgment, valor--with all that frames the patriot.
+Would that thou wert the representative of thy royal line; wert thou in
+Earl Robert's place, thus, thus would Alan kneel to thee and hail thee
+king!"
+
+"Peace, peace, thou foolish boy, the crown and sceptre have no charm for
+me; let me but see my country free, the tyrant humbled, my brother as my
+trusting spirit whispers he _shall_ be, and Nigel asks no more."
+
+"Art thou indeed so modest, gentle Nigel--is thy happiness so distinct
+from self? thine eyes tell other tales sometimes, and speak they false,
+fair sir?"
+
+Timidly, yet irresistibly, the maiden glanced up from her embroidery,
+but the gaze that met hers caused those bright eyes to fall more quickly
+than they were raised, and vainly for a few seconds did she endeavor so
+to steady her hand as to resume her task. Nigel was, however, spared
+reply, for a sharp and sudden bugle-blast reverberated through the
+tower, and with an exclamation of wondering inquiry Alan bounded from
+the chamber. There was one other inmate of that apartment, whose
+presence, although known and felt, had, as was evident, been no
+restraint either to the employments or the sentiments of the two youths
+and their companion. Their conversation had not passed unheeded,
+although it had elicited no comment or rejoinder. The Countess of Buchan
+stood within one of those deep embrasures we have noticed, at times
+glancing towards the youthful group with an earnestness of sorrowing
+affection that seemed to have no measure in its depth, no shrinking in
+its might; at others, fixing a long, unmeaning, yet somewhat anxious
+gaze on the wide plain and distant ocean, which the casement overlooked.
+
+It was impossible to look once on the countenance of Isabella of Buchan,
+and yet forbear to look again, The calm dignity, the graceful majesty of
+her figure seemed to mark her as one born to command, to hold in willing
+homage the minds and inclinations of men; her pure, pale brow and marble
+cheek--for the rich rose seemed a stranger there--the long silky lash of
+jet, the large, full, black eye, in its repose so soft that few would
+guess how it could flash fire, and light up those classic features with
+power to stir the stagnant souls of thousands and guide them with a
+word. She looked in feature as in form a queen; fitted to be beloved,
+formed to be obeyed. Her heavy robe of dark brocade, wrought with thick
+threads of gold, seemed well suited to her majestic form; its long,
+loose folds detracting naught from the graceful ease of her carriage.
+Her thick, glossy hair, vying in its rich blackness with the raven's
+wing, was laid in smooth bands upon her stately brow, and gathered up
+behind in a careless knot, confined with a bodkin of massive gold. The
+hood or coif, formed of curiously twisted black and golden threads,
+which she wore in compliance with the Scottish custom, that thus made
+the distinction between the matron and the maiden, took not from the
+peculiarly graceful form of the head, nor in any part concealed the
+richness of the hair. Calm and pensive as was the general expression of
+her countenance, few could look upon it without that peculiar sensation
+of respect, approaching to awe, which restrained and conquered sorrow
+ever calls for. Perchance the cause of such emotion was all too
+delicate, too deeply veiled to be defined by those rude hearts who were
+yet conscious of its existence; and for them it was enough to own her
+power, bow before it, and fear her as a being set apart.
+
+Musingly she had stood looking forth on the wide waste; the distant
+ocean, whose tumbling waves one moment gleamed in living light, at
+others immersed in inky blackness, were barely distinguished from the
+lowering sky. The moaning winds swept by, bearing the storm-cloud on
+their wings; patches of blue gleamed strangely and brightly forth; and,
+far in the west, crimson and amber, and pink and green, inlaid in
+beautiful mosaic the departing luminary's place of rest.
+
+"Alas, my gentle one," she had internally responded to her daughter's
+words, "if thy mother's patriot heart could find no shield for woe, nor
+her warrior fire, as thou deemest it, guard her from woman's trials,
+what will be thy fate? This is no time for happy love, for peaceful
+joys, returned as it may be; for--may I doubt that truthful brow, that
+knightly soul (her glance was fixed on Nigel)--yet not now may the
+Scottish knight find rest and peace in woman's love. And better is it
+thus--the land of the slave is no home for love."
+
+A faint yet a beautiful smile, dispersing as a momentary beam the
+anxiety stamped on her features, awoke at the enthusiastic reply of
+Nigel. Then she turned again to the casement, for her quick eye had
+discerned a party of about ten horsemen approaching in the direction of
+the tower, and on the summons of the bugle she advanced from her retreat
+to the centre of the apartment.
+
+"Why, surely thou art but a degenerate descendant of the brave Macduff,
+mine Agnes, that a bugle blast should thus send back every drop of blood
+to thy little heart," she said, playfully. "For shame, for shame! how
+art thou fitted to be a warrior's bride? They are but Scottish men, and
+true, methinks, if I recognize their leader rightly. And it is even so."
+
+"Sir Robert Keith, right welcome," she added, as, marshalled by young
+Alan, the knight appeared, bearing his plumed helmet in his hand, and
+displaying haste and eagerness alike in his flushed features and soiled
+armor.
+
+"Ye have ridden long and hastily. Bid them hasten our evening meal, my
+son; or stay, perchance Sir Robert needs thine aid to rid him of this
+garb of war. Thou canst not serve one nobler."
+
+"Nay, noble lady, knights must don, not doff their armor now. I bring ye
+news, great, glorious news, which will not brook delay. A royal
+messenger I come, charged by his grace my king--my country's king--with
+missives to his friends, calling on all who spurn a tyrant's yoke--who
+love their land, their homes, their freedom--on all who wish for
+Wallace--to awake, arise, and join their patriot king!"
+
+"Of whom speakest thou, Sir Robert Keith? I charge thee, speak!"
+exclaimed Nigel, starting from the posture of dignified reserve with
+which he had welcomed the knight, and springing towards him.
+
+"The patriot and the king!--of whom canst thou speak?" said Alan, at the
+same instant. "Thine are, in very truth, marvellous tidings, Sir Knight;
+an' thou canst call up one to unite such names, and worthy of them, he
+shall not call on me in vain."
+
+"Is he not worthy, Alan of Buchan, who thus flings down the gauntlet,
+who thus dares the fury of a mighty sovereign, and with a handful of
+brave men prepares to follow in the steps of Wallace, to the throne or
+to the scaffold?"
+
+"Heed not my reckless boy, Sir Robert," said the countess, earnestly, as
+the eyes of her son fell beneath the knight's glance of fiery reproach;
+"no heart is truer to his country, no arm more eager to rise in her
+defence."
+
+"The king! the king!" gasped Nigel, some strange over-mastering emotion
+checking his utterance. "Who is it that has thus dared, thus--"
+
+"And canst thou too ask, young sir?" returned the knight, with a smile
+of peculiar meaning. "Is thy sovereign's name unknown to thee? Is Robert
+Bruce a name unknown, unheard, unloved, that thou, too, breathest it
+not?"
+
+"My brother, my brave, my noble brother!--I saw it, I knew it! Thou wert
+no changeling, no slavish neutral; but even as I felt, thou art, thou
+wilt be! My brother, my brother, I may live and die for thee!" and the
+young enthusiast raised his clasped hands above his head, as in
+speechless thanksgiving for these strange, exciting news; his flushed
+cheek, his quivering lip, his moistened eye betraying an emotion which
+seemed for the space of a moment to sink on the hearts of all who
+witnessed it, and hush each feeling into silence. A shout from the court
+below broke that momentary pause.
+
+"God save King Robert! then, say I," vociferated Alan, eagerly grasping
+the knight's hand. "Sit, sit, Sir Knight; and for the love of heaven,
+speak more of this most wondrous tale. Erewhile, we hear of this goodly
+Earl of Carrick at Edward's court, doing him homage, serving him as his
+own English knight, and now in Scotland--aye, and Scotland's king. How
+may we reconcile these contradictions?"
+
+"Rather how did he vanish from the tyrant's hundred eyes, and leave the
+court of England?" inquired Nigel, at the same instant as the Countess
+of Buchan demanded, somewhat anxiously--
+
+"And Sir John Comyn, recognizes he our sovereign's claim? Is he amongst
+the Bruce's slender train?"
+
+A dark cloud gathered on the noble brow of the knight, replacing the
+chivalric courtesy with which he had hitherto responded to his
+interrogators. He paused ere he answered, in a stern, deep voice--
+
+"Sir John Comyn lived and died a traitor, lady. He hath received the
+meed of his base treachery; his traitorous design for the renewed
+slavery of his country--the imprisonment and death of the only one that
+stood forth in her need."
+
+"And by whom did the traitor die?" fiercely demanded the young heir of
+Buchan. "Mother, thy cheek is blanched; yet wherefore? Comyn as I am,
+shall we claim kindred with a traitor, and turn away from the good
+cause, because, forsooth, a traitorous Comyn dies? No; were the Bruce's
+own right hand red with the recreant's blood--he only is the Comyn's
+king."
+
+"Thou hast said it, youthful lord," said the knight, impressively. "Alan
+of Buchan, bear that bold heart and patriot sword unto the Bruce's
+throne, and Comyn's traitorous name shall be forgotten in the scion of
+Macduff. Thy mother's loyal blood runs reddest in thy veins, young sir;
+too pure for Comyn's base alloy. Know, then, the Bruce's hand is red
+with the traitor's blood, and yet, fearless and firm in the holy justice
+of his cause, he calls on his nobles and their vassals for their homage
+and their aid--he calls on them to awake from their long sleep, and
+shake off the iron yoke from their necks; to prove that Scotland--the
+free, the dauntless, the unconquered soil, which once spurned the Roman
+power, to which all other kingdoms bowed--is free, undaunted, and
+unconquered still. He calls aloud, aye, even on ye, wife and son of
+Comyn of Buchan, to snap the link that binds ye to a traitor's house,
+and prove--though darkly, basely flows the blood of Macduff in one
+descendant's veins, that the Earl of Fife refuses homage and allegiance
+to his sovereign--in ye it rushes free, and bold, and loyal still."
+
+"And he shall find it so. Mother, why do ye not speak? You, from whose
+lips my heart first learnt to beat for Scotland my lips to pray that one
+might come to save her from the yoke of tyranny. You, who taught me to
+forget all private feud, to merge all feeling, every claim, in the one
+great hope of Scotland's freedom. Now that the time is come, wherefore
+art thou thus? Mother, my own noble mother, let me go forth with thy
+blessing on my path, and ill and woe can come not near me. Speak to thy
+son!" The undaunted boy flung himself on his knee before the countess as
+he spoke. There was a dark and fearfully troubled expression on her
+noble features. She had clasped her hands together, as if to still or
+hide their unwonted trembling; but when she looked on those bright and
+glowing features, there came a dark, dread vision of blood, and the axe
+and cord, and she folded her arms around his neck, and sobbed in all a
+mother's irrepressible agony.
+
+"My own, my beautiful, to what have I doomed thee!" she cried. "To
+death, to woe! aye, perchance, to that heaviest woe--a father's curse!
+exposing thee to death, to the ills of all who dare to strike for
+freedom. Alan, Alan, how can I bid thee forth to death? and yet it is I
+have taught thee to love it better than the safety of a slave; longed,
+prayed for this moment--deemed that for my country I could even give my
+child--and now, now--oh God of mercy, give me strength!"
+
+She bent down her head on his, clasping him to her heart, as thus to
+still the tempest which had whelmed it. There is something terrible in
+that strong emotion which sometimes suddenly and unexpectedly overpowers
+the calmest and most controlled natures. It speaks of an agony so
+measureless, so beyond the relief of sympathy, that it falls like an
+electric spell on the hearts of all witnesses, sweeping all minor
+passions into dust before it. Little accustomed as was Sir Robert Keith
+to sympathize in such emotions, he now turned hastily aside, and, as if
+fearing to trust himself in silence, commenced a hurried detail to Nigel
+Bruce of the Earl of Carrick's escape from London, and his present
+position. The young nobleman endeavored to confine his attention to the
+subject, but his eyes would wander in the direction of Agnes, who,
+terrified at emotions which in her mother she had never witnessed
+before, was kneeling in tears beside her brother.
+
+A strong convulsive shuddering passed over the bowed frame of Isabella
+of Buchan; then she lifted up her head, and all traces of emotion had
+passed from her features. Silently she pressed her lips on the fair
+brows of her children alternately, and her voice faltered not as she
+bade them rise and heed her not.
+
+"We will speak further of this anon, Sir Robert," she said, so calmly
+that the knight started. "Hurried and important as I deem your mission,
+the day is too far spent to permit of your departure until the morrow;
+you will honor our evening meal, and this true Scottish tower for a
+night's lodging, and then we can have leisure for discourse on the
+weighty matters you have touched upon."
+
+She bowed courteously, as she turned with a slow, unfaltering step to
+leave the room. Her resumed dignity recalled the bewildered senses of
+her son, and, with graceful courtesy, he invited the knight to follow
+him, and choose his lodging for the night.
+
+"Agnes, mine own Agnes, now, indeed, may I win thee," whispered Nigel,
+as tenderly he folded his arm round her, and looked fondly in her face.
+"Scotland shall be free! her tyrants banished by her patriot king; and
+then, then may not Nigel Bruce look to this little hand as his reward?
+Shall not, may not the thought of thy pure, gentle love be mine, in the
+tented field and battle's roar, urging me on, even should all other
+voice be hushed?"
+
+"Forgettest thou I am a Comyn, Nigel? That the dark stain of traitor, of
+disloyalty is withering on our line, and wider and wider grows the
+barrier between us and the Bruce?" The voice of the maiden was choked,
+her bright eyes dim with tears.
+
+"All, all I do forget, save that thou art mine own sweet love; and
+though thy name is Comyn, thy heart is all Macduff. Weep not, my Agnes;
+thine eyes were never framed for tears. Bright times for us and Scotland
+are yet in store!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+
+For the better comprehension of the events related in the preceding
+chapter, it will be necessary to cast a summary glance on matters of
+historical and domestic import no way irrelevant to our subject, save
+and except their having taken place some few years previous to the
+commencement of our tale.
+
+The early years of Isabella of Buchan had been passed in happiness. The
+only daughter, indeed for seven years the only child, of Malcolm, Earl
+of Fife, deprived of her mother on the birth of her brother, her youth
+had been nursed in a tenderness and care uncommon in those rude ages;
+and yet, from being constantly with her father, she imbibed those higher
+qualities of mind which so ably fitted her for the part which in after
+years it was her lot to play. The last words of his devoted wife,
+imploring him to educate her child himself, and not to sever the tie
+between them, by following the example of his compeers, and sending her
+either to England, France, or Norway, had been zealously observed by the
+earl; the prosperous calm, which was the happy portion of Scotland
+during the latter years of Alexander III., whose favorite minister he
+was, enabled him to adhere to her wishes far more successfully than
+could have been the case had he been called forth to war.
+
+In her father's castle, then, were the first thirteen years of the Lady
+Isabella spent, varied only by occasional visits to the court of
+Alexander, where her beauty and vivacity rendered her a universal
+favorite. Descended from one of the most ancient Scottish families,
+whose race it was their boast had never been adulterated by the blood of
+a foreigner, no Norman prejudice intermingled with the education of
+Isabella, to tarnish in any degree those principles of loyalty and
+patriotism which her father, the Earl of Fife, so zealously inculcated.
+She was a more true, devoted Scottish woman at fourteen, than many of
+her own rank whose years might double hers; ready even then to sacrifice
+even life itself, were it called for in defence of her sovereign, or the
+freedom of her country; and when, on the death of Alexander, clouds
+began to darken the horizon of Scotland, her father scrupled not to
+impart to her, child though she seemed, those fears and anxieties which
+clouded his brow, and filled his spirit with foreboding gloom. It was
+then that in her flashing eye and lofty soul, in the undaunted spirit,
+which bore a while even his colder and more foreseeing mood along with
+it, that he traced the fruit whose seed he had so carefully sown.
+
+"Why should you fear for Scotland, my father?" she would urge; "is it
+because her queen is but a child and now far distant, that anarchy and
+gloom shall enfold our land? Is it not shame in ye thus craven to deem
+her sons, when in thy own breast so much devotion and loyalty have rest?
+why not judge others by yourself, my father, and know the dark things of
+which ye dream can never be?"
+
+"Thou speakest as the enthusiast thou art, my child. Yet it is not the
+rule of our maiden queen my foreboding spirit dreads; 'tis that on such
+a slender thread as her young life suspends the well-doing or the ruin
+of her kingdom. If she be permitted to live and reign over us, all may
+be well; 'tis on the event of her death for which I tremble."
+
+"Wait till the evil day cometh then, my father; bring it not nearer by
+anticipation; and should indeed such be, thinkest thou not there are
+bold hearts and loyal souls to guard our land from foreign foe, and give
+the rightful heir his due?"
+
+"I know not, Isabella. There remain but few with the pure Scottish blood
+within their veins, and it is but to them our land is so dear: they
+would peril life and limb in her defence. It is not to the proud baron
+descended from the intruding Norman, and thinking only of his knightly
+sports and increase of wealth, by it matters not what war. Nor dare we
+look with confidence to the wild chiefs of the north and the Lords of
+the Isles; eager to enlarge their own dominions, to extend the terrors
+of their name, they will gladly welcome the horrors and confusion that
+may arise; and have we true Scottish blood enough to weigh against
+these, my child? Alas! Isabella, our only hope is in the health and
+well-doing of our queen, precarious as that is; but if she fail us, woe
+to Scotland!"
+
+The young Isabella could not bring forward any solid arguments in answer
+to this reasoning, and therefore she was silent; but she felt her
+Scottish blood throb quicker in her veins, as he spoke of the few pure
+Scottish men remaining, and inwardly vowed, woman as she was, to devote
+both energy and life to her country and its sovereign.
+
+Unhappily for his children, though perhaps fortunately for himself, the
+Earl of Fife was spared the witnessing in the miseries of his country
+how true had been his forebodings. Two years after the death of his
+king, he was found dead in his bed, not without strong suspicion of
+poison. Public rumor pointed to his uncle, Macduff of Glamis, as the
+instigator, if not the actual perpetrator of the deed; but as no decided
+proof could be alleged against him, and the High Courts of Scotland not
+seeming inclined to pursue the investigation, the rumor ceased, and
+Macduff assumed, with great appearance of zeal, the guardianship of the
+young Earl of Fife and his sister, an office bequeathed to him under the
+hand and seal of the earl, his nephew.
+
+The character of the Lady Isabella was formed; that of her brother, a
+child of eight, of course was not; and the deep, voiceless suffering her
+father's loss occasioned her individually was painfully heightened by
+the idea that to her young brother his death was an infinitely greater
+misfortune than to herself. He indeed knew not, felt not the agony which
+bound her; he knew not the void which was on her soul; how utterly,
+unspeakably lonely that heart had become, accustomed as it had been to
+repose its every thought, and hope, and wish, and feeling on a parent's
+love; yet notwithstanding this, her clear mind felt and saw that while
+for herself there was little fear that she should waver in those
+principles so carefully instilled, for her brother there was much, very
+much to dread. She did not and could not repose confidence in her
+kinsman; for her parent's sake she struggled to prevent dislike, to
+compel belief that the suavity, even kindness of his manner, the
+sentiments which he expressed, had their foundation in sincerity; but
+when her young brother became solely and entirely subject to his
+influence, she could no longer resist the conviction that their guardian
+was not the fittest person for the formation of a patriot. She could
+not, she would not believe the rumor which had once, but once, reached
+her ears, uniting the hitherto pure line of Macduff with midnight
+murder; her own noble mind rejected the idea as a thing utterly and
+wholly impossible, the more so perhaps, as she knew her father had been
+latterly subject to an insidious disease, baffling all the leech's art,
+and which he himself had often warned her would terminate suddenly; yet
+still an inward shuddering would cross her heart at times, when in his
+presence; she could not define the cause, or why she felt it sometimes
+and not always, and so she sought to subdue it, but she sought in vain.
+
+Meanwhile an event approached materially connected with the Lady
+Isabella, and whose consummation the late Thane of Fife had earnestly
+prayed he might have been permitted to hallow with his blessing.
+Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan and High Constable of Scotland, had been
+from early youth the brother in arms and dearest friend of the Earl of
+Fife, and in the romantic enthusiasm which ever characterized the
+companionship of chivalry, they had exchanged a mutual vow that in after
+years, should heaven grant them children, a yet nearer and dearer tie
+should unite their houses. The birth of Isabella, two years after that
+of an heir to Buchan, was hailed with increased delight by both fathers,
+and from her earliest years she was accustomed to look to the Lord John
+as her future husband. Perhaps had they been much thrown together,
+Isabella's high and independent spirit would have rebelled against this
+wish of her father, and preferred the choosing for herself; but from the
+ages of eleven and nine they had been separated, the Earl of Buchan
+sending his son, much against the advice of his friend, to England,
+imagining that there, and under such a knight as Prince Edward, he would
+better learn the noble art of war and all chivalric duties, than in the
+more barbarous realm of Scotland. To Isabella, then, her destined
+husband was a stranger; yet with a heart too young and unsophisticated
+to combat her parent's wishes, by any idea of its affections becoming
+otherwise engaged, and judging of the son by the father, to whom she was
+ever a welcome guest, and who in himself was indeed a noble example of
+chivalry and honor, Isabella neither felt nor expressed any repugnance
+to her father's wish, that she should sign her name to a contract of
+betrothal, drawn up by the venerable abbot of Buchan, and to which the
+name of Lord John had been already appended; it was the lingering echoes
+of that deep, yet gentle voice, blessing her compliance to his wishes,
+which thrilled again and again to her heart, softening her grief, even
+when that beloved voice was hushed forever, and she had no thought, no
+wish to recall that promise, nay, even looked to its consummation with
+joy, as a release from the companionship, nay, as at times she felt, the
+wardance of her kinsman.
+
+But this calm and happy frame of mind was not permitted to be of long
+continuance. In one of the brief intervals of Macduff's absence from the
+castle, about eighteen months after her father's death, the young earl
+prevailed on the aged retainer in whose charge he had been left, to
+consent to his going forth to hunt the red deer, a sport of which, boy
+as he was, he was passionately fond. In joyous spirits, and attended by
+a gallant train, he set out, calling for and receiving the ready
+sympathy of his sister, who rejoiced as himself in his emancipation from
+restraint, which either was, or seemed to be, adverse to the usual
+treatment of noble youths.
+
+Somewhat sooner than Isabella anticipated, they returned. Earl Duncan,
+with a wilfulness which already characterized him, weary of the extreme
+watchfulness of his attendants, who, in their anxiety to keep him from
+danger, checked and interfered with his boyish wish to signalize himself
+by some daring deed of agility and skill, at length separated himself,
+except from one or two as wilful, and but little older than himself. The
+young lord possessed all the daring of his race, but skill and foresight
+he needed greatly, and dearly would he have paid for his rashness. A
+young and fiery bull had chanced to cross his path, and disregarding the
+entreaties of his followers, he taunted them with cowardice, and goaded
+the furious animal to the encounter; too late he discovered that he had
+neither skill nor strength for the combat he had provoked, and had it
+not been for the strenuous exertions of a stranger youth, who diverted
+aside the fury of the beast, he must have fallen a victim to his
+thoughtless daring. Curiously, and almost enviously, he watched the
+combat between the stranger and the bull, nor did any emotion of
+gratitude rise in the boy's breast to soften the bitterness with which
+he regarded the victory of the former, which the reproaches of his
+retainers, who at that instant came up, and their condemnation of his
+folly, did not tend to diminish; and almost sullenly he passed to the
+rear, on their return, leaving Sir Malise Duff to make the
+acknowledgments, which should have come from him, and courteously invite
+the young stranger to accompany them home, an invitation which, somewhat
+to the discomposure of Earl Duncan, was accepted.
+
+If the stranger had experienced any emotion of anger from the boy's
+slight of his services, the gratitude of the Lady Isabella would have
+banished it on the instant, and amply repaid them; with cheeks glowing,
+eyes glistening, and a voice quivering with suppressed emotion, she had
+spoken her brief yet eloquent thanks; and had he needed further proof,
+the embrace she lavished on her young brother, as reluctantly, and after
+a long interval, he entered the hall, said yet more than her broken
+words.
+
+"Thou art but a fool, Isabella, craving thy pardon," was his ungracious
+address, as he sullenly freed himself from her. "Had I brought thee the
+bull's horns, there might have been some cause for this marvellously
+warm welcome; but as it is--"
+
+"I joy thou wert not punished for thy rashness, Duncan. Yet 'twas not in
+such mood I hoped to find thee; knowest thou that 'tis to yon brave
+stranger thou owest thy life?"
+
+"Better it had been forfeited, than that he should stand between me and
+mine honor. I thank him not for it, nor owe him aught like gratitude."
+
+"Peace, ungrateful boy, an thou knowest not thy station better," was his
+sister's calm, yet dignified reply; and the stranger smiled, and by his
+courteous manner, speedily dismissed her fears as to the impression of
+her brother's words, regarding them as the mere petulance of a child.
+
+Days passed, and still the stranger lingered; eminently handsome, his
+carriage peculiarly graceful, and even dignified, although it was
+evident, from the slight, and as it were, unfinished roundness of his
+figure, that he was but in the first stage of youth, yet his discourse
+and manner were of a kind that would bespeak him noble, even had his
+appearance been less convincing. According to the custom of the time,
+which would have deemed the questioning a guest as to his name and
+family a breach of all the rules of chivalry and hospitality, he
+remained unknown.
+
+"Men call me Sir Robert, though I have still my spurs to win," he had
+once said, laughingly, to Lady Isabella and her kinsman, Sir Malise
+Duff, "but I would not proclaim my birth till I may bring it honor."
+
+A month passed ere their guest took his departure, leaving regard and
+regret behind him, in all, perhaps, save in the childish breast of Earl
+Duncan, whose sullen manner had never changed. There was a freshness and
+light-heartedness, and a wild spirit of daring gallantry about the
+stranger that fascinated, men scarce knew wherefore; a reckless
+independence of sentiment which charmed, from the utter absence of all
+affectation which it comprised. To all, save to the Lady Isabella, he
+was a mere boy, younger even than his years; but in conversation with
+her his superior mind shone forth, proving he could in truth appreciate
+hers, and give back intellect for intellect, feeling for feeling;
+perhaps her beauty and unusual endowments had left their impression upon
+him. However it may be, one day, one little day after the departure of
+Sir Robert, Isabella woke to the consciousness that the calm which had
+so long rested on her spirit bad departed, and forever; and to what had
+it given place? Had she dared to love, she, the betrothed, the promised
+bride of another? No; she could not have sunk thus low, her heart had
+been too long controlled to rebel now. She might not, she would not
+listen to its voice, to its wild, impassioned throbs. Alas! she
+miscalculated her own power; the fastnesses she had deemed secure were
+forced; they closed upon their subtle foe, and held their conqueror
+prisoner.
+
+But Isabella was not one to waver in a determination when once formed;
+how might she break asunder links which the dead had hallowed? She
+became the bride of Lord John; she sought with her whole soul to forget
+the past, and love him according to her bridal vow, and as time passed
+she ceased to think of that beautiful vision of her early youth, save as
+a dream that had had no resting; and a mother's fond yearnings sent
+their deep delicious sweetness as oil on the troubled waters of her
+heart. She might have done this, but unhappily she too soon discovered
+her husband was not one to aid her in her unsuspected task, to soothe
+and guide, and by his affection demand her gratitude and reverence.
+Enwrapped in selfishness or haughty indifference, his manner towards her
+ever harsh, unbending, and suspicious, Isabella's pride would have
+sustained her, had not her previous trial lowered her in self-esteem;
+but as it was, meekly and silently she bore with the continued outbreak
+of unrestrained passion, and never wavered from the path of duty her
+clear mind had laid down.
+
+On the birth of a son, however, her mind regained its tone, and inwardly
+yet solemnly she vowed that no mistaken sense of duty to her husband
+should interfere with the education of her son. As widely opposed as
+were their individual characters, so were the politics of the now Earl
+and Countess of Buchan. Educated in England, on friendly terms with her
+king, he had, as the Earl of Fife anticipated, lost all nationality, all
+interest in Scotland, and as willingly and unconcernedly taken the vows
+of homage to John Baliol, as the mere representative and lieutenant of
+Edward, as he would have done to a free and unlimited king. He had been
+among the very first to vote for calling in the King of England as
+umpire; the most eager to second and carry out all Edward's views, and
+consequently high in that monarch's favor, a reputation which his enmity
+to the house of Bruce, one of the most troublesome competitors of the
+crown, did not tend to diminish. Fortunately perhaps for Isabella, the
+bustling politics of her husband constantly divided them. The births of
+a daughter and son had no effect in softening his hard and selfish
+temper; he looked on them more as incumbrances than pleasures, and
+leaving the countess in the strong Tower of Buchan, he himself, with a
+troop of armed and mounted Comyns, attached himself to the court and
+interests of Edward, seeming to forget that such beings as a wife and
+children had existence. Months, often years, would stretch between the
+earl's visits to his mountain home, and then a week was the longest
+period of his lingering; but no evidence of a gentler spirit or of less
+indifference to his children was apparent, and years seemed to have
+turned to positive evil, qualities which in youth had merely seemed
+unamiable.
+
+Desolate as the situation of the countess might perhaps appear, she
+found solace and delight in moulding the young minds of her children
+according to the pure and elevated cast of her own. All the
+long-suppressed tenderness of her nature was lavished upon them, and on
+their innocent love she sought to rest the passionate yearnings of her
+own. She taught them to be patriots, in the purest, most beautiful
+appropriation of the term,--to spurn the yoke of the foreigner, and the
+oppressor, however light and flowery the links of that yoke might seem.
+She could not bid them love and revere their father as she longed to do,
+but she taught them that where their duty to their country and their
+free and unchained king interfered not, in all things they must obey and
+serve their father, and seek to win his love.
+
+Once only had the Countess of Buchan beheld the vision which had crossed
+her youth. He had come, it seemed unconscious of his track, and asked
+hospitality for a night, evidently without knowing who was the owner of
+the castle; perhaps his thoughts were preoccupied, for a deep gloom was
+on his brow, and though he had started with evident pleasure when
+recognizing his beautiful hostess, the gloom speedily resumed
+ascendency. It was but a few weeks after the fatal battle of Falkirk,
+and therefore Isabella felt there was cause enough for depression and
+uneasiness. The graces of boyhood had given place to a finished
+manliness of deportment, a calmer expression of feature, denoting that
+years had changed and steadied the character, even as the form. He then
+seemed as one laboring under painful and heavy thought, as one brooding
+over some mighty change within, as if some question of weighty import
+were struggling with recollections and visions of the past. He had
+spoken little, evidently shrinking in pain from all reference to or
+information on the late engagement. He tarried not long, departing with
+dawn next day, and they did not meet again.
+
+And what had been the emotions of the countess? perhaps her heart had
+throbbed, and her cheek paled and flushed, at this unexpected meeting
+with one she had fervently prayed never to see again; but not one
+feeling obtained ascendency in that heart which she would have dreaded
+to unveil to the eye of her husband. She did indeed feel that had her
+lot been cast otherwise, it must have been a happy one, but the thought
+was transient. She was a wife, a mother, and in the happiness of her
+children, her youth, and all its joys and pangs, and dreams and hopes,
+were merged, to be recalled no more.
+
+The task of instilling patriotic sentiments in the breast of her son had
+been insensibly aided by the countess's independent position amid the
+retainers of Buchan. This earldom had only been possessed by the family
+of Comyn since the latter years of the reign of William the Lion,
+passing into their family by the marriage of Margaret Countess of Buchan
+with Sir William Comyn, a knight of goodly favor and repute. This
+interpolation and ascendency of strangers was a continual source of
+jealousy and ire to the ancient retainers of the olden heritage, and
+continually threatened to break out into open feud, had not the soothing
+policy of the Countess Margaret and her descendants, by continually
+employing them together in subjecting other petty clans, contrived to
+keep them in good humor. As long as their lords were loyal to Scotland
+and her king, and behaved so as to occasion no unpleasant comparison
+between them and former superiors, all went on smoothly; but the haughty
+and often outrageous conduct of the present earl, his utter neglect of
+their interests, his treasonous politics, speedily roused the slumbering
+fire into flame. A secret yet solemn oath went round the clan, by which
+every fighting man bound himself to rebel against their master, rather
+than betray their country by siding with a foreign tyrant; to desert
+their homes, their all, and disperse singly midst the fastnesses and
+rocks of Scotland, than lift up a sword against her freedom. The
+sentiments of the countess were very soon discovered; and even yet
+stronger than the contempt and loathing with which they looked upon the
+earl was the love, the veneration they bore to her and to her children.
+If his mother's lips had been silent, the youthful heir would have
+learned loyalty and patriotism from his brave though unlettered
+retainers, as it was to them he owed the skin and grace with which he
+sate his fiery steed, and poised his heavy lance, and wielded his
+stainless brand--to them he owed all the chivalric accomplishments of
+the day; and though he had never quitted the territories of Buchan, he
+would have found few to compete with him in his high and gallant spirit.
+
+Dark and troubled was the political aspect of unhappy Scotland, at the
+eventful period at which our tale commences. The barbarous and most
+unjust execution of Sir William Wallace had struck the whole country as
+with a deadly panic, from which it seemed there was not one to rise to
+cast aside the heavy chains, whose weight it seemed had crushed the
+whole kingdom, and taken from it the last gleams of patriotism and of
+hope. Every fortress of strength and consequence was in possession of
+the English. English soldiers, English commissioners, English judges,
+laws, and regulations now filled and governed Scotland. The abrogation
+of all those ancient customs, which had descended from the Celts and
+Picts, and Scots, fell upon the hearts of all true Scottish men as the
+tearing asunder the last links of freedom, and branding them as slaves.
+Her principal nobles, strangely and traitorously, preferred safety and
+wealth, in the acknowledgment and servitude of Edward, to glory and
+honor in the service of their country; and the spirits of the middle
+ranks yet spurned the inglorious yoke, and throbbed but for one to lead
+them on, if not to victory, at least to an honorable death. That one
+seemed not to rise; it was as if the mighty soul of Scotland had
+departed, when Wallace slept in death.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+
+A bustling and joyous aspect did the ancient town of Scone present near
+the end of March, 1306. Subdued indeed, and evidently under some
+restraint and mystery, which might be accounted for by the near vicinity
+of the English, who were quartered in large numbers over almost the
+whole of Perthshire; some, however, appeared exempt from these most
+unwelcome guests. The nobles, esquires, yeomen, and peasants--all, by
+their national garb and eager yet suppressed voices, might be known at
+once as Scotsmen right and true.
+
+It had been long, very long since the old quiet town had witnessed such
+busy groups and such eager tongues as on all sides thronged it now; the
+very burghers and men of handicraft wore on their countenances tokens of
+something momentous. There were smiths' shops opening on every side,
+armorers at work, anvils clanging, spears sharpening, shields
+burnishing, bits and steel saddles and sharp spurs meeting the eye at
+every turn. Ever and anon, came a burst of enlivening music, and well
+mounted and gallantly attired, attended by some twenty or fifty
+followers, as may be, would gallop down some knight or noble, his armor
+flashing back a hundred fold the rays of the setting sun; his silken
+pennon displayed, the device of which seldom failed to excite a hearty
+cheer from the excited crowds; his stainless shield and heavy spear
+borne by his attendant esquires; his vizor up, as if he courted and
+dared recognition; his surcoat, curiously and tastefully embroidered;
+his gold or silver-sheathed and hilted sword suspended by the silken
+sash of many folds and brilliant coloring. On foot or on horseback,
+these noble cavaliers were continually passing and repassing the ancient
+streets, singly or in groups; then there were their followers, all
+carefully and strictly armed, in the buff coat plaited with steel, the
+well-quilted bonnet, the huge broadsword; Highlanders in their peculiar
+and graceful costume; even the stout farmers, who might also be found
+amongst this motley assemblage, wearing the iron hauberk and sharp sword
+beneath their apparently peaceful garb. Friars in their gray frocks and
+black cowls, and stately burghers and magistrates, in their velvet
+cloaks and gold chains, continually mingled their peaceful forms with
+their more warlike brethren, and lent a yet more varied character to the
+stirring picture.
+
+Varied as were the features of this moving multitude, the expression on
+every countenance, noble and follower, yeoman and peasant, burgher and
+even monk, was invariably the same--a species of strong yet suppressed
+excitement, sometimes shaded by anxiety, sometimes lighted by hope,
+almost amounting to triumph; sometimes the dark frown of scorn and hate
+would pass like a thunder-cloud over noble brows, and the mailed hand
+unconsciously clutched the sword; and then the low thrilling laugh of
+derisive contempt would disperse the shade, and the muttered oath of
+vengeance drown the voice of execration. It would have been a strange
+yet mighty study, the face of man in that old town; but men were all too
+much excited to observe their fellows, to them it was enough--unspoken,
+unimparted wisdom as it was--to know, to feel, one common feeling bound
+that varied mass of men, one mighty interest made them brothers.
+
+The ancient Palace of Scone, so long unused, was now evidently the
+head-quarters of the noblemen hovering about the town, for whatever
+purpose they were there assembled. The heavy flag of Scotland, in all
+its massive quarterings, as the symbol of a free unfettered kingdom,
+waved from the centre tower; archers and spearmen lined the courts,
+sentinels were at their posts, giving and receiving the watchword from
+all who passed and repassed the heavy gates, which from dawn till
+nightfall were flung wide open, as if the inmates of that regal dwelling
+were ever ready to receive their friends, and feared not the approach of
+foes.
+
+The sun, though sinking, was still bright, when the slow and dignified
+approach of the venerable abbot of Scone occasioned some stir and bustle
+amidst the joyous occupants of the palace yard; the wild joke was
+hushed, the noisy brawl subsided, the games of quoit and hurling the bar
+a while suspended, and the silence of unaffected reverence awaited the
+good old man's approach and kindly-given benediction. Leaving his
+attendants in one of the lower rooms, the abbot proceeded up the massive
+stone staircase, and along a broad and lengthy passage, darkly panelled
+with thick oak, then pushing aside some heavy arras, stood within one of
+the state chambers, and gave his fervent benison on one within. This was
+a man in the earliest and freshest prime of life, that period uniting
+all the grace and beauty of youth with the mature thought, and steady
+wisdom, and calmer views of manhood. That he was of noble birth and
+blood and training one glance sufficed; peculiarly and gloriously
+distinguished in the quiet majesty of his figure, in the mild attempered
+gravity of his commanding features. Nature herself seemed to have marked
+him out for the distinguished part it was his to play. Already there
+were lines of thought upon the clear and open brow, and round the mouth;
+and the blue eye shone with that calm, steady lustre, which seldom comes
+till the changeful fire and wild visions of dreamy youth have departed.
+His hair, of rich and glossy brown, fell in loose natural curls on
+either side his face, somewhat lower than his throat, shading his
+cheeks, which, rather pale than otherwise, added to the somewhat grave
+aspect of his countenance; his armor of steel, richly and curiously
+inlaid with burnished gold, sat lightly and easily upon his peculiarly
+tall and manly figure; a sash, of azure silk and gold, suspended his
+sword, whose sheath was in unison with the rest of his armor, though the
+hilt was studded with gems. His collar was also of gold, as were his
+gauntlets, which with his helmet rested on a table near him; a coronet
+of plain gold surmounted his helmet, and on his surcoat, which lay on a
+seat at the further end of the room, might be discerned the rampant lion
+of Scotland, surmounted by a crown.
+
+The apartment in which he stood, though shorn of much of that splendor
+which, ere the usurping invasion of Edward of England, had distinguished
+it, still bore evidence of being a chamber of some state. The hangings
+were of dark-green velvet embroidered, and with a very broad fringe of
+gold; drapery of the same costly material adorned the broad casements,
+which stood in heavy frames of oak, black as ebony. Large folding-doors,
+with panels of the same beautiful material, richly carved, opened into
+an ante-chamber, and thence to the grand staircase and more public parts
+of the building. In this ante-chamber were now assembled pages,
+esquires, and other officers bespeaking a royal household, though much
+less numerous than is generally the case.
+
+"Sir Edward and the young Lord of Douglas have not returned, sayest
+thou, good Athelbert? Knowest thou when and for what went they forth?"
+were the words which were spoken by the noble we have described, as the
+abbot entered, unperceived at first, from his having avoided the public
+entrance to the state rooms; they were addressed to an esquire, who,
+with cap in hand and head somewhat lowered, respectfully awaited the
+commands of his master.
+
+"They said not the direction of their course, my liege; 'tis thought to
+reconnoitre either the movements of the English, or to ascertain the
+cause of the delay of the Lord of Fife. They departed at sunrise, with
+but few followers."
+
+"On but a useless errand, good Athelbert, methinks, an they hope to
+greet Earl Duncan, save with a host of English at his back. Bid Sir
+Edward hither, should he return ere nightfall, and see to the instant
+delivery of those papers; I fear me, the good lord bishop has waited for
+them; and stay--Sir Robert Keith, hath he not yet returned?"
+
+"No, good my lord."
+
+"Ha! he tarrieth long," answered the noble, musingly. "Now heaven
+forefend no evil hath befallen him; but to thy mission, Athelbert, I
+must not detain thee with doubts and cavil. Ha! reverend father, right
+welcome," he added, perceiving him as he turned again to the table, on
+the esquire reverentially withdrawing from his presence, and bending his
+head humbly in acknowledgment of the abbot's benediction. "Thou findest
+me busied as usual. Seest thou," he pointed to a rough map of Scotland
+lying before him, curiously intersected with mystic lines and crosses,
+"Edinburgh, Berwick, Roxburgh, Lanark, Stirling, Dumbarton, in the power
+of, nay peopled, by English. Argyle on the west, Elgin, Aberdeen, with
+Banff eastward, teeming with proud, false Scots, hereditary foes to the
+Bruce, false traitors to their land; the north--why, 'tis the same foul
+tale; and yet I dare to raise my banner, dare to wear the crown, and
+fling defiance in the teeth of all. What sayest thou, father--is't not a
+madman's deed?"
+
+All appearance of gravity vanished from his features as he spoke. His
+eye, seemingly so mild, flashed till its very color could not have been
+distinguished, his cheek glowed, his lip curled, and his voice, ever
+peculiarly rich and sonorous, deepened with the excitement of soul.
+
+"Were the fate of man in his own hands, were it his and his alone to
+make or mar his destiny, I should e'en proclaim thee mad, my son, and
+seek to turn thee from thy desperate purpose; but it is not so. Man is
+but an instrument, and He who urged thee to this deed, who wills not
+this poor land to rest enslaved, will give thee strength and wisdom for
+its freedom. His ways are not as man's; and circled as thou seemest with
+foes, His strength shall bring thee forth and gird thee with His glory.
+Thou wouldst not turn aside, my son--thou fearest not thy foes?"
+
+"Fear! holy father: it is a word unknown to the children of the Bruce! I
+do but smile at mine extensive kingdom--of some hundred acres square;
+smile at the eagerness with which they greet me liege and king, as if
+the words, so long unused, should now do double duty for long absence."
+
+"And better so, my son," answered the old man, cheerfully. "Devotion to
+her destined savior argues well for bonny Scotland; better do homage
+unto thee as liege and king, though usurpation hath abridged thy
+kingdom, than to the hireling of England's Edward, all Scotland at his
+feet. Men will not kneel to sceptred slaves, nor freemen fight for
+tyrants' tools. Sovereign of Scotland thou art, thou shalt be, Robert
+the Bruce! Too long hast thou kept back; but now, if arms can fight and
+hearts can pray, thou shalt be king of Scotland."
+
+The abbot spoke with a fervor, a spirit which, though perhaps little
+accordant with his clerical character, thrilled to the Bruce's heart. He
+grasped the old man's hand.
+
+"Holy father," he said, "thou wouldst inspire hearts with ardor needing
+inspiration more than mine; and to me thou givest hope, and confidence,
+and strength. Too long have I slept and dreamed," his countenance
+darkened, and his voice was sadder; "fickle in purpose, uncertain in
+accomplishment; permitting my youth to moulder 'neath the blasting
+atmosphere of tyranny. Yet will I now atone for the neglected past.
+Atone! aye, banish it from the minds of men. My country hath a claim, a
+double claim upon me; she calls upon me, trumpet-tongued, to arise,
+avenge her, and redeem my misspent youth. Nor shall she call on me in
+vain, so help me, gracious heaven!"
+
+"Amen," fervently responded the abbot; and the king continued more
+hurriedly--
+
+"And that stain, that blot, father? Is there mercy in heaven to wash its
+darkness from my soul, or must it linger there forever preying on my
+spirit, dashing e'en its highest hopes and noblest dreams with poison,
+whispering its still voice of accusation, even when loudest rings the
+praise and love of men? Is there no rest for this, no silence for that
+whisper? Penitence, atonement, any thing thou wilt, let but my soul be
+free!" Hastily, and with step and countenance disordered, he traversed
+the chamber, his expressive countenance denoting the strife within.
+
+"It was, in truth, a rash and guilty deed, my son," answered the abbot,
+gravely, yet mildly, "and one that heaven in its justice will scarce
+pass unavenged. Man hath given thee the absolution accorded to the true
+and faithful penitent, for such thou art; yet scarcely dare we hope
+offended heaven is appeased. Justice will visit thee with trouble--sore,
+oppressing, grievous trouble. Yet despair not: thou wilt come forth the
+purer, nobler, brighter, from the fire; despair not, but as a child
+receive a father's chastening; lean upon that love, which wills not
+death, but penitence and life; that love, which yet will bring thee
+forth and bless this land in thee. My son, be comforted; His mercy is
+yet greater than thy sin."
+
+"And blest art thou, my father, for these _blessed_ words; a messenger
+in truth thou art of peace and love; and oh, if prayers and penitence
+avail, if sore temptation may be pleaded, I shall, I shall be pardoned.
+Yet would I give my dearest hopes of life, of fame, of all--save
+Scotland's freedom--that this evil had not chanced; that blood, his
+blood--base traitor as he was--was not upon my hand."
+
+"And can it be thou art such craven, Robert, as to repent a Comyn's
+death--a Comyn, and a traitor--e'en though his dastard blood be on thy
+hand?--bah! An' such deeds weigh heavy on thy mind, a friar's cowl were
+better suited to thy brow than Scotland's diadem."
+
+The speaker was a tall, powerful man, somewhat younger in appearance
+than the king, but with an expression of fierceness and haughty pride,
+contrasting powerfully with the benevolent and native dignity which so
+characterized the Bruce. His voice was as harsh as his manner was
+abrupt; yet that he was brave, nay, rash in his unthinking daring, a
+very transient glance would suffice to discover.
+
+"I forgive thee thine undeserved taunt, Edward," answered the king,
+calmly, though the hot blood rushed up to his cheek and brow. "I trust,
+ere long, to prove thy words are as idle as the mood which prompted
+them. I feel not that repentance cools the patriot fire which urges me
+to strike for Scotland's weal--that sorrow for a hated crime unfits me
+for a warrior. I would not Comyn lived, but that he had met a traitor's
+fate by other hands than mine; been judged--condemned, as his black
+treachery called for; even for our country's sake, it had been better
+thus."
+
+"Thou art over-scrupulous, my liege and brother, and I too hasty,"
+replied Sir Edward Bruce, in the same bold, careless tone. "Yet beshrew
+me, but I think that in these times a sudden blow and hasty fate the
+only judgment for a traitor. The miscreant were too richly honored, that
+by thy royal hand he fell."
+
+"My son, my son, I pray thee, peace," urged the abbot, in accents of
+calm, yet grave authority. "As minister of heaven, I may not list such
+words. Bend not thy brow in wrath, clad as thou art in mail, in youthful
+might; yet in my Maker's cause this withered frame is stronger yet than
+thou art. Enough of that which hath been. Thy sovereign spoke in lowly
+penitence to me--to me, who frail and lowly unto thee, am yet the
+minister of Him whom sin offends. To thee he stands a warrior and a
+king, who rude irreverence may brook not, even from his brother. Be
+peace between us, then, my son; an old man's blessing on thy fierce yet
+knightly spirit rest."
+
+With a muttered oath Sir Edward had strode away at the abbot's first
+words, but the cloud passed from his brow as he concluded, and slightly,
+yet with something of reverence, he bowed his head.
+
+"And whither didst thou wend thy way, my fiery brother?" demanded
+Robert. "Bringest thou aught of news, or didst thou and Douglas but set
+foot in stirrup and hand on rein simply from weariness of quiet?"
+
+"In sober truth, 'twas even so; partly to mark the movements of the
+English, an they make a movement, which, till Pembroke come, they are
+all too much amazed to do; partly to see if in truth that poltroon
+Duncan of Fife yet hangs back and still persists in forswearing the
+loyalty of his ancestors, and leaving to better hands the proud task of
+placing the crown of Scotland on thy head."
+
+"And thou art convinced at last that such and such only is his
+intention?" The knight nodded assent, and Bruce continued, jestingly,
+"And so thou mightst have been long ago, my sage brother, hadst thou
+listened to me. I tell thee Earl Duncan hath a spite against me, not for
+daring to raise the standard of freedom and proclaim myself a king, but
+for very hatred of myself. Nay, hast thou not seen it thyself, when,
+fellow-soldiers, fellow-seekers of the banquet, tournay, or ball, he
+hath avoided, shunned me? and why should he seek me now?"
+
+"Why? does not Scotland call him, Scotland bid him gird his sword and
+don his mail? Will not the dim spectres of his loyal line start from
+their very tombs to call him to thy side, or brand him traitor and
+poltroon, with naught of Duff about him but the name? Thou smilest."
+
+"At thy violence, good brother. Duncan of Fife loves better the silken
+cords of peace and pleasure, e'en though those silken threads hide
+chains, than the trumpet's voice and weight of mail. In England bred,
+courted, flattered by her king, 'twere much too sore a trouble to excite
+his anger and lose his favor; and for whom, for what?--to crown the man
+he hateth from his soul?"
+
+"And knowest thou wherefore, good my son, in what thou hast offended?"
+
+"Offended, holy father? Nay, in naught unless perchance a service
+rendered when a boy--a simple service, merely that of saving life--hath
+rendered him the touchy fool he is. But hark! who comes?"
+
+The tramping of many horses, mingled with the eager voices of men,
+resounded from the courtyard as he spoke, and Sir Edward strode hastily
+to the casement. "Sir Robert Keith returned!" he exclaimed, joyfully;
+"and seemingly right well attended. Litters too--bah! we want no more
+women. 'Tis somewhat new for Keith to be a squire of dames. Why, what
+banner is this? The black bear of Buchan--impossible! the earl is a foul
+Comyn. I'll to the court, for this passes my poor wits." He turned
+hastily to quit the chamber, as a youth entered, not without some
+opposition, it appeared, from the attendants without, but eagerly he had
+burst through them, and flung his plumed helmet from his beautiful brow,
+and, after glancing hastily round the room, bounded to the side of
+Robert, knelt at his feet, and clasped his knees without uttering a
+syllable, voiceless from an emotion whose index was stamped upon his
+glowing features.
+
+"Nigel, by all that's marvellous, and as moon-stricken as his wont! Why,
+where the foul fiend hast thou sprung from? Art dumb, thou foolish boy?
+By St. Andrew, these are times to act and speak, not think and feel!
+Whence comest thou?"
+
+So spoke the impatient Edward, to whom the character of his youngest
+brother had ever been a riddle, which it had been too much trouble to
+expound, and that which it _seemed_ to his too careless thought he ever
+looked upon with scorn and contempt. Not so, King Robert; he raised him
+affectionately in his arms, and pressed him to his heart.
+
+"Thou'rt welcome, most, most welcome, Nigel; as welcome as unlooked for.
+But why this quick return from scenes and studies more congenial to thy
+gentle nature, my young brother? this fettered land is scarce a home for
+thee; thy free, thy fond imaginings can scarce have resting here." He
+spoke sadly, and his smile unwittingly was sorrowful.
+
+"And thinkest thou, Robert--nay, forgive me, good my liege--thinkest
+thou, because I loved the poet's dream, because I turned, in sad and
+lonely musing, from King Edward's court, I loved the cloister better
+than the camp? Oh, do me not such wrong! thou knowest not the guidings
+of my heart; nor needs it now, my sword shall better plead my cause than
+can my tongue." He turned away deeply and evidently pained, and a half
+laugh from Sir Edward prevented the king's reply.
+
+"Well crowed, my pretty fledgling," he said, half jesting, half in
+scorn. "But knowest thou, to fight in very earnest is something
+different than to read and chant it in a minstrel's lay? Better hie thee
+back to Florence, boy; the mail suit and crested helm are not for such
+as thee--better shun them now, than after they are donned."
+
+"How! darest thou, Edward? Edward, tempt me not too far," exclaimed
+Nigel, his cheek flushing, and springing towards him, his hand upon his
+half-drawn sword. "By heaven, wert thou not my mother's son, I would
+compel thee to retract these words, injurious, unjust! How darest thou
+judge me coward, till my cowardice is proved? Thy blood is not more red
+than mine."
+
+"Peace, peace! what meaneth this unseemly broil?" said Robert, hastily
+advancing between them, for the dark features of Edward were lowering in
+wrath, and Nigel was excited to unwonted fierceness. "Edward, begone!
+and as thou saidst, see to Sir Robert Keith--what news he brings. Nigel,
+on thy love, thy allegiance so lately proffered, if I read thy greeting
+right, I pray thee heed not his taunting words. I do not doubt thee;
+'twas for thy happiness, not for thy gallantry, I trembled. Look not
+thus dejected;" he held out his hand, which his brother knelt to salute.
+"Nay, nay, thou foolish boy, forget my new dignity a while, and now that
+rude brawler has departed, tell me in sober wisdom, how camest thou
+here? How didst thou know I might have need of thee?" A quick blush
+suffused the cheek of the young man; he hesitated, evidently confused.
+"Why, what ails thee, boy? By St. Andrew, Nigel, I do believe thou hast
+never quitted Scotland."
+
+"And if I have not, my lord, what wilt thou deem me?"
+
+"A very strangely wayward boy, not knowing his own mind," replied the
+king, smiling. "Yet why should I say so? I never asked thy confidence,
+never sought it, or in any way returned or appreciated thy boyish love,
+and why should I deem thee wayward, never inquiring into thy
+projects--passing thee by, perchance, as a wild visionary, much happier
+than myself?"
+
+"And thou wilt think me yet more a visionary, I fear me, Robert; yet
+thine interest is too dear to pass unanswered," rejoined Nigel, after
+glancing round and perceiving they were alone, for the abbot had
+departed with Sir Edward, seeking to tame his reckless spirit.
+
+"Know, then, to aid me in keeping aloof from the tyrant of my country,
+whom instinctively I hated, I confined myself to books and such lore yet
+more than my natural inclination prompted, though that was strong
+enough--I had made a solemn vow, rather to take the monk's cowl and
+frock, than receive knighthood from the hand of Edward of England, or
+raise my sword at his bidding. My whole soul yearned towards the country
+of my fathers, that country which was theirs by royal right; and when
+the renown of Wallace reached my ears, when, in my waking and sleeping
+dreams, I beheld the patriot struggling for freedom, peace, the only one
+whose arm had struck for Scotland, whose tongue had dared to speak
+resistance, I longed wildly, intensely, vainly, to burst the thraldom
+which held my race, and seek for death beneath the patriot banner. I
+longed, yet dared not. My own death were welcome; but mother, father,
+brothers, sisters, all were perilled, had I done so. I stood, I deemed,
+alone in my enthusiast dreams; those I loved best, acknowledged, bowed
+before the man my very spirit loathed; and how dared I, a boy, a child,
+stand forth arraigning and condemning? But wherefore art thou thus,
+Robert? oh, what has thus moved thee?"
+
+Wrapped in his own earnest words and thoughts, Nigel had failed until
+that moment to perceive the effect of his words upon his brother.
+Robert's head had sunk upon his hand, and his whole frame shook beneath
+some strong emotion; evidently striving to subdue it, some moments
+elapsed ere he could reply, and then only in accents of bitter
+self-reproach. "Why, why did not such thoughts come to me, instead of
+thee?" he said. "My youth had not wasted then in idle folly--worse, oh,
+worse--in slavish homage, coward indecision, flitting like the moth
+around the destructive flame; and while I deemed thee buried in romantic
+dreams, all a patriot's blood was rushing in thy veins, while mine was
+dull and stagnant."
+
+"But to flow forth the brighter, my own brother," interrupted Nigel,
+earnestly. "Oh, I have watched thee, studied thee, even as I loved thee,
+long; and I have hoped, felt, _known_ that this day would dawn; that
+thou _wouldst_ rise for Scotland, and she would rise for thee. Ah, now
+thou smilest as thyself, and I will to my tale. The patriot died--let me
+not utter how; no Scottish tongue should speak those words, save with
+the upraised arm and trumpet shout of vengeance! I could not rest in
+England then; I could not face the tyrant who dared proclaim and execute
+as traitor the noblest hero, purest patriot, that ever walked this
+earth. But men said I sought the lyric schools, the poet's haunts in
+Provence, and I welcomed the delusion; but it was to Scotland that I
+came, unknown, and silently, to mark if with her Wallace all life and
+soul had fled. I saw enough to know that were there but a fitting head,
+her hardy sons would struggle yet for freedom--but not yet; that chief
+art thou, and at the close of the last year I took passage to Denmark,
+intending to rest there till Scotland called me."
+
+"And 'tis thence thou comest, Nigel? Can it be, intelligence of my
+movements hath reached so far north already?" inquired the king,
+somewhat surprised at the abruptness of his brother's pause.
+
+"Not so, my liege. The vessel which bore me was wrecked off the breakers
+of Buchan, and cast me back again to the arms of Scotland. I found
+hospitality, shelter, kindness; nay more, were this a time and place to
+speak of happy, trusting love--" he added, turning away from the Bruce's
+penetrating eye, "and week after week passed, and found me still an
+inmate of the Tower of Buchan."
+
+"Buchan!" interrupted the king, hastily; "the castle of a Comyn, and
+thou speakest of love!"
+
+"Of as true, as firm-hearted a Scottish patriot, my liege, as ever lived
+in the heart of woman--one that has naught of Comyn about her or her
+fair children but the name, as speedily thou wilt have proof. But in
+good time is my tale come to a close, for hither comes good Sir Robert,
+and other noble knights, who, by their eager brows, methinks, have
+matters of graver import for thy grace's ear."
+
+They entered as he spoke. The patriot nobles who, at the first call of
+their rightful king, had gathered round his person, few in number, yet
+firm in heart, ready to lay down fame, fortune, life, beside his
+standard, rather than acknowledge the foreign foe, who, setting aside
+all principles of knightly honor, knightly faith, sought to claim their
+country as his own, their persons as his slaves. Eager was the greeting
+of each and all to the youthful Nigel, mingled with some surprise. Their
+conference with the king was but brief, and as it comprised matters more
+of speculation than of decided import, we will pass on to a later period
+of the same evening.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+
+"Buchan! the Countess of Buchan, sayest thou, Athelbert? nay, 'tis
+scarce possible," said a fair and noble-looking woman, still in the
+bloom of life, though early youth had passed, pausing on her way to the
+queen's apartment, to answer some information given by the senior page.
+
+"Indeed, madam, 'tis even so; she arrived but now, escorted by Sir
+Robert Keith and his followers, in addition to some fifty of the
+retainers of Buchan."
+
+"And hath she lodging within the palace?"
+
+"Yes, madam; an it please you, I will conduct you to her, 'tis but a
+step beyond the royal suite."
+
+She made him a sign of assent, and followed him slowly, as if musingly.
+
+"It is strange, it is very strange," she thought, "yet scarcely so; she
+was ever in heart and soul a patriot, nor has she seen enough of her
+husband to change such sentiments. Yet, for her own sake, perchance it
+had been better had she not taken this rash step; 'tis a desperate game
+we play, and the fewer lives and fortunes wrecked the better."
+
+Her cogitations were interrupted by hearing her name announced in a loud
+voice by the page, and finding herself in presence of the object of her
+thoughts.
+
+"Isabella, dearest Isabella, 'tis even thine own dear self. I deemed the
+boy's tale well-nigh impossible," was her hasty exclamation, as with a
+much quicker step she advanced towards the countess, who met her
+half-way, and warmly returned her embrace, saying as she did so--
+
+"This is kind, indeed, dearest Mary, to welcome me so soon; 'tis long,
+long years since we have met; but they have left as faint a shadow on
+thy affections as on mine."
+
+"Indeed, thou judgest me truly, Isabella. Sorrow, methinks, doth but
+soften the heart and render the memory of young affections, youthful
+pleasures, the more vivid, the more lasting: we think of what we have
+been, or what we are, and the contrast heightens into perfect bliss that
+which at the time, perchance, we deemed but perishable joy."
+
+"Hast thou too learnt such lesson, Mary? I hoped its lore was all
+unknown to thee."
+
+"It was, indeed, deferred so long, so blessedly, I dared to picture
+perfect happiness on earth; but since my husband's hateful captivity,
+Isabella, there can be little for his wife but anxiety and dread. But
+these--are these thine?" she added, gazing admiringly and tearfully on
+Agnes and Alan, who had at their mother's sign advanced from the
+embrasure, where they had held low yet earnest converse, and gracefully
+acknowledged the stranger's notice. "Oh, wherefore bring them here, my
+friend?"
+
+"Wherefore, lady?" readily and impetuously answered Alan; "art thou a
+friend of Isabella of Buchan, and asketh wherefore? Where our sovereign
+is, should not his subjects be?"
+
+"Thy mother's friend and sovereign's sister, noble boy, and yet I grieve
+to see thee here. The Bruce is but in name a king, uncrowned as yet and
+unanointed. His kingdom bounded by the confines of this one fair county,
+struggling for every acre at the bright sword's point."
+
+"The greater glory for his subjects, lady," answered the youth. "The
+very act of proclaiming himself king removes the chains of Scotland, and
+flings down her gage. Fear not, he shall be king ere long in something
+more than name."
+
+"And is it thus a Comyn speaks?" said the Lady Campbell. "Ah, were the
+idle feuds of petty minds thus laid at rest, bold boy, thy dreams might
+e'en be truth; but knowest thou, young man--knowest thou, Isabella, the
+breach between the Comyn and the Bruce is widened, and, alas! by blood?"
+
+"Aye, lady; but what boots it? A traitor should have no name, no kin, or
+those who bear that name should wash away their race's stain by nobler
+deeds of loyalty and valor."
+
+"It would be well did others think with thee," replied Lady Campbell;
+"yet I fear me in such sentiments the grandson of the loyal Fife will
+stand alone. Isabella, dearest Isabella," she added, laying her hand on
+the arm of the countess, and drawing her away from her children, "hast
+thou done well in this decision? hast thou listened to the calmer voice
+of prudence as was thy wont? hast thou thought on all the evils thou
+mayest draw upon thy head, and upon these, so lovely and so dear?"
+
+"Mary, I have thought, weighed, pondered, and yet I am here," answered
+the countess, firmly, yet in an accent that still bespoke some inward
+struggle. "I know, I feel all, all that thou wouldst urge; that I am
+exposing my brave boy to death, perchance, by a father's hand, bringing
+him hither to swear fealty, to raise his sword for the Bruce, in direct
+opposition to my husband's politics, still more to his will; yet, Mary,
+there are mutual duties between a parent and a child. My poor boy has
+ever from his birth been fatherless. No kindly word, no glowing smile
+has ever met his infancy, his boyhood. He scarce can know his
+father--the love, the reverence of a son it would have been such joy to
+teach. Left to my sole care, could I instil sentiments other than those
+a father's lips bestowed on me? Could I instruct him in aught save
+love, devotion to his country, to her rights, her king? I have done this
+so gradually, my friend, that for the burst of loyalty, of impetuous
+gallantry, which answered Sir Robert Keith's appeal, I was well nigh
+unprepared. My father, my noble father breathes in my boy; and oh, Mary,
+better, better far lose him on the battle-field, struggling for
+Scotland's freedom, glorying in his fate, rejoicing, blessing me for
+lessons I have taught, than see him as my husband, as my brother--alas!
+alas! that I should live to say it--cringing as slaves before the
+footstool of a tyrant and oppressor. Had he sought it, had he
+loved--treated me as a wife, Mary, I would have given my husband
+all--all a woman's duty--all, save the dictates of my soul, but even
+this he trampled on, despised, rejected; and shall I, dare I then
+forget, oppose the precepts of that noble heart, that patriot spirit
+which breathed into mine the faint reflection of itself?--offend the
+dead, the hallowed dead, my father--the heart that loved me?"
+
+She paused, in strong, and for the moment overpowering, emotion. The
+clear, rich tones had never faltered till she spoke of him beloved even
+in death--faltered not, even when she spoke of death as the portion of
+her child; it was but the quivering of lip and eye by which the anguish
+of that thought could have been ascertained. Lady Campbell clasped her
+hand.
+
+"Thou hast in very truth silenced me, my Isabella," she said; "there is
+no combating with thoughts as these. Thine is still the same noble soul,
+exalted mind that I knew in youth: sorrow and time have had no power on
+these."
+
+"Save to chasten and to purify, I trust," rejoined the countess, in her
+own calm tone. "Thrown back upon my own strength, it must have gathered
+force, dear Mary, or have perished altogether. But thou speakest,
+methinks, but too despondingly of our sovereign's prospects--are they
+indeed so desperate?"
+
+"Desperate, indeed, Isabella. Even his own family, with the sole
+exception of that rash madman, Edward, must look upon it thus. How
+thinkest thou Edward of England will brook this daring act of defiance,
+of what he will deem rank apostasy and traitorous rebellion? Aged,
+infirm as he is now, he will not permit this bold attempt to pass
+unpunished. The whole strength of England will be gathered together,
+and pour its devastating fury on this devoted land. And what to this has
+Robert to oppose? Were he undisputed sovereign of Scotland, we might,
+without cowardice, be permitted to tremble, threatened as he is; but
+confined, surrounded by English, with scarce a town or fort to call his
+own, his enterprise is madness, Isabella, patriotic as it may be."
+
+"Oh, do not say so, Mary. Has he not some noble barons already by his
+side? will not, nay, is not Scotland rising to support him? hath he not
+the hearts, the prayers, the swords of all whose mountain homes and
+freeborn rights are dearer than the yoke of Edward? and hath he not, if
+rumor speaks aright, within himself a host--not mere valor alone, but
+prudence, foresight, military skill--all, all that marks a general?"
+
+"As rumor speaks. Thou dost not know him then?" inquired Lady Campbell.
+
+"How could I, dearest? Hast thou forgotten thy anxiety that we should
+meet, when we were last together, holding at naught, in thy merry mood,
+my betrothment to Lord John--that I should turn him from his wandering
+ways, and make him patriotic as myself? Thou seest, Mary, thy brother
+needed not such influence."
+
+"Of a truth, no," answered her friend; "for his present partner is a
+very contrast to thyself, and would rather, by her weak and trembling
+fears, dissuade him from his purpose than inspire and encourage it. Well
+do I remember that fancy of my happy childhood, and still I wish it had
+been so, all idle as it seems--strange that ye never met."
+
+"Nay, save thyself, Mary, thy family resided more in England than in
+Scotland, and for the last seventeen years the territory of Buchan has
+been my only home, with little interruption to my solitude; yet I have
+heard much of late of the Earl of Carrick, and from whom thinkest
+thou?--thou canst not guess--even from thy noble brother Nigel."
+
+"Nigel!" repeated Lady Mary, much surprised.
+
+"Even so, sweet sister, learning dearer lore and lovelier tales than
+even Provence could instil; 'tis not the land, it is the _heart_ where
+poesie dwells," rejoined Nigel Bruce, gayly, advancing from the side of
+Agnes, where he had been lingering the greater part of the dialogue
+between his sister and the countess, and now joined them. "Aye, Mary,"
+he continued, tenderly, "my own land is dearer than the land of song."
+
+"And dear art thou to Scotland, Nigel; but I knew not thy fond dreams
+and wild visions could find resting amid the desert crags and barren
+plains of Buchan."
+
+"Yet have we not been idle. Dearest Agnes, wilt thou not speak for me?
+the viol hath not been mute, nor the fond harp unstrung; and deeper,
+dearer lessons have thy lips instilled, than could have flowed from
+fairest lips and sweetest songs of Provence. Nay, blush not, dearest.
+Mary, thou must love this gentle girl," he added, as he led her forward,
+and laid the hand of Agnes in his sister's.
+
+"Is it so? then may we indeed be united, though not as I in my girlhood
+dreamed, my Isabella," said Lady Campbell, kindly parting the clustering
+curls, and looking fondly on the maiden's blushing face. She was about
+to speak again, when steps were heard along the corridor, and
+unannounced, unattended, save by the single page who drew aside the
+hangings, King Robert entered. He had doffed the armor in which we saw
+him first, for a plain yet rich suit of dark green velvet, cut and
+slashed with cloth of gold, and a long mantle of the richest crimson,
+secured at his throat by a massive golden clasp, from which gleamed the
+glistening rays of a large emerald; a brooch of precious stones,
+surrounded by diamonds, clasped the white ostrich feather in his cup,
+and the shade of the drooping plume, heightened perhaps by the advance
+of evening, somewhat obscured his features, but there was that in his
+majestic mien, in the noble yet dignified bearing, which could not for
+one moment be mistaken; and it needed not the word of Nigel to cause the
+youthful Alan to spring from the couch where he had listlessly thrown
+himself, and stand, suddenly silenced and abashed.
+
+"My liege and brother," exclaimed Lady Campbell, eagerly, as she hastily
+led forward the Countess of Buchan, who sunk at once on her knee,
+overpowered by the emotion of a patriot, thinking only of her country,
+only of her sovereign, as one inspired by heaven to attempt her rescue,
+and give her freedom. "How glad am I that it has fallen on me to present
+to your grace, in the noble Countess of Buchan, the chosen friend of my
+girlhood, the only descendant of the line of Macduff worthy to bear that
+name. Allied as unhappily she is to the family of Comyn, yet still,
+still most truly, gloriously, a patriot and loyal subject of your grace,
+as her being here, with all she holds most dear, most precious upon
+earth, will prove far better than her friend's poor words."
+
+"Were they most rich in eloquence, Mary, believe me, we yet should need
+them not, in confirmation of this most noble lady's faithfulness and
+worth," answered the king, with ready courtesy, and in accents that were
+only too familiar to the ear of Isabella. She started, and gazed up for
+the first time, seeing fully the countenance of the sovereign. "Rise,
+lady, we do beseech you, rise; we are not yet so familiar with the forms
+of royalty as to behold without some shame a noble lady at our feet.
+Nay, thou art pale, very pale; thy coming hither hath been too rapid,
+too hurried for thy strength, methinks; I do beseech you, sit." Gently
+he raised her, and leading her gallantly to one of the cumbrous couches
+near them, placed her upon it, and sat down beside her. "Ha! that is
+well; thou art better now. Knowest thou, Mary, thine office would have
+been more wisely performed, hadst thou presented _me_ to the Countess of
+Buchan, not her to me."
+
+"Thou speakest darkly, good my liege, yet I joy to see thee thus
+jestingly inclined."
+
+"Nay, 'tis no jest, fair sister; the Countess of Buchan and I have met
+before, though she knew me but as a wild, heedless stripling first, and
+a moody, discontented soldier afterwards. I owe thee much, gentle lady;
+much for the night's lodging thy hospitality bestowed, though at the
+time my mood was such it had no words of courtesy, no softening fancy,
+even to thyself; much for the kindness thou didst bestow, not only then,
+but when fate first threw us together; and therefore do I seek thee,
+lady--therefore would I speak to thee, as the friend of former years,
+not as the sovereign of Scotland, and as such received by thee." He
+spoke gravely, with somewhat of sadness in his rich voice. Perhaps it
+was well for the countess no other answer than a grateful bow was
+needed, for the sudden faintness which had withdrawn the color from her
+cheek yet lingered, sufficient to render the exertion of speaking
+painful.
+
+"Yet pause one moment, my liege," said Nigel, playfully leading Alan
+forward; "give me one moment, ere you fling aside your kingly state.
+Here is a young soldier, longing to rush into the very thickest of a
+fight that may win a golden spur and receive knighthood at your grace's
+hand; a doughty spokesman, who was to say a marvellously long speech of
+duty, homage, and such like, but whose tongue at sight of thee has
+turned traitor to its cause. Have mercy on him, good my liege; I'll
+answer that his arm is less a traitor than his tongue."
+
+"We do not doubt it, Nigel, and will accept thy words for his. Be
+satisfied, young sir, the willing homage of all true men is precious to
+King Robert. And thou, fair maiden, wilt thou, too, follow thy monarch's
+fortunes, cloudy though they seem? we read thine answer in thy blushing
+cheek, and thus we thank thee, maiden."
+
+He threw aside his plumed cap, and gallantly yet respectfully saluted
+the fair, soft cheek; confused yet pleased, Agnes looked doubtingly
+towards Nigel, who, smiling a happy, trusting, joyous smile, led her a
+few minutes apart, whispered some fond words, raised her hand to his
+lips, and summoning Alan, they left the room together.
+
+"Sir Robert Keith informs me, noble lady," said the king, again
+addressing Isabella, "that it is your determination to represent, in
+your own proper person, the ancient line of Duff at the approaching
+ceremony, and demand from our hands, as such representative, the
+privilege granted by King Malcolm to your noble ancestor and his
+descendants, of placing on the sovereign's brow the coronet of Scotland.
+Is it not so?"
+
+"I do indeed most earnestly demand this privilege, my gracious liege,"
+answered the countess, firmly; "demand it as a right, a glorious right,
+made mine by the weak and fickle conduct of my brother. Alas! the only
+male descendant of that line which until now hath never known a
+traitor."
+
+"But hast thou well considered, lady? There is danger in this act,
+danger even to thyself."
+
+"My liege, that there is danger threatening all the patriots of
+Scotland, monarch or serf, male or female, I well know; yet in what does
+it threaten me more in this act, than in the mere acknowledgment of the
+Earl of Carrick as my sovereign?"
+
+"It will excite the rage of Edward of England against thyself
+individually, lady; I know him well, only too well. All who join in
+giving countenance and aid to my inauguration will be proclaimed,
+hunted, placed under the ban of traitors, and, if unfortunately taken,
+will in all probability share the fate of Wallace." His voice became
+husky with strong emotion. "There is no exception in his sweeping
+tyranny; youth and age, noble and serf, of either sex, of either land,
+if they raise the sword for Bruce and freedom, will fall by the
+hangman's cord or headsman's axe; and I, alas! must look on and bear,
+for I have neither men nor power to avert such fate; and that hand which
+places on my head the crown, death, death, a cruel death, will be the
+doom of its patriot owner. Think, think on this, and oh, retract thy
+noble resolution, ere it be too late."
+
+"Is she who gives the crown in greater danger, good my liege, than he
+who wears it?" demanded the countess, with a calm and quiet smile.
+
+"Nay," he answered, smiling likewise for the moment, "but I were worse
+than traitor, did I shrink from Scotland in her need, and refuse her
+diadem, in fear, forsooth, of death at Edward's hands. No! I have held
+back too long, and now will I not turn back till Scotland's freedom is
+achieved, or Robert Bruce lies with the slain. Repentance for the past,
+hope, ambition for the future; a firm heart and iron frame, a steady arm
+and sober mood, to meet the present--I have these, sweet lady, to fit
+and nerve me for the task, but not such hast thou. I doubt not thy
+patriot soul; perchance 'twas thy lip that first awoke the slumbering
+fire within my own breast, and though a while forgotten, recalled, when
+again I looked on thee, after Falkirk's fatal battle, with the charge,
+the solemn charge of Wallace yet ringing in mine ears. Yet, lady, noble
+lady, tempt not the fearful fate which, shouldst thou fall into Edward's
+hands, I know too well will be thine own. I dare not promise sure
+defence from his o'erwhelming hosts: on every side they compass me. I
+see sorrow and death for all I love, all who swear fealty to me. I shall
+succeed in the end, for heaven, just heaven will favor the righteous
+cause; but trouble and anguish must be my lot ere then, and I would save
+those I can. Remain with us an thou wilt, gratefully I accept the homage
+so nobly and unhesitatingly tendered; but still I beseech thee, lady,
+expose not thy noble self to the blind wrath of Edward, as thou surely
+wilt, if from thy hand I receive my country's crown."
+
+"My liege," answered the countess, in that same calm, quiet tone, "I
+have heard thee with a deep grateful sense of the noble feeling, the
+kindly care which dictates thy words; yet pardon me, if they fail to
+shake my resolution--a resolution not lightly formed, not the mere
+excitement of a patriotic moment, but one based on the principles of
+years, on the firm, solemn conviction, that in taking this sacred office
+on myself, the voice of the dead is obeyed, the memory of the dead, the
+noble dead, preserved from stain, inviolate and pure. Would my father
+have kept aloof in such an hour--refused to place on the brow of
+Scotland's patriot king the diadem of his forefathers--held back in fear
+of Edward? Oh! would that his iron hand and loyal heart were here
+instead of mine; gladly would I lay me down in his cold home and place
+him at thy side, might such things be: but as it is, my liege, I do
+beseech thee, cease to urge me. I have but a woman's frame, a woman's
+heart, and yet death hath no fear for me. Let Edward work his will, if
+heaven ordain I fall into his ruthless hands; death comes but once, 'tis
+but a momentary pang, and rest and bliss shall follow. My father's
+spirit breathes within me, and as he would, so let his daughter do. 'Tis
+not now a time to depart from ancient forms, my gracious sovereign, and
+there are those in Scotland who scarce would deem thee crowned, did not
+the blood of Fife perform that holy office."
+
+"And this, then, noble lady, is thy firm resolve--I may not hope to
+change it?"
+
+"'Tis firm as the ocean rock, my liege. I do not sue thee to permit my
+will; the blood of Macduff, which rushes in my veins, doth mark it as my
+right, and as my right I do demand it." She stood in her majestic
+beauty, proudly and firmly before him, and unconsciously the king
+acknowledged and revered the dauntless spirit that lovely form
+enshrined.
+
+"Lady," he said, raising her hand with reverence to his lips, "do as
+thou wilt: a weaker spirit would have shrunk at once in terror from the
+very thought of such open defiance to King Edward. I should have known
+the mind that framed such daring purpose would never shrink from its
+fulfilment, however danger threatened; enough, we know thy faithfulness
+and worth, and where to seek for brave and noble counsel in the hour of
+need. And now, may it be our privilege to present thee to our queen,
+sweet lady? We shall rejoice to see thee ever near her person."
+
+"I pray your grace excuse me for this night," answered the countess; "we
+have made some length of way to-day, and, if it please you, I would
+seek rest. Agnes shall supply my place; Mary, thou wilt guard her, wilt
+thou not?"
+
+"Nay, be mine the grateful task," said the king, gayly taking the
+maiden's hand, and, after a few words of courtesy, he quitted the
+chamber, followed by his sister.
+
+There were sounds of mirth and revelry that night in the ancient halls
+of Scone, for King Robert, having taken upon himself the state and
+consequence of sovereignty, determined on encouraging the high spirits
+and excited joyousness of his gallant followers by all the amusements of
+chivalry which his confined and precarious situation permitted, and
+seldom was it that the dance and minstrelsy did not echo blithely in the
+royal suite for many hours of the evening, even when the day had brought
+with it anxiety and fatigue, and even intervals of despondency. There
+were many noble dames and some few youthful maidens in King Robert's
+court, animated by the same patriotic spirit which led their husbands
+and brothers to risk fortune and life in the service of their country:
+they preferred sharing and alleviating their dangers and anxieties, by
+thronging round the Bruce's wife, to the precarious calm and safety of
+their feudal castles; and light-heartedness and glee shed their bright
+gleams on these social hours, never clouded by the gloomy shades that
+darkened the political horizon of the Bruce's fortunes. Perchance this
+night there was a yet brighter radiance cast over the royal halls, there
+was a spirit of light and glory in every word and action of the youthful
+enthusiast, Nigel Bruce, that acted as with magic power on all around;
+known in the court of England but as a moody visionary boy, whose dreams
+were all too ethereal to guide him in this nether world, whose hand,
+however fitted to guide a pen, was all too weak to wield a sword; the
+change, or we should rather say the apparent change, perceived in him
+occasioned many an eye to gaze in silent wonderment, and, in the
+superstition of the time, argue well for the fortunes of one brother
+from the marvellous effect observable in the countenance and mood of the
+other.
+
+The hopefulness of youth, its rosy visions, its smiling dreams, all
+sparkled in his blight blue eye, in the glad, free, ringing joyance of
+his deep rich voice, his cloudless smiles. And oh, who is there can
+resist the witchery of life's young hopes, who does not feel the warm
+blood run quicker through his veins, and bid his heart throb even as it
+hath throbbed in former days, and the gray hues of life melt away before
+the rosy glow of youth, even as the calm cold aspect of waning night is
+lost in the warmth and loveliness of the infant morn? And what was the
+magic acting on the enthusiast himself, that all traces of gloom and
+pensive thought were banished from his brow, that the full tide of
+poetry within his soul seemed thrilling on his lip, breathing in his
+simplest word, entrancing his whole being in joy? Scarce could he
+himself have defined its cause, such a multitude of strong emotions were
+busy at his heart. He saw not the dangers overhanging the path of the
+Bruce, he only saw and only felt him as his sovereign, as his brother,
+his friend, destined to be all that he had hoped, prayed, and believed
+he would be; willing to accept and return the affection he had so long
+felt, and give him that friendship and confidence for which he had
+yearned in vain so long. He saw his country free, independent,
+unshackled, glorious as of old; and there was a light and lovely being
+mingling in these stirring visions--when Scotland was free, what
+happiness would not be his own! Agnes, who flitted before him in that
+gay scene, the loveliest, dearest object there, clinging to him in her
+timidity, shrinking from the gaze of the warriors around, respectful as
+it was, feeling that all was strange, all save him to whom her young
+heart was vowed--if such exclusiveness was dear to him, if it were bliss
+to him to feel that, save her young brother, he alone had claim upon her
+notice and her smile, oh! what would it be when she indeed was all, all
+indivisibly his own? Was it marvel, then, his soul was full of the joy
+that beamed forth from his eye, and lip, and brow--that his faintest
+tone breathed gladness?
+
+There was music and mirth in the royal halls: the shadow of care had
+passed before the full sunshine of hope; but within that palace wall,
+not many roods removed from the royal suite, was one heart struggling
+with its lone agony, striving for calm, for peace, for rest, to escape
+from the deep waters threatening to overwhelm it. Hour after hour beheld
+the Countess of Buchan in the same spot, well-nigh in the same attitude;
+the agonized dream of her youth had come upon her yet once again, the
+voice whose musical echoes had never faded from her ear, once more had
+sounded in its own deep thrilling tones, his hand had pressed her own,
+his eye had met hers, aye, and dwelt upon her with the unfeigned
+reverence and admiration which had marked its expression years before;
+and it was to him her soul had yearned in all the fervidness of loyalty,
+not to a stranger, as she had deemed him. Loyalty, patriotism, reverence
+her sovereign claimed, aye, and had received; but now how dare she
+encourage such emotions towards one it had been, aye, it was her duty to
+forget, to think of no more? Had her husband been fond, sought the noble
+heart which felt so bitterly his neglect, the gulf which now divided
+them might never have existed; and could she still the voice of that
+patriotism, that loyalty towards a free just monarch, which the dying
+words of a parent had so deeply inculcated, and which the sentiments of
+her own heart had increased in steadiness and strength? On what had that
+lone heart to rest, to subdue its tempest, to give it nerve and force,
+to rise pure in thought as in deed, unstained, unshaded in its
+nobleness, what but its own innate purity? Yet fearful was the storm
+that passed over, terrible the struggle which shook that bent form, as
+in lowliness and contrition, and agony of spirit, she knelt before the
+silver crucifix, and called upon heaven in its mercy to give peace and
+strength--fierce, fierce and terrible; but the agonized cry was heard,
+the stormy waves were stilled.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+
+Brightly and blithely dawned the 26th of March, 1306, for the loyal
+inhabitants of Scone. Few who might gaze on the olden city, and marked
+the flags and pennons waving gayly and proudly on every side; the rich
+tapestry flung over balconies or hung from the massive windows, in every
+street; the large branches of oak and laurel, festooned with gay
+ribands, that stood beside the entrance of every house which boasted any
+consequence; the busy citizens in goodly array, with their wives and
+families, bedecked to the best of their ability, all, as inspired by one
+spirit, hurrying in the direction of the abbey yard, joining the merry
+clamor of eager voices to the continued peal of every bell of which the
+old town could boast, sounding loud and joyously even above the roll of
+the drum or the shrill trumpet call;--those who marked these things
+might well believe Scotland was once again the same free land, which
+had hailed in the same town the coronation of Alexander the Third, some
+years before. Little would they deem that the foreign foeman still
+thronged her feudal holds and cottage homes, that they waited but the
+commands of their monarch, to pour down on all sides upon the daring
+individual who thus boldly assumed the state and solemn honor of a king,
+and, armed but by his own high heart and a handful of loyal followers,
+prepared to resist, defend, and _free_, or _die_ for Scotland.
+
+There was silence--deep, solemn, yet most eloquent silence, reigning in
+the abbey church of Scone. The sun shining in that full flood of glory
+we sometimes find in the infant spring, illumined as with golden lustre
+the long, narrow casements, falling thence in flickering brilliance on
+the pavement floor, its rays sometimes arrested, to revolve in
+heightened lustre from the glittering sword or the suit of half-mail of
+one or other of the noble knights assembled there. The rich plate of the
+abbey, all at least which had escaped the cupidity of Edward, was
+arranged with care upon the various altars; in the centre of the church
+was placed the abbot's oaken throne, which was to supply the place of
+the ancient stone, the coronation seat of the Scottish kings--no longer
+there, its absence felt by one and all within that church as the closing
+seal to Edward's infamy--the damning proof that as his slave, not as his
+sister kingdom, he sought to render Scotland. From the throne to the
+high altar, where the king was to receive the eucharist, a carpet of
+richly-brocaded Genoa velvet was laid down; a cushion of the same
+elegantly-wrought material marked the place beside the spot where he was
+to kneel. Priests, in their richest vestments, officiated at the high
+altar; six beautiful boys, bearing alternately a large waxen candle, and
+the golden censers filled with the richest incense, stood beside them,
+while opposite the altar and behind the throne, in an elevated gallery,
+were ranged the seventy choristers of the abbey, thirty of whom were
+youthful novices; behind them a massive screen or curtain of tapestry
+concealed the organ, and gave a yet more startling and thrilling effect
+to its rich deep tones, thus bursting, as it were, from spheres unseen.
+
+The throne was already occupied by the patriot king, clothed in his
+robes of state; his inner dress was a doublet and vest of white velvet,
+slashed with cloth of silver; his stockings, fitting tight to the knee,
+were of the finest woven white silk, confined where they met the doublet
+with a broad band of silver; his shoes of white velvet, broidered with
+silver, in unison with his dress; a scarf of cloth of silver passed over
+his right shoulder, fastened there by a jewelled clasp, and, crossing
+his breast, secured his trusty sword to his left side; his head, of
+course, was bare, and his fair hair, parted carefully on his arched and
+noble brow, descended gracefully on either side; his countenance was
+perfectly calm, unexpressive of aught save of a deep sense of the solemn
+service in which he was engaged. There was not the faintest trace of
+either anxiety or exultation--naught that could shadow the brows of his
+followers, or diminish by one particle the love and veneration which in
+every heart were rapidly gaining absolute dominion.
+
+On the right of the king stood the Abbot of Scone, the Archbishop of St.
+Andrew's, and Bishop of Glasgow, all of which venerable prelates had
+instantaneously and unhesitatingly declared for the Bruce; ranged on
+either side of the throne, according more to seniority than rank, were
+seated the brothers of the Bruce and the loyal barons who had joined his
+standard. Names there were already famous in the annals of
+patriotism--Fraser, Lennox, Athol, Hay--whose stalwart arms had so nobly
+struck for Wallace, whose steady minds had risen superior to the petty
+emotions of jealousy and envy which had actuated so many of similar
+rank. These were true patriots, and gladly and freely they once more
+rose for Scotland. Sir Christopher Seaton, brother-in-law to the Bruce,
+Somerville, Keith, St. Clair, the young Lord Douglas, and Thomas
+Randolph, the king's nephew, were the most noted of those now around the
+Bruce; yet on that eventful day not more than fourteen barons were
+mustered round their sovereign, exclusive of his four gallant brothers,
+who were in themselves a host. All these were attired with the care and
+gallantry their precarious situation permitted; half armor, concealed by
+flowing scarfs and graceful mantles, or suits of gayer seeming among the
+younger knights, for those of the barons' followers of gentle blood and
+chivalric training were also admitted within the church, forming a
+goodly show of gallant men. Behind them, on raised seats, which were
+divided from the body of the church by an open railing of ebony, sate
+the ladies of the court, the seat of the queen distinguished from the
+rest by its canopy and cushion of embroidered taffeta, and amongst
+those gentle beings fairest and loveliest shone the maiden of Buchan, as
+she sate in smiling happiness between the youthful daughter of the
+Bruce, the Princess Margory, and his niece, the Lady Isoline, children
+of ten and fourteen, who already claimed her as their companion and
+friend.
+
+The color was bright on the soft cheek of Agnes, the smile laughed alike
+in her lip and eye; for ever and anon, from amidst the courtly crowd
+beneath, the deep blue orb of Nigel Bruce met hers, speaking in its
+passioned yet respectful gaze, all that could whisper joy and peace unto
+a heart, young, loving, and confiding, as that of Agnes. The evening
+previous he had detached the blue riband which confined her flowing
+curls, and it was with a feeling of pardonable pride she beheld it
+suspended from his neck, even in that hour, when his rich habiliments
+and the imposing ceremony of the day marked him the brother of a king.
+Her brother, too, was at his side, gazing upon his sovereign with
+feelings, whose index, marked as it was on his brow, gave him the
+appearance of being older than he was. It was scarcely the excitement of
+a mere boy, who rejoiced in the state and dignity around him; the
+emotion of his mother had sunk upon his very soul, subduing the wild
+buoyancy of his spirit, and bidding him feel deeply and sadly the
+situation in which he stood. It seemed to him as if he had never thought
+before, and now that reflection had come upon him, it was fraught with a
+weight and gloom he could not remove and scarcely comprehend. He felt no
+power on earth could prevent his taking the only path which was open to
+the true patriot of Scotland, and in following that path he raised the
+standard of revolt, and enlisted his own followers against his father.
+Till the moment of action he had dreamed not of these things; but the
+deep anxieties, the contending feelings of his mother, which, despite
+her controlled demeanor, his heart perceived, could not but have their
+effect; and premature manhood was stealing fast upon his heart.
+
+Upon the left of the king, and close beside his throne, stood the
+Countess of Buchan, attired in robes of the darkest crimson velvet, with
+a deep border of gold, which swept the ground, and long falling sleeves
+with a broad fringe; a thick cord of gold and tassels confined the robe
+around the waist, and thence fell reaching to her feet, and well-nigh
+concealing the inner dress of white silk, which was worn to permit the
+robes falling easily on either side, and thus forming a long train
+behind. Neither gem nor gold adorned her beautiful hair; a veil was
+twisted in its luxuriant tresses, and served the purpose of the matron's
+coif. She was pale and calm, but such was the usual expression of her
+countenance, and perhaps accorded better with the dignified majesty of
+her commanding figure than a greater play of feature. It was not the
+calmness of insensibility, of vacancy, it was the still reflection of a
+controlled and chastened soul, of one whose depth and might was known
+but to-herself.
+
+The pealing anthem for a while had ceased, and it was as if that church
+was desolate, as if the very hearts that throbbed so quickly for their
+country and their king were hushed a while and stilled, that every word
+which passed between the sovereign and the primate should be heard.
+Kneeling before him, his hands placed between those of the archbishop,
+the king, in a clear and manly voice, received, as it were, the kingdom
+from his hands, and swore to govern according to the laws of his
+ancestors; to defend the liberties of his people alike from the foreign
+and the civil foe; to dispense justice; to devote life itself to
+restoring Scotland to her former station in the scale of kingdoms.
+Solemnly, energetically, he took the required vows; his cheek flushed,
+his eye glistened, and ere he rose he bent his brow upon his spread
+hands, as if his spirit supplicated strength, and the primate, standing
+over him, blessed him, in a loud voice, in the name of Him whose lowly
+minister he was.
+
+A few minutes, and the king was again seated on his throne, and from the
+hands of the Bishop of Glasgow, the Countess of Buchan received the
+simple coronet of gold, which had been hastily made to supply the place
+of that which Edward had removed. It was a moment of intense interest:
+every eye was directed towards the king and the dauntless woman by his
+side, who, rather than the descendant of Malcolm Cean Mohr should demand
+in vain the service from the descendants of the brave Macduff, exposed
+herself to all the wrath of a fierce and cruel king, the fury of an
+incensed husband and brother, and in her own noble person represented
+that ancient and most loyal line. Were any other circumstance needed to
+enhance the excitement of the patriots of Scotland, they would have
+found it in this. As it was, a sudden, irrepressible burst of applause
+broke from many eager voices as the bishop placed the coronet in her
+hands, but one glance from those dark, eloquent eyes sufficed to hush
+it on the instant into stillness.
+
+Simultaneously all within the church stood up, and gracefully and
+steadily, with a hand which trembled not, even to the observant and
+anxious eyes of her son, Isabella of Buchan placed the sacred symbol of
+royalty on the head of Scotland's king; and then arose, as with one
+voice, the wild enthusiastic shout of loyalty, which, bursting from all
+within the church, was echoed again and again from without, almost
+drowning the triumphant anthem which at the same moment sent its rich,
+hallowed tones through the building, and proclaimed Robert Bruce indeed
+a king.
+
+Again and yet again the voice of triumph and of loyalty arose
+hundred-tongued, and sent its echo even to the English camp; and when it
+ceased, when slowly, and as it were reluctantly, it died away, it was a
+grand and glorious sight to see those stern and noble barons one by one
+approach their sovereign's throne and do him homage.
+
+It was not always customary for the monarchs of those days to receive
+the feudal homage of their vassals the same hour of their coronation, it
+was in general a distinct and almost equally gorgeous ceremony; but in
+this case both the king and barons felt it better policy to unite them;
+the excitement attendant on the one ceremonial they felt would prevent
+the deficiency of numbers in the other being observed, and they acted
+wisely.
+
+There was a dauntless firmness in each baron's look, in his manly
+carriage and unwavering step, as one by one he traversed the space
+between him and the throne, seeming to proclaim that in himself he held
+indeed a host. To adhere to the usual custom of paying homage to the
+suzerain bareheaded, barefooted, and unarmed, the embroidered slipper
+had been adopted by all instead of the iron boot; and as he knelt before
+the throne, the Earl of Lennox, for, first in rank, he first approached
+his sovereign, unbuckling his trusty sword, laid it, together with his
+dagger, at Robert's feet, and placing his clasped hands between those of
+the king, repeated, in a deep sonorous voice, the solemn vow--to live
+and die with him against all manner of men. Athol, Fraser, Seaton,
+Douglas, Hay, gladly and willingly followed his example; and it was
+curious to mark the character of each man, proclaimed in his mien and
+hurried step.
+
+The calm, controlled, and somewhat thoughtful manner of those grown wise
+in war, their bold spirits feeling to the inmost soul the whole extent
+of the risk they run, scarcely daring to anticipate the freedom of their
+country, the emancipation of their king from the heavy yoke that
+threatened him, and yet so firm in the oath they pledged, that had
+destruction yawned before them ere they reached the throne, they would
+have dared it rather than turned back--and then again those hot and
+eager youths, feeling, knowing but the excitement of the hour, believing
+but as they hoped, seeing but a king, a free and independent king,
+bounding from their seats to the monarch's feet, regardless of the
+solemn ceremonial in which they took a part, desirous only, in the words
+of their oath, to live and die for him--caused a brighter flush to
+mantle on King Robert's cheek, and his eyes to shine with new and
+radiant light. None knew better than himself the perils that encircled
+him, yet there was a momentary glow of exultation in his heart as he
+looked on the noble warriors, the faithful friends around him, and felt
+that they, even they, representatives of the oldest, the noblest houses
+in Scotland--men famed not alone for their gallant bearing in war, but
+their fidelity and wisdom, and unstained honor and virtue in peace--even
+they acknowledged him their king, and vowed him that allegiance which
+was never known to fail.
+
+Alan of Buchan was the last of that small yet noble train who approached
+his sovereign. There was a hot flush of impetuous feeling on the boy's
+cheek, an indignant tear trembled in his dark flashing eye, and his
+voice, sweet, thrilling as it was, quivered with the vain effort to
+restrain his emotion.
+
+"Sovereign of Scotland," he exclaimed, "descendant of that glorious line
+of kings to whom my ancestors have until this dark day vowed homage and
+allegiance; sovereign of all good and faithful men, on whose inmost
+souls the name of Scotland is so indelibly writ, that even in death it
+may there be found, refuse not thou my homage. I have but my sword, not
+e'en a name of which to boast, yet hear me swear," he raised his clasped
+hands towards heaven, "swear that for thee, for my country, for thee
+alone, will I draw it, alone shall my life be spent, my blood be shed.
+Reject me not because my name is Comyn, because I alone am here of that
+once loyal house. Oh! condemn me not; reject not untried a loyal heart
+and trusty sword."
+
+"Reject thee," said King Robert, laying his hand kindly on the boy's
+shoulder; "reject thee, young soldier," he said, cheeringly: "in Alan of
+Buchan we see but the noble son of our right noble countrywoman, the
+Lady Isabella; we see in him but a worthy descendant of Macduff, the
+noble scion, though but by the mother's side, of the loyal house of
+Fife. Young as thou art, we ask of thee but the heart and sword which
+thou hast so earnestly proffered, nor can we, son of Isabella of Fife,
+doubt their honesty and truth; thou shalt earn a loyal name for thyself,
+and till then, as the brother in arms, the chosen friend of Nigel Bruce,
+all shall respect and trust thee. We confer knighthood on twenty of our
+youthful warriors seven days hence; prepare thyself to receive it with
+our brother: enough for us to know thou hast learned the art of chivalry
+at thy mother's hand."
+
+Dazzled, bewildered by the benign manner, and yet more gracious words of
+his sovereign, the young heir of Buchan remained kneeling for a brief
+space, as if rooted to the ground, but the deep earnest voice of his
+mother, the kind greeting of Nigel Bruce, as he grasped his arm, and
+hailed him companion in arms, roused him at once, and he sprung to his
+feet; the despondency, shame, doubt, anxiety which like lead had weighed
+down his heart before, dissolved before the glad, buoyant spirit, the
+bright, free, glorious hopes, and dreams, and visions which are known to
+youth alone.
+
+Stentorian and simultaneous was the eager shout that hailed the
+appearance of the newly-anointed king, as he paused a moment on the
+great stone staircase, leading from the principal doors of the abbey to
+the abbey yard. For miles round, particularly from those counties which
+were but thinly garrisoned by the English, the loyal Scots had poured at
+the first rumor of the Bruce's rising, and now a rejoicing multitude
+welcomed him with one voice, the execrations against their foes
+forgotten in this outpouring of the heart towards their native prince.
+
+Inspired by this heartfelt greeting, the king advanced a few paces on
+the stone terrace, and raised his right hand, as if about to speak; on
+the instant every shout was hushed, and silence fell upon that eager
+multitude, as deep and voiceless as if some mighty magic chained them
+spell-bound where they stood, their very breathing hushed, fearful to
+lose one word.
+
+Many an aged eye grew dim with tears, as it rested on the fair and
+graceful form, the beautifully expressive face of him, who, with
+eloquent fervor, referred to the ancient glory of their country; tears
+of joy, for they felt they looked upon the good genius of their land,
+that she was raised from her dejected stupor, to sleep a slave no more;
+and the middle-aged and the young, with deafening shouts and eager
+gestures, swore to give him the crown, the kingdom he demanded, free,
+unshackled as his ancestors had borne them, or die around him to a man;
+and blessings and prayers in woman's gentler voice mingled with the
+swelling cry, and little children caught the Bruce's name and bade "God
+bless him," and others, equally impetuous shouted "Bruce and freedom!"
+
+"Love, obey, follow me, for Scotland's sake; noble or gentle, let all
+private feud be forgotten in this one great struggle for liberty or
+death. Thus," he concluded, "united and faithful, the name of Wallace on
+each lip, the weal of Scotland in each heart, her mountains our shield,
+her freedom our sword, shall we, can we fail? No! no! Scotland shall be
+free, or her green sod and mountain flowers shall bloom upon our graves.
+I have no crown save that which Scotland gives, no kingdom save what
+your swords shall conquer, and your hearts bestow; with you I live and
+die."
+
+In the midst of the shouts and unrestrained clamor succeeding this
+eloquent address, the fiery chargers of the king and his attendant
+barons and esquires were led to the foot of the staircase. And a fair
+and noble sight was the royal _cortege_ as slowly it passed through the
+old town, with banners flying, lances gleaming, and the rich swell of
+triumphant music echoing on the air. Nobles and dames mingled
+indiscriminately together. Beautiful palfreys or well-trained glossy
+mules, richly caparisoned, gracefully guided by the dames and maidens,
+bore their part well amid the more fiery chargers of their companions.
+The queen rode at King Robert's left hand, the primate of Scotland at
+his right, Lennox, Seaton, and Hay thronged around the Countess of
+Buchan, eager to pay her that courteous homage which she now no longer
+refused, and willingly joined in their animated converse. The Lady Mary
+Campbell and her sister Lady Seaton found an equally gallant and willing
+escort, as did the other noble dames; but none ventured to dispute the
+possession of the maiden of Buchan with the gallant Nigel, who, riding
+close at her bridle rein, ever and anon whispered some magic words that
+called a blush to her cheek and a smile on her lip, their attention
+called off now and then by some wild jest or courteous word from the
+young Lord Douglas, whose post seemed in every part of the royal train;
+now galloping to the front, to caracole by the side of the queen, to
+accustom her, he said, to the sight of good horsemanship, then lingering
+beside the Countess of Buchan, to give some unexpected rejoinder to the
+graver maxims of Lennox. The Princess Margory, her cousins, the Lady
+Isoline Campbell and Alice and Christina Seaton, escorted by Alan of
+Buchan, Walter Fitz-Alan, Alexander Fraser, and many other young
+esquires, rejoicing in the task assigned them.
+
+It was a gay and gorgeous sight, and beautiful the ringing laugh and
+silvery voice of youth. No dream of desponding dread shadowed their
+hearts, though danger and suffering, and defeat and death, were darkly
+gathering round them. Who, as he treads the elastic earth, fresh with
+the breeze of day, as he gazes on the cloudless blue of the circling
+sky, or the dazzling rays of the morning sun, as the hum of happy life
+is round him--who is there thinks of the silence, and darkness, and
+tempest that come in a few brief hours, on the shadowy pinions of night?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+
+Some ten or twelve days after the momentous event recorded in our last
+chapter, King Edward's royal palace, at Winchester, was thronged at an
+unusually early hour by many noble knights and barons, bearing on their
+countenances symptoms of some new and unexpected excitement; and there
+was a dark boding gloom on the now contracted brow and altered features
+of England's king, as, weakened and well-nigh worn out by a lingering
+disease, he reclined on a well-cushioned couch, to receive the
+eagerly-offered homage of his loyal barons. He, who had been from
+earliest youth a warrior, with whose might and dauntless prowess there
+was not one, or prince, or noble, or English, or foreigner, could
+compete, whose strength of frame and energy of mind had ever borne him
+scathless and uninjured through scenes of fatigue, and danger, and
+blood, and death; whose sword had restored a kingdom to his father--had
+struggled for Palestine and her holy pilgrims--had given Wales to
+England, and again and again prostrated the hopes and energies of
+Scotland into the dust; even he, this mighty prince, lay prostrate now,
+unable to conquer or to struggle with disease--disease that attacked the
+slave, the lowest serf or yeoman of his land, and thus made manifest,
+how in the sight of that King of kings, from whom both might and
+weakness come, the prince and peasant are alike--the monarch and the
+slave!
+
+The disease had been indeed in part subdued, but Edward could not close
+his eyes to the fact that he should never again be what he had been;
+that the strength which had enabled him to do and endure so much, the
+energy which had ever led him on to victory, the fire which had so often
+inspired his own heart, and urged on, as by magic power, his
+followers--that all these were gone from him, and forever. Ambition,
+indeed, yet burned within, strong, undying, mighty; aye, perhaps
+mightier than ever, as the power of satisfying that ambition glided from
+his grasp. He had rested, indeed, a brief while, secure in the
+fulfilment of his darling wish, that every rood of land composing the
+British Isles should be united under him as sole sovereign; he believed,
+and rejoiced in the belief, that with Wallace all hope or desire of
+resistance had departed. His disease had been at its height when Bruce
+departed from his court, and disabled him a while from composedly
+considering how that event would affect his interest in Scotland. As the
+violence of the disease subsided, however, he had leisure to contemplate
+and become anxious. Rumors, some extravagant, some probable, now floated
+about; and the sovereign looked anxiously to the high festival of Easter
+to bring all his barons around him, and by the absence or presence of
+the suspected, discover at once how far his suspicions and the floating
+rumors were correct.
+
+Although the indisposition of the sovereign prevented the feasting,
+merry-making, and other customary marks of royal munificence, which ever
+attended the solemnization of Easter, yet it did not in any way
+interfere with the bounden duty of every earl and baron, knight and
+liegeman, and high ecclesiastics of the realm to present themselves
+before the monarch at such a time; Easter, Whitsuntide, and Christmas,
+being the seasons when every loyal subject of fit degree appeared
+attendant on his sovereign, without any summons so to do.
+
+They had been seasons of peculiar interest since the dismemberment of
+Scotland, for Edward's power was such, that seldom had the peers and
+other great officers of that land refused the tacit acknowledgment of
+England's supremacy by their non-appearance. Even in that which was
+deemed the rebellion of Wallace, the highest families, even the
+competitors for the crown, and all the knights and vassals in their
+interest, had swelled the train of the conqueror; but this Easter ten or
+twelve great barons and their followers were missing. The nobles had
+eagerly and anxiously scanned the countenances of each, and whispered
+suspicions and rumors, which one glance on their monarch's ruffled brow
+confirmed.
+
+"So ho! my faithful lords and gallant knights," he exclaimed, after the
+preliminaries of courtesy between each noble and his sovereign had been
+more hastily than usual performed, speaking in a tone so unusually harsh
+and sarcastic, that the terms "faithful and gallant" seemed used but in
+mockery; "so ho! these are strange news we hear. Where be my lords of
+Carrick, Athol, Lennox, Hay? Where be the knights of Seaton, Somerville,
+Keith, and very many others we could name? Where be these proud lords, I
+say? Are none of ye well informed on these things? I ask ye where be
+they? Why are they not here?"
+
+There was a pause, for none dared risk reply. Edward's voice had waxed
+louder and louder, his sallow cheek flushed with wrath, and he raised
+himself from his couch, as if irritability of thought had imparted
+strength to his frame.
+
+"I ask ye, where be these truant lords? There be some of ye who _can_
+reply; aye, and by good St. Edward, reply ye shall. Gloucester, my lord
+of Gloucester, stand forth, I say," he continued, the thunderstorm
+drawing to that climax which made many tremble, lest its bolt should
+fall on the daring baron who rumor said was implicated in the flight of
+the Bruce, and who now stood, his perfect self-possession and calmness
+of mien and feature contrasting well with the fury of his sovereign.
+
+"And darest thou front me with that bold, shameless brow, false traitor
+as thou art?" continued the king, as, with head erect and arms proudly
+folded in his mantle, Gloucester obeyed the king's impatient summons.
+"Traitor! I call thee traitor! aye, in the presence of thy country's
+noblest peers, I charge thee with a traitor's deed; deny it, if thou
+darest."
+
+"Tis my sovereign speaks the word, else had it not been spoken with
+impunity," returned the noble, proudly and composedly, though his cheek
+burned and his eye flashed. "Yes, monarch of England, I dare deny the
+charge! Gloucester is no traitor!"
+
+"How! dost thou brave me, minion? Darest thou deny the fact, that from
+thee, from thy traitorous hand, thy base connivance, Robert of Carrick,
+warned that we knew his treachery, fled from our power--that 'tis to
+thee, we owe the pleasant news we have but now received? Hast thou not
+given that rebel Scotland a head, a chief, in this fell traitor, and art
+thou not part and parcel of his guilt? Darest thou deny that from thee
+he received intelligence and means of flight? Baron of Gloucester, thou
+darest not add the stigma of falsity to thy already dishonored name!"
+
+"Sovereign of England, my gracious liege and honored king," answered
+Gloucester, still apparently unmoved, and utterly regardless of the
+danger in which he stood, "dishonor is not further removed from thy
+royal name than it is from Gloucester's. I bear no stain of either
+falsity or treachery; that which thou hast laid to my charge regarding
+the Earl of Carrick, I shrink not, care not to acknowledge; yet, Edward
+of England, I am no traitor!"
+
+"Ha! thou specious orator, reconcile the two an thou canst! Thou art a
+scholar of deep research and eloquence profound we have heard. Speak on,
+then, in heaven's name!" He flung himself back on his cushions as he
+spoke, for, despite his wrath, his suspicions, there was that in the
+calm, chivalric bearing of the earl that appealed not in vain to one who
+had so long been the soul of chivalry himself.
+
+The tone in which his sovereign spoke was softened, though his words
+were bitter, and Gloucester at once relaxed from his proud and cold
+reserve; kneeling before him, he spoke with fervor and impassioned
+truth--
+
+"Condemn me not unheard, my gracious sovereign," he said. "I speak not
+to a harsh and despotic king, who brings his faithful subjects to the
+block at the first whisper of evil or misguided conduct cast to their
+charge; were Edward such Gloucester would speak not, hope not for
+justice at his hands; but to thee, my liege, to thee, to whom all true
+knights may look up as to the minor of all that knight should be--the
+life and soul of chivalry--to thee, the noblest warrior, the truest
+knight that ever put lance in rest--to thee, I say, I am no traitor; and
+appeal but to the spirit of chivalry actuating thine own heart to acquit
+or condemn me, as it listeth. Hear me, my liege. Robert of Carrick and
+myself were sworn brothers from the first hour of our entrance together
+upon life, as pages, esquires, and finally, as knights, made such by
+thine own royal hand; brothers in arms, in dangers, in victories, in
+defeat; aye, and brothers--more than brothers--in mutual fidelity and
+love; to receive life, to be rescued from captivity at each other's
+hand, to become equal sharers of whatever honors might be granted to the
+one and not the other. Need my sovereign be reminded that such
+constitutes the ties of brothers in arms, and such brothers were Robert
+of Carrick and Gilbert of Gloucester. There came a rumor that the
+instigations of a base traitor had poisoned your grace's ear against one
+of these sworn brothers, threatening his liberty, if not his life; that
+which was revealed, its exact truth or falsehood, might Gloucester pause
+to list or weigh? My liege, thou knowest it could not be. A piece of
+money and a pair of spurs was all the hint, the warning, that he dared
+to give, and it was given, and its warning taken; and the imperative
+duty the laws of chivalry, of honor, friendship, all alike demanded
+done. The brother by the brother saved! Was Gloucester, then, a traitor
+to his sovereign, good my liege?"
+
+"Say first, my lord, how Gloucester now will reconcile these widely
+adverse duties, how comport himself, if duty to his liege and sovereign
+call on him to lift his sword against his brother?" demanded Edward,
+raising himself on his elbow, and looking on the kneeling nobleman with
+eyes which seemed to have recovered their flashing light to penetrate
+his soul. Wrath itself appeared to have subsided before this calm yet
+eloquent appeal, which in that age could scarcely have been resisted
+without affecting the honor of the knight to whom it was addressed.
+
+An expression of suffering, amounting almost to anguish, took the place
+of energy and fervor on the noble countenance of Gloucester, and his
+voice, which had never once quivered or failed him in the height of
+Edward's wrath, now absolutely shook with the effort to master his
+emotion. Twice he essayed to speak ere words came; at length--
+
+"With Robert of Carrick Gilbert of Gloucester was allied as brother, my
+liege," he said. "With Robert the rebel, Robert the would-be king, the
+daring opposer of my sovereign, Gloucester can have naught in common. My
+liege, as a knight and gentleman, I have done my duty fearlessly,
+openly; as fearlessly, as openly, as your grace's loyal liegeman, fief,
+and subject, in the camp and in the court, in victory or defeat, against
+all manner or ranks of men, be they friends or foes; to my secret heart
+I am thine, and thine alone. In proof of which submission, my royal
+liege, lest still in your grace's judgment Gloucester be not cleared
+from treachery, behold I resign alike my sword and coronet to your royal
+hands, never again to be resumed, save at my sovereign's bidding."
+
+His voice became again firm ere he concluded, and with the same
+respectful deference yet manly pride which had marked his bearing
+throughout, he laid his sheathed sword and golden coronet at his
+sovereign's feet, and then rising steadily and unflinchingly, returned
+Edward's searching glance, and calmly awaited his decision.
+
+"By St. Edward! Baron of Gloucester," he exclaimed, in his own tone of
+kingly courtesy, mingled with a species of admiration he cared not to
+conceal, "thou hast fairly challenged us to run a tilt with thee, not of
+sword and lance, but of all knightly and generous courtesy. I were no
+true knight to condemn, nor king to mistrust thee; yet, of a truth, the
+fruit of thy rash act might chafe a cooler mood than ours. Knowest thou
+Sir John Comyn is murdered--murdered by the arch traitor thou hast saved
+from our wrath?"
+
+"I heard it, good my liege," calmly returned Gloucester. "Robert of
+Carrick was no temper to pass by injuries, aggravated, traitorous
+injuries, unavenged."
+
+"And this is all thou sayest!" exclaimed Edward, his wrath once again
+gaining dominion. "Wouldst thou defend this base deed on plea, forsooth,
+that Comyn was a traitor? Traitor--and to whom?"
+
+"To the man that trusted him, my liege; to him he falsely swore to
+second and to aid. To every law of knighthood and of honor I say he was
+a traitor, and deserved his fate."
+
+"And this to thy sovereign, madman? To us, whose dignity and person
+have been insulted, lowered, trampled on! By all the saints, thou hast
+tempted us too far! What ho, there, guards! Am I indeed so old and
+witless," he muttered, sinking back again upon the couch from which he
+had started in the moment of excitement, "as so soon to forget a
+knightly nobleness, which in former days would have knitted my very soul
+to his? Bah! 'tis this fell disease that spoke, not Edward. Away with
+ye, sir guards, we want ye not," he added, imperatively, as they
+approached at his summons. "And thou, sir earl, take up thy sword, and
+hence from my sight a while;--answer not, but obey. I fear more for mine
+own honor than thou dost for thy head. We neither disarm nor restrain
+thee, for we trust thee still; but away with thee, for on our kingly
+faith, thou hast tried us sorely."
+
+Gloucester flung himself on his knee beside his sovereign, his lips upon
+the royal hand, which, though scarcely yielded to him, was not withheld,
+and hastily resuming his sword and coronet, with a deep reverence,
+silently withdrew.
+
+The king looked after him, admiration and fierce anger struggling for
+dominion alike on his countenance as in his heart, and then sternly and
+piercingly he scanned the noble crowd, who, hushed into a silence of
+terror as well as of extreme interest during the scene they had beheld,
+now seemed absolutely to shrink from the dark, flashing orbs of the
+king, as they rested on each successively, as if the accusation of _lip_
+would follow that of eye, and the charge of treason fall
+indiscriminately on all; but, exhausted from the passion to which he had
+given vent, Edward once more stretched himself on his cushions, and
+merely muttered--
+
+"Deserved his fate--a traitor. Is Gloucester mad--or worse, disloyal?
+No; that open brow and fearless eye are truth and faithfulness alone. I
+will _not_ doubt him; 'tis but his lingering love for that foul traitor,
+Bruce, which I were no true knight to hold in blame. But that murder,
+that base murder--insult alike to our authority, our realm--by every
+saint in heaven, it shall be fearfully avenged, and that madman rue the
+day he dared fling down the gauntlet of rebellion!" and as he spoke, his
+right hand instinctively grasped the hilt of his sword, and half drew it
+from its sheath.
+
+"Madman, in very truth, my liege," said Aymer de Valence, Earl of
+Pembroke, who, high in favor with his sovereign, alone ventured to
+address him; "as your grace will believe, when I say not only hath he
+dared defy thee by the murder of Comyn, but has had the presumptuous
+folly to enact the farce of coronation, taking upon himself all the
+insignia of a king."
+
+"How! what sayst thou, De Valence," returned Edward, again starting up,
+"coronation--king? By St. Edward! this passeth all credence. Whence
+hadst thou this witless news?"
+
+"From sure authority, my liege, marvellous as they seem. These papers,
+if it please your grace to peruse, contain matters of import which
+demand most serious attention."
+
+"Anon, anon, sir earl!" answered Edward, impatiently, as Pembroke,
+kneeling, laid the papers on a small table of ivory which stood at the
+monarch's side. "Tell me more of this strange farce; a king, ha! ha!
+Does the rebel think 'tis but to put a crown upon his head and a sceptre
+in his hand that makes the monarch--a king, forsooth. And who officiated
+at this right solemn mockery? 'Twas, doubtless, a goodly sight!"
+
+"On my knightly faith, my liege, strangely, yet truly, 'twas a ceremony
+regally performed, and, save for numbers, regally attended."
+
+"Thou darest not tell me so!" exclaimed the king, striking his clenched
+hand fiercely on the table. "I tell thee thou darest not; 'tis a false
+tale, a lie thrust upon thee to rouse thy spirit but to laugh at. De
+Valence, I tell thee 'tis a thing that cannot be! Scotland is laid too
+low, her energies are crushed; her best and bravest lying in no
+bloodless graves. Who is there to attend this puppet king, save the few
+we miss? who dared provoke our wrath by the countenance of such a deed?
+Who would dare tempt our fury by placing a crown on the rebel's head?
+I tell thee they have played thee false--it cannot be!"
+
+"Thy valor hath done much, my gracious liege," returned Pembroke, "far
+more than ever king hath done before; but pardon me, your grace, the
+_people_ of Scotland are not yet crushed, they lie apparently in peace,
+till a chief capable of guiding, lordly in rank and knightly in war,
+ariseth, and then they too stand forth. Yet what are they? they do but
+nominally swell the rebel's court: they do but _seem_ a multitude, which
+needs but thy presence to disperse. He cannot, if he dare, resist thee."
+
+"And wherefore should these tidings so disturb you grace?" interposed
+the Earl of Hereford, a brave, blunt soldier, like his own charger,
+snuffing the scent of war far off. "We have but to bridle on our
+harness, and we shall hear no more of solemn farces like to this. Give
+but the word, my sovereign, and these ignoble rebels shall be cut off to
+a man, by an army as numerous and well appointed as any that have yet
+followed your grace to victory; 'tis a pity they have but to encounter
+traitors and rebels, instead of knightly foes," continued the High
+Constable of England.
+
+"Perchance Robert of Carrick deems the assumption of king will provoke
+your grace to combat even more than his traitorous rebellion, imagining,
+in his madness, the title of king may make ye equals," laughingly
+observed the Earl of Arundel; and remarks and opinions of similar import
+passed round, but Edward, who had snatched the papers as he ceased to
+speak, and was now deeply engrossed in their contents, neither replied
+to nor heeded them. Darker and darker grew the frown upon his brow; his
+tightly compressed lip, his heaving chest betraying the fearful passion
+that agitated him; but when he spoke, there was evidently a struggle for
+that dignified calmness which in general distinguished him, though ever
+and anon burst forth the undisguised voice of wrath.
+
+"'Tis well, 'tis very well," he said. "These wild Scots would tempt us to
+the utmost, and they shall be satisfied. Ah! my lords of Buchan and
+Fife, give ye good morrow. What think ye of these doings amidst your
+countrymen, bethink ye they have done well?"
+
+"Well, as relates to their own ruin, aye, very well, my liege; they act
+but as would every follower of the murderer Bruce," replied Buchan,
+harshly and sullenly.
+
+"They are mad, stark mad, your highness; the loss of a little blood may
+bring them to their senses," rejoined the more volatile Fife.
+
+"And is it thus ye think, base, villainous traitors as ye are, leagued
+with the rebel band in his coronation? My Lord of Chester, attach them
+of high treason."
+
+"What means your grace?" exclaimed both noblemen at once, but in very
+different accents, "Of what are we charged, and who dare make this lying
+accusation?"
+
+"Are ye indeed so ignorant?" replied the king, jibingly. "Know ye not
+that Isabella, Countess of Buchan, and representative, in the absence
+of her brother, of the earldom of Fife, hath so dared our displeasure as
+to place the crown on the rebel's head, and vow him homage?"
+
+"Hath she indeed dared so to do? By heaven, she shall rue this!" burst
+wrathfully from Buchan, his swarthy countenance assuming a yet swarthier
+aspect. "My liege, I swear to thee, by the Holy Cross, I knew no more of
+this than did your grace. Thinkest thou I would aid and abet the cause
+of one not merely a rebel and a traitor, but the foul murderer of a
+Comyn--one at whose hands, by the sword's point, have I sworn to demand
+my kinsman, and avenge him?"
+
+"And wherefore did Isabella of Buchan take upon herself this deed, my
+liege, but because the only male descendant of her house refused to give
+his countenance or aid to this false earl? Because Duncan of Fife was
+neither a rebel himself nor gave his aid to rebels, On the honor of a
+knight, my liege, I know naught of this foul deed."
+
+"It may be, it may be," answered Edward, impatiently. "We will see to
+it, and condemn ye not unheard; but in times like these, when traitors
+and rebels walk abroad and insult us to our very teeth, by St. Edward,
+our honor, our safety demands the committal of the suspected till they
+be cleared. Resign your swords to my Lord of Chester, and confine
+yourselves to your apartments. If ye be innocent, we will find means to
+repay you for the injustice we have done; if not, the axe and the block
+shall make short work. Begone!"
+
+Black as a thunderbolt was the scowl that lowered over the brow of
+Buchan, as he sullenly unclasped his sword and gave it into the Lord
+Constable's hand; while with an action of careless recklessness the Earl
+of Fife followed his example, and they retired together, the one
+scowling defiance on all who crossed his path, the other jesting and
+laughing with each and all.
+
+"I would not give my best falcon as pledge for the Countess of Buchan's
+well-doing, an she hath done this without her lord's connivance,"
+whispered the Prince of Wales to one of his favorites, with many of whom
+he had been conversing, in a low voice, as if his father's wrathful
+accents were not particularly grateful to his ear.
+
+"Nor would I pledge a hawk for her safety, if she fall into his grace's
+hands, whether with her lord's consent or no," replied the young
+nobleman, laughing. "Your royal father is fearfully incensed."
+
+"Better destroy them root and branch at once," said the prince, who,
+like all weak minds, loved any extremity better than a protracted
+struggle. "Exterminate with fire and sword; ravage the land till there
+be neither food for man nor beast; let neither noble nor serf remain,
+and then, perchance, we shall hear no more of Scotland. On my faith, I
+am sick of the word."
+
+"Not so the king, my royal lord," returned his companion. "See how
+eagerly he talks to my lords of Pembroke and Hereford. We shall have our
+sovereign yet again at our head."
+
+And it was even as he said. The king, with that strong self-command
+which disease alone could in any way cause to fail, now conquering alike
+his bitter disappointment and the fury it engendered, turned his whole
+thought and energy towards obtaining the downfall of his insolent
+opponents at one stroke; and for that purpose, summoning around him the
+brave companions of former campaigns, and other officers of state, he
+retired with them to his private closet to deliberate more at length on
+the extraordinary news they had received, and the best means of nipping
+the rebellion in the bud.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+
+The evening of this eventful day found the Scottish earls seated
+together in a small apartment of one of the buildings adjoining the
+royal palace, which in the solemn seasons we have enumerated was always
+crowded with guests, who were there feasted and maintained at the king's
+expense during the whole of their stay. Inconveniences in their private
+quarters were little heeded by the nobles, who seldom found themselves
+there, save for the purpose of a few hours sleep, and served but to
+enhance by contrast the lavish richness and luxury which surrounded them
+in the palace and presence of their king; but to the Earls of Buchan and
+Fife the inconveniences of their quarters very materially increased the
+irritability and annoyance of their present situation. Fife had
+stretched himself on two chairs, and leaning his elbows on the broad
+shelf formed by the small casement, cast many wistful glances on the
+street below, through which richly-attired gallants, both on foot and
+horseback, were continually passing. He was one of those frivolous
+little minds with whom the present is all in all, caring little for the
+past, and still less for the future. It was no marvel, therefore, that
+he preferred the utter abandonment of his distracted country for the
+luxury and ease attending the court and camp of Edward, to the great
+dangers and little recompense attending the toils and struggles of a
+patriot. The only emotion of any weight with him was the remembrance of
+and desire of avenging petty injuries, fancying and aggravating them
+when, in fact, none was intended.
+
+Very different was the character of the Earl of Buchan; morose, fierce,
+his natural hardness of disposition unsoftened by one whisper of
+chivalry, although educated in the best school of knighthood, and
+continually the follower of King Edward, he adhered to him first, simply
+because his estates in England were far more to his taste than those in
+Scotland, towards which he felt no filial tie; and soon after his
+marriage, repugnance to his high-minded and richly-gifted countess,
+which ever seemed a reproach and slur upon himself, kept him still more
+aloof, satisfied that the close retirement in which she lived, the
+desert and rugged situation of his castle, would effectually debar her
+from using that influence he knew she possessed, and keep her wholly and
+solely his own; a strange kind of feeling, when, in reality, the wide
+contrast between them made her an object of dislike, only to be
+accounted for by the fact that a dark, suspicious, jealous temper was
+ever at work within him.
+
+"Now, do but look at that fellow's doublet, Comyn. Look, how gay they
+pass below, and here am I, with my new, richly-broidered suit, with
+which I thought to brave it with the best of them--here am I, I say,
+pent up in stone walls like a caged goldfinch, 'stead of the
+entertainment I had pictured; 'tis enough to chafe the spirit of a
+saint."
+
+"And canst thou think of such things now, thou sorry fool?" demanded
+Buchan, sternly, pausing in his hurried stride up and down the narrow
+precincts of the chamber; "hast thou no worthier subject for
+contemplation?"
+
+"None, save thy dutiful wife's most dutiful conduct, Comyn, which,
+being the less agreeable of the two, I dismiss the first I owe her small
+thanks for playing the representative of my house; methinks, her
+imprisonment would better serve King Edward's cause and ours too."
+
+"Aye, imprisonment--imprisonment for life," muttered the earl, slowly.
+"Let but King Edward restore me my good sword, and he may wreak his
+vengeance on her as he listeth. Not all the castles of Scotland, the
+arms of Scottish men, dare guard a wife against her husband; bitterly
+shall she rue this deed."
+
+"And thy son, my gentle kinsman, what wilt thou do with him, bethink
+thee? Thou wilt find him as great a rebel as his mother; I have ever
+told thee thou wert a fool to leave him so long with his brainstruck
+mother."
+
+"She hath not, she dared not bring him with her to the murderer of his
+kinsman--Duncan of Fife, I tell thee she dare not; but if she hath, why
+he is but a child, a mere boy, incapable of forming judgment one way or
+the other."
+
+"Not so much a child as thou thinkest, my good lord; some sixteen years
+or so have made a stalwart warrior ere this. Be warned; send off a
+trusty messenger to the Tower of Buchan, and, without any time for
+warning, bring that boy as the hostage of thy good faith and loyalty to
+Edward; thou wilt thus cure him of his patriotic fancies, and render
+thine interest secure, and as thou desirest to reward thy dutiful
+partner, thou wilt do it effectually; for, trust me, that boy is the
+very apple of her eye, in her affections her very doting-place."
+
+"Jest not, Duncan, or by all the saints, thou wilt drive me mad!"
+wrathfully exclaimed Buchan. "It shall be as thou sayest; and more, I
+will gain the royal warrant for the deed--permission to this effect may
+shorten this cursed confinement for us both. I have forgotten the boy's
+age; his mother's high-sounding patriotism may have tinctured him
+already. Thou smilest."
+
+"At thy marvellous good faith in thy wife's _patriotism_, good
+kinsman--oh, well perchance, like charity, it covereth a multitude of
+sins."
+
+"What meanest thou, my Lord of Fife?" demanded Buchan, shortly and
+abruptly, pausing in his walk to face his companion, his suspicious
+temper instantly aroused by Fife's peculiar tone. "What wouldst thou
+insinuate? Tamper not with me; thou knowest I am no subject for a
+jest."
+
+"I have but to look on thee to know that, my most solemn-visaged
+brother. I neither insinuate nor tamper with your lordship. Simply and
+heartily I do but give thee joy for thy faith in female patriotism,"
+answered Fife, carelessly, but with an expression of countenance that
+did not accord with his tone.
+
+"What, in the fiend's name, then, has urged her to this mad act, if it
+be not what she and others as mad as she call patriotism?"
+
+"May not a lurking affection for the Bruce have given incentive to love
+of country? Buchan, of a truth, thou art dull as a sword-blade when
+plunged in muddy water."
+
+"Affection for the Bruce? Thou art mad as she is, Duncan. What the foul
+fiend, knows she of the Bruce? No, no! 'tis too wild a tale--when have
+they ever met?"
+
+"More often than thou listeth, gentle kinsman," returned Fife, with just
+sufficient show of mystery to lash his companion into fury. "I could
+tell thee of a time when Robert of Carrick was domesticated with my
+immaculate sister, hunting with her, hawking with her, reading with her,
+making favorable impressions on every heart in Fife Castle save mine
+own."
+
+"And she loved him!--she was loved," muttered Buchan; "and she vowed her
+troth to me, the foul-mouthed traitress! She loved him, saidst thou?"
+
+"On my faith, I know not, Comyn. Rumors, I know, went abroad that it
+would have been better for the Lady Isabella's peace and honor if this
+gallant, fair-spoken knight had kept aloof."
+
+"And then, her brother, carest not to speak these things, and in that
+reckless tone? By St. Swithin, ye are well matched," returned Buchan,
+with a short and bitter laugh of scorn.
+
+"Faith, Comyn, I love mine own life and comfort too well to stand up the
+champion of woman's honor; besides, I vouch not for the truth of
+floating rumors. I tell thee but what comes across my brain; for its
+worth thou art the best judge."
+
+"I were a fool to mine own interest to doubt thee now, little worth as
+are thy words in common," again muttered the incensed earl, resuming his
+hasty strides. "Patriotism! loyalty! ha, ha! high-sounding words,
+forsooth. And have they not met since then until now?" he demanded,
+stopping suddenly before his companion.
+
+"Even so, fair kinsman. Whilst thou wert doing such loyal duty to
+Edward, after the battle of Falkirk, forgetting thou hadst a wife and
+castle to look after, Robert Earl of Carrick found a comfortable
+domicile within thy stone walls, and in the fair, sweet company of thine
+Isabella, my lord. No doubt, in all honorable and seemly intercourse;
+gallant devotion on the one side, and dignified courtesy on the
+other--nothing more, depend on't; still it seems but natural that the
+memory of a comely face and knightly form should prove incentives to
+loyalty and patriotism."
+
+"The foul fiend take thy jesting!" exclaimed Buchan. "Natural, forsooth;
+aye, the same nature that bade me loathe the presence, aye, the very
+name of that deceiving traitress. And so that smooth-faced villain
+Carrick found welcome in the castle of a Comyn the months we missed him
+from the court. Ha, ha! thou hast done me good service, Lord of Fife. I
+had not enough of injuries before to demand at the hand of Robert Bruce.
+And for Dame Isabella, 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 Scotland,
+combined with his irritating disease, had rendered him blind and
+suspicious, at once disarmed Fife of wrath. Buchan, perhaps, had not
+been so easily appeased had his mind been less darkly engrossed. His
+petition, that his son might be sent for, to be placed as a hostage in
+the hands of Edward, and thus saved from the authority of his mother,
+whom he represented as an artful, designing woman, possessed of
+dangerous influence, was acceded to on the instant, and the king's full
+confidence restored. It was easy to act upon Edward's mind, already
+incensed against Isabella of Buchan for her daring defiance of his
+power; and Buchan did work, till he felt perfectly satisfied that the
+wife he hated would be fully cared for without the very smallest trouble
+or interference on his part, save the obtaining possession of her
+person; that the vengeance he had vowed would be fully perfected,
+without any reproach or stigma cast upon his name.
+
+Meantime the exertions of the King of England for the suppression of the
+rebels continued with unabated ardor. Orders were issued and proclaimed
+in every part of England for the gathering together one of the noblest
+and mightiest armies that had ever yet followed him to war. To render it
+still more splendidly impressive, and give fresh incentive to his
+subjects, whose warlike spirit he perhaps feared might be somewhat
+depressed by this constant call upon them for the reduction of a
+country ever rising in revolt, Edward caused proclamation to be
+severally made in every important town or county, "that all who were
+under the obligation to become knights, and possessed the necessary
+means, should appear at Westminster on the coming solemn season of
+Whitsuntide, where they should be furnished with every requisite, save
+and except the trappings for their horses, from the king's wardrobe, and
+be treated with all solemn honor and distinction as best befitted their
+rank, and the holy vows they took upon themselves."
+
+A proclamation such as this, in the very heart of the chivalric era, was
+all-sufficient to engage every Englishman heart and soul in the service
+of his king; and ere the few weeks intervening between Easter and
+Whitsuntide were passed, Westminster and its environs presented a scene
+of martial magnificence and knightly splendor, which had never before
+been equalled. Three hundred noble youths, sons of earls, barons, and
+knights, speedily assembled at the place appointed, all attended
+according to their rank and pretensions; all hot and fiery spirits,
+eager to prove by their prompt attendance their desire to accept their
+sovereign's invitation. The splendor of their attire seemed to demand
+little increase from the bounty of the king, but nevertheless, fine
+linen garments, rich purple robes, and superb mantles woven with gold,
+were bestowed on each youthful candidate, thus strengthening the links
+which bound him to his chivalric sovereign, by the gratification of his
+vanity in addition to the envied honors of knighthood. As our tale
+relates more to Scottish than to English history, we may not linger
+longer on the affairs of South Britain than is absolutely necessary for
+the clear comprehension of the situation of her far less flourishing
+sister. Exciting therefore as was the scene enacted in Westminster,
+descriptive as it was of the spirit of the age, we are compelled to give
+it but a hasty glance, and pass on to events of greater moment.
+
+Glorious, indeed, to an eyewitness, must have been the ceremony of
+admitting these noble and valiant youths into the solemn mysteries and
+chivalric honors of knighthood. On that day the Prince of Wales was
+first dubbed a knight, and made Duke of Aquitaine; and so great was the
+pressure of the crowd, in their eagerness to witness the ceremonial in
+the abbey, where the prince hastened to confer his newly-received
+dignity on his companions, that three knights were killed, and several
+fainted from heat and exhaustion. Strong war-horses were compelled to
+drive back and divide the pressing crowds, ere the ceremony was allowed
+to proceed. A solemn banquet succeeded; and then it was that Edward,
+whose energy of mind appeared completely to have annihilated disease and
+weakness of frame, made that extraordinary vow, which it has puzzled
+both historian and antiquary satisfactorily to explain. The matter of
+the vow merely betrayed the indomitable spirit of the man, but the
+manner seemed strange even in that age. Two swans, decorated with golden
+nets and gilded reeds, were placed in solemn pomp before the king, and
+he, with imposing fervor, made a solemn vow to the Almighty and the
+swans, that he would go to Scotland, and, living or dead, avenge the
+murder of Comyn, and the broken faith of the traitorous Scots. Then,
+with that earnestness of voice and majesty of mien for which he was
+remarkable, he adjured his subjects, one and all, by the solemn fealty
+they had sworn to him, that if he should die on the journey, they would
+carry his body into Scotland, and never give it burial till the prince's
+dominion was established in that country. Eagerly and willingly the
+nobles gave the required pledge; and so much earnestness of purpose, so
+much martial spirit pervaded that gorgeous assembly, that once more did
+hope prevail in the monarch's breast, once more did he believe his
+ambitious yearnings would all be fulfilled, and Scotland, rebellious,
+haughty Scotland, lie crushed and broken at his feet. Once more his dark
+eye flashed, his proud lip curled with its wonted smiles; his warrior
+form, erect and firm as in former days, now spurned the couch of
+disease, and rode his war-horse with all the grace and ease of former
+years. A gallant army, under the command of Aymer de Valence, Earl of
+Pembroke, had already been dispatched towards Scotland, bearing with it
+the messengers of the Earl of Buchan, armed both with their lord's
+commands and Edward's warrant for the detention of the young heir of
+Buchan, and to bring him with all honor to the head-quarters of the
+king. The name of Isabella of Buchan was subjoined to that of the Bruce,
+and together with all those concerned in his rising proclaimed as
+traitors and a price set upon their heads. This done, the king had been
+enabled to wait with greater tranquillity the assembling of his larger
+army, and after the ceremonials of Westminster, orders were issued for
+every earl and baron to proceed with their followers to Carlisle, which
+was named the head-quarters of the army, there to join their sovereign
+with his own immediate troops. The Scottish nobles Edward's usual policy
+retained in honorable posts about his person, not choosing to trust
+their fidelity beyond the reach of his own eye.
+
+Obedient to these commands, all England speedily appeared in motion, the
+troops of every county moving as by one impulse to Carlisle. Yet there
+were some of England's noblest barons in whose breasts a species of
+admiration, even affection, was at work towards the very man they were
+now marching to destroy, and this was frequently the case in the ages of
+chivalry. Fickle as the character of Robert Bruce had appeared to be,
+there was that in it which had ever attracted, riveted the regard of
+many of the noble spirits in King Edward's court. The rash daring of his
+enterprise, the dangers which encircled him, were such as dazzled and
+fascinated the imagination of those knights in whom the true spirit of
+chivalry found rest. Pre-eminent amongst these was the noble Earl of
+Gloucester. His duty to his sovereign urged him to take the field; his
+attachment for the Bruce would have held him neuter, for the ties that
+bound brothers in arms were of no common or wavering nature. Brothers in
+blood had frequently found themselves opposed horse to horse, and lance
+to lance, on the same field, and no scruples of conscience, no pleadings
+of affection, had power to avert the unnatural strife; but not such was
+it with brothers in arms--a link strong as adamant, pure as their own
+sword-steel, bound their hearts as one; and rather, much rather would
+Gloucester have laid down his own life, than expose himself to the
+fearful risk of staining his sword with the blood of his friend. The
+deepest dejection took possession of his soul, which not all the
+confidence of his sovereign, the gentle, affectionate pleadings of his
+wife, could in any way assuage.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+
+It was the month of June, and the beautiful county of Perth smiled in
+all the richness and loveliness of early summer. Not yet had the signal
+of war floated on the pure springy breeze, not yet had the stains of
+blood desecrated the gladsome earth, although the army of De Valence was
+now within very few miles of Scone, which was still the head-quarters of
+the Scottish king. Aware of the very great disparity of numbers between
+his gallant followers and those of Pembroke, King Robert preferred
+entrenching himself in his present guarded situation, to meeting De
+Valence in the open field, although, more than once tempted to do so,
+and finding extreme difficulty in so curbing the dauntless spirit of his
+followers as to incline them more towards the defensive than the attack.
+Already had the fierce thunders of the Church been launched against him
+for the sin of murder committed in consecrated ground. Excommunication
+in all its horrors exposed him to death from any hand, that on any
+pretence of private hate or public weal might choose to strike; but
+already had there arisen spirits bold enough to dispute the awful
+mandates of the Pope, and the patriotic prelates who had before
+acknowledged and done homage to their sovereign, now neither wavered in
+their allegiance nor in any way sought to promulgate the sentence
+thundered against him. A calm smile had passed over the Bruce's noble
+features as the intelligence of the wrath of Rome was communicated to
+him.
+
+"The judge and the avenger is in heaven, holy father," he said; "to His
+hands I commit my cause, conscious of deserving, as humbly awaiting,
+chastisement for that sin which none can reprobate and abhor more
+strongly than myself; if blood must flow for blood, His will be done. I
+ask but to free my country, to leave her in powerful yet righteous
+hands, and willingly I will depart, confident of mercy for my soul."
+
+Fearful, however, that this sentence might dispirit his subjects, King
+Robert watched his opportunity of assembling and addressing them. In a
+brief, yet eloquent speech, he narrated the base, cold-blooded system of
+treachery of Comyn; how, when travelling to Scotland, firmly trusting
+in, and depending on, the good faith the traitor had so solemnly
+pledged, a brawl had arisen between his (Bruce's) followers and some men
+in the garb of Borderers, who were discovered to be emissaries of the
+Red Comyn, and how papers had been found on them, in which all that
+could expose the Bruce to the deadly wrath of Edward was revealed, and
+his very death advised as the only effectual means of quelling his
+efforts for the freedom of Scotland, and crushing the last hopes of her
+still remaining patriots. He told them how, on the natural indignation
+excited by this black treachery subsiding, he had met Sir John Comyn at
+Dumfries--how, knowing the fierce irascibility of his natural temper, he
+had willingly agreed that the interview Comyn demanded should take place
+in the church of the Minorite Friars, trusting that the sanctity of the
+place would be sufficient to restrain him.
+
+"But who may answer for himself, my friends?" he continued, mournfully;
+"it needs not to dilate on that dark and stormy interview, suffice it
+that the traitor sought still to deceive, still to win me by his
+specious sophistry to reveal my plans, again to be betrayed, and that
+when I taunted him with his base, cowardly treachery, his black
+dishonor, words of wrath and hate, and blind deluded passion arose
+between us, and the spirit of evil at work within me urged my rash sword
+to strike. Subjects and friends, I plead no temptation as excuse, I make
+no defence; I deplore, I contemn the deed. If ye deem me worthy of
+death, if ye believe the sentence of our holy father in God, his
+holiness the Pope, be just, that it is wholly free from the machinations
+of England, who, deeming force of arms not sufficient, would hurl the
+wrath of heaven's viceregent on my devoted head, go, leave me to the
+fate it brings; your oath of allegiance is dissolved. I have yet
+faithful followers, to make one bold stand against the tyrant, and die
+for Scotland; but if ye absolve me, if ye will yet give me your hearts
+and swords, oh, fear me not, my countrymen, we may yet be free!"
+
+Cries, tears, and blessings followed this wisely-spoken appeal, one
+universal shout reiterated their vows of allegiance; those who had felt
+terrified at the mandate of their spiritual father, now traced it not to
+his impartial judgment, but to the schemes of Edward, and instantly felt
+its weight and magnitude had faded into air. The unwavering loyalty of
+the Primate of Scotland, the Bishop of Glasgow, and the Abbot of Scone
+strengthened them alike in their belief and allegiance, and a band of
+young citizens were instantly provided with arms at the expense of the
+town, and the king entreated by a deputation of the principal
+magistrates to accept their services as a guard extraordinary, lest his
+life should be yet more endangered from private individuals, by the
+sentence under which he labored; and gratified by their devotedness,
+though his bold spirit spurned all Fear of secret assassination, their
+request was graciously accepted.
+
+The ceremony of knighthood which the king had promised to confer on
+several of his young followers had been deferred until the present time,
+to admit of their preparing for their inauguration with all the solemn
+services of religion which the rites enjoined.
+
+The 15th day of June was the time appointed, and Nigel Bruce and Alan of
+Buchan were to pass the night previous, in solemn prayer and vigil, in
+the abbey church of Scone. That the rules of chivalry should not be
+transgressed by his desire to confer some honor on the son of the
+Countess of Buchan, which would demonstrate the high esteem in which she
+was held by her sovereign, Alan had served the king, first as page and
+then as esquire, in the interval that had elapsed since his coronation,
+and now he beheld with ardor the near completion of the honor for which
+he pined. His spirit had been wrung well-nigh to agony, when amidst the
+list of the proscribed as traitors he beheld his mother's name; not so
+much at the dangers that would encircle her--for from those he might
+defend her--but that his father was still a follower of the unmanly
+tyrant, who would even war against a woman--his father should still
+calmly assist and serve the man who set a price upon his mother's head.
+Alas! poor boy, he little knew that father's heart.
+
+It was evening, a still, oppressive evening, for though the sun yet
+shone brightly as he sunk in the west, a succession of black
+thunder-clouds, gradually rising higher and higher athwart the intense
+blue of the firmament, seemed to threaten that the wings of the tempest
+were already brooding on the dark bosom of night. The very flowers
+appeared to droop beneath the weight of the atmosphere; the trees moved
+not, the birds were silent, save when now and then a solitary note was
+heard, and then hushed, as if the little warbler shrunk back in his
+leafy nest, frightened at his own voice. Perchance it was the stillness
+of nature which had likewise affected the inmates of a retired chamber
+in the palace, for though they sate side by side, and their looks
+betrayed that the full communion of soul was not denied, few words were
+spoken. The maiden of Buchan bent over the frame which contained the
+blue satin scarf she was embroidering with the device of Bruce, in gold
+and gems, and it was Nigel Bruce who sate beside her, his deep,
+expressive eyes fixed upon her in such fervid, such eloquent love, that
+seldom was it she ventured to raise her glance to his. A slight shadow
+was on those sweet and gentle features, perceptible, perchance, to the
+eye of love alone; and it was this that, after enjoying that silent
+communion of the spirit, so dear to those who love, which bade Nigel
+fling his arm around that slender form, and ask--
+
+"What is it, sweet one? why art thou sad?"
+
+"Do not ask me, Nigel, for indeed I know not," she answered, simply,
+looking up a moment in his face, in that sweet touching confidence,
+which made him draw her closer to his protecting heart; "save that,
+perchance, the oppression of nature has extended to me, and filled my
+soul with unfounded fancies of evil. I ought to be very happy, Nigel,
+loved thus by _thee_," she hid her eyes upon his bosom; "received as thy
+promised bride, not alone by thy kind sisters, thy noble brothers,
+but--simple-hearted maiden as I am--deemed worthy of thee by good King
+Robert's self. Nigel, dearest Nigel, why, in an hour of joy like this,
+should dreams of evil come?"
+
+"To whisper, my beloved, that not on earth may we look for the
+perfection of joy, the fulness of bliss; that while the mortal shell is
+round us joy is chained to pain, and granted us but to lift up the
+spirit to that heaven where pain is banished, bliss made perfect;
+dearest, 'tis but for this!" answered the young enthusiast, and the rich
+yet somewhat mournful tones of his voice thrilled to his listener's
+heart.
+
+"Thou speakest as if thou, too, hadst experienced forebodings like to
+these, my Nigel," said Agnes, thoughtfully. "I deemed them but the
+foolishness of my weaker mind."
+
+"Deem them not foolishness, beloved. There are minds, indeed, that know
+them not, but they are of that rude, coarse material which owns no
+thought, hath no hopes but those of earth and earthly things, insensible
+to that profundity of joy which makes us _feel_ its _chain_: 'tis not to
+the lightly feeling such forebodings come."
+
+"But thou--hast thou felt them, Nigel, dearest? hast thou listened to,
+_believed_ their voice?
+
+"I have felt, I feel when I gaze on thee, sweet one, a joy so deep, so
+full, that I scarce dare trace it to an earthly cause," he said,
+slightly evading a direct answer. "I cannot look forward and, as it
+were, extend that deep joy to the future; but the fetter binding it to
+pain reminds me I am mortal, that not an earth may I demand find seek
+and hope to find its fulfilment."
+
+She looked up in his face, with an expression both of bewilderment and
+fear, and her hand unconsciously closed on his arm, as thus to detain
+him to her side.
+
+"Yes, my beloved," he added, with more animation, "it is not because I
+put not my trust in earth for unfading joy that we shall find not its
+sweet flowers below; that our paths on earth may be darkened, because
+the fulness of bliss is alone to be found in heaven. Mine own sweet
+Agnes, while darkness and strife, and blood and death, are thus at work
+around us, is it marvel we should sometimes dream of sorrow? Yet, oh
+yet, have we not both the same hope, the same God, the same home in
+heaven; and if our doom be to part on earth, shall we not, oh, shall we
+not meet in bliss? I say not such things will be, my best beloved; but
+better look thus upon the dim shadow sometimes resting on the rosy wings
+of joy, than ever dismiss it as the vain folly of a weakened mind."
+
+He pressed his lips, which quivered, on the fair, beautiful brow then
+resting in irresistible sorrow on his bosom; but he did not attempt by
+words to check that maiden's sudden burst of tears. After a while, when
+he found his own emotion sufficiently restrained, soothingly and fondly
+he cheered her to composure, and drew from her the thoughts which had
+disturbed her when he first spoke.
+
+"'Twas of my mother, Nigel, of my beloved, my noble mother that I
+thought; proscribed, hunted, set a price upon as a traitor. Can her
+children think on such indignity without emotion--and when I remember
+the great power of King Edward, who has done this--without fear for her
+fate?"
+
+"Sweetest, fear not for her; her noble deed, her dauntless heroism has
+circled her with such a guard of gallant knights and warriors, that, in
+the hands of Edward, trust me, dearest, she shall never fall; and even
+if such should be, still, I say, fear not. Unpitying and cruel as Edward
+is, where his ambition is concerned, he is too true a knight, too noble
+in spirit to take a woman's blood; he is now fearfully enraged, and
+therefore has he done this. And as to indignity, 'tis shame to the
+proscriber not to the proscribed, my love!"
+
+"There is one I fear yet more than Edward," continued the maiden,
+fearfully; "one that I should love more. Oh, Nigel, my very spirit
+shrinks from the image of my father. I have sought to love him, to
+dismiss the dark haunting visions which his name has ever brought before
+me. I saw him once, but once, and his stern terrible features and harsh
+voice so terrified my childish fancies, that I hid myself till he had
+departed, and I have never seen him since, and yet, oh yet, I fear him!"
+
+"What is it that thou fearest, love?"
+
+"I know not," she answered; "but if evil approach my mother, it will
+come from him, and so silently, so unsuspectedly, that none may avoid
+it. Nigel, he cannot love my mother! he is a foe to Bruce, a friend of
+the slaughtered Comyn, and will he not demand a stern account of the
+deed that she hath done? will he not seek vengeance? and oh, will he
+not, may he not in wrath part thee and me, and thus thy bodings be
+fulfilled?"
+
+"Agnes, never! The mandate of man shall never part us; the power of man,
+unless my limbs be chained, shall never sever thee and me. He that hath
+never acted a father's part, can have no power on his child. Thou art
+mine, my beloved!--mine with thy mother's blessing; and mine thou shalt
+be--no earthly power shall part us. Death, death alone can break the
+links that bind us, and must be of God, though man may seem the cause.
+Be comforted, sweet love. Hark! they are chiming vespers; I must be gone
+for the solemn vigil of to-night, and to-morrow thou shalt arm thine own
+true knight, mine Agnes, and deck me with that blue scarf, more precious
+even than the jewelled sword my sovereign brother gives. Farewell, for a
+brief, brief while; I go to watch and pray. Oh, let thy orisons attend
+me, and surely then my vigil shall be blest."
+
+"Pray thou for me, my Nigel," whispered the trembling girl, as he
+clasped her in his arms, "that true as I may be, strength befitting thy
+promised bride may be mine own. Nigel, my beloved, indeed I need such
+prayer."
+
+He whispered hope and comfort, and departed by the stone stairs which
+led from the gothic casement where they had been sitting, into the
+garden; he lingered to gather some delicate blue-bells which had just
+blown, and turned back to place them in the lap of Agnes. She eagerly
+raised them and pressed them to her lips, but either their fragile
+blossoms could not bear even her soft touch, or the heavy air had
+inwardly withered their bloom, for the blossoms fell from their stalks,
+and scattered their beautiful petals at her feet.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+
+The hour of vespers had come and passed; the organ and choir had hushed
+their solemn sounds. The abbot and his attendant monks, the king who,
+with his train, had that evening joined the solemn service, all had
+departed, and but two inmates were left within the abbey church of
+Scone. Darkness and silence had assumed their undisturbed dominion, for
+the waxen tapers left burning on the altar lighted but a few yards
+round, leaving the nave and cloisters in impenetrable gloom. Some twenty
+or thirty yards east of the altar, elevated some paces from the ground,
+in its light and graceful shrine, stood an elegantly sculptured figure
+of the Virgin and Child. A silver lamp, whose pure flame was fed with
+aromatic incense, burned within the shrine and shed its soft light on a
+suit of glittering armor which was hanging on the shaft of a pillar
+close beside it. Directly behind the altar was a large oriel window of
+stained glass, representing subjects from Scripture. The window, with
+its various mullions and lights, formed one high pointed arch, marked by
+solid stone pillars on each side, the capitals of which traced the
+commencement of the arch. Another window, similar in character, though
+somewhat smaller in dimensions, lighted the west end of the church; and
+near it stood another shrine containing a figure of St. Stephen, lighted
+as was that of the Virgin and Child, and, like that, gleaming on a suit
+of armor, and on the figure of the youthful candidate for knighthood,
+whose task was to pass that night in prayer and vigil beside his armor,
+unarmed, saved by that panoply of proof which is the Christian's
+portion--faith, lowliness, and prayer.
+
+No word passed between these pledged brothers in arms. Their watch was
+in opposite ends of the church, and save the dim, solemn light of the
+altar, darkness and immeasurable space appeared to stretch between them.
+Faintly and fitfully the moon had shone through one of the long, narrow
+windows of the aisles, shedding its cold spectral light for a brief
+space, then passing into darkness. Heavy masses of clouds sailed slowly
+in the heavens, dimly discernible through the unpainted panes; the
+oppression of the atmosphere increasing as the night approached her
+zenith, and ever and anon a low, long peal of distant thunder, each
+succeeding one becoming longer and louder than the last, and heralded by
+the blue flash of vivid lightning, announced the fury of the coming
+tempest.
+
+The imaginations even as the feelings of the young men were already
+strongly excited, although their thoughts, perchance, were less akin
+than might have been expected. The form of his mother passed not from
+the mental vision of the young heir of Buchan: the tone of her voice,
+the unwonted tear which had fallen on his cheek when he had knelt before
+her that evening, ere he had departed to his post, craving her blessing
+on his vigil, her prayers for him--that tone, that tear, lingered on his
+memory, hallowing every dream of glory, every warrior hope that entered
+in his soul. Internally he vowed he would raise the banner of his race,
+and prove the loyalty, the patriotism, the glowing love of liberty which
+her counsels, her example had planted in his breast; and if the
+recollection of his mother's precarious situation as a proscribed
+traitor to Edward, and of his father's desertion of his country and her
+patriot king in his adherence to a tyrant--if these reflections came to
+damp the bright glowing views of others, they did but call the indignant
+blood to his cheek, and add greater firmness to his impatient step, for
+yet more powerfully did they awake his indignation against Edward. Till
+now he had looked upon him exclusively in the light of Scotland's
+foe--one against whom he with all true Scottish men must raise their
+swords, or live forever 'neath the brand of slaves and cowards; but now
+a personal cause of anger added fuel to the fire already burning in his
+breast. His mother was proscribed--a price set upon her head; and as if
+to fill the measure of his cup of bitterness to overflowing, his own
+father, he who should have been her protector, aided and abetted the
+cruel, pitiless Edward. Traitress! Isabella of Buchan a traitress! the
+noblest, purest, bravest amid Scotland's children. She who to him had
+ever seemed all that was pure and good, and noblest in woman; and most
+noble and patriot-hearted now, in the fulfilment of an office inherent
+in the House of Fife. Agitated beyond expression, quicker and quicker he
+strode up and down the precincts marked for his watch, the increasing
+tempest without seeming to assimilate strangely with the storm within.
+Silence would have irritated, would have chafed those restless smartings
+into very agony, but the wild war of the elements, while they roused
+his young spirit into yet stronger energy, removed its pain.
+
+"It matters not," his train of thought continued, "while this brain can
+think, this heart can feel, this arm retain its strength, Isabella of
+Buchan needs no other guardian but her son. It is as if years had left
+their impress on my heart, as if I had grown in very truth to man,
+thinking with man's wisdom, fighting with man's strength. He that hath
+never given a father's love, hath never done a father's duty, hath no
+claim upon his child; but she, whose untiring devotion, whose faithful
+love hath watched over me, guarded, blessed from the first hour of my
+life, instilled within me the principles of life on earth and
+immortality in heaven--mother! mother! will not thy gentle virtues cling
+around thy boy, and save him even from a father's curse? Can I do else
+than devote the life thou gavest, to thee, and render back with my
+stronger arm, but not less firm soul, the care, protection, love thou
+hast bestowed on me? Mother, Virgin saint," he continued aloud, flinging
+himself before the shrine to which we have alluded, "hear, oh hear my
+prayer! Intercede for me above, that strength, prudence, wisdom may be
+granted me in the accomplishment of my knightly vows; that my mother, my
+own mother may be the first and dearest object of my heart: life, fame,
+and honor I dedicate to her. Spare me, bless me but for her; if danger,
+imprisonment be unavailingly her doom, let not my spirit waver, nor my
+strength flag, nor courage nor foresight fail, till she is rescued to
+liberty and life."
+
+Wrapt in the deep earnest might of prayer, the boy remained kneeling,
+with clasped hands, and eyes fixed on the Virgin's sculptured face, his
+spirit inwardly communing, long, long after his impassioned vows had
+sunk in silence; the thunder yet rolled fearfully, and the blue
+lightning flashed and played around him with scarce a minute's
+intermission, but no emotion save that of a son and warrior took
+possession of his soul. He knew a terrific storm was raging round him,
+but it drew him not from earthly thoughts and earthly feelings, even
+while it raised his soul in prayer. Very different was the effect of
+this lonely vigil and awful night on the imaginative spirit of his
+companion.
+
+It was not alone the spirit of chivalry which now burned in the noble
+heart of Nigel Bruce. He was a poet, and the glowing hues of poesie
+invested every emotion of his mind. He loved deeply, devotedly; and
+love, pure, faithful, hopeful love, appeared to have increased every
+feeling, whether of grief of joy, in intensity and depth. He felt too
+deeply to be free from that peculiar whispering within, known by the
+world as presentiment, and as such so often scorned and contemned as the
+mere offspring of weak, superstitious minds, when it is in reality one
+of those distinguishing marks of the higher, more ethereal temperament
+of genius.
+
+Perchance it is the lively imagination of such minds, which in the very
+midst of joy can so vividly portray and realize pain, or it may be,
+indeed, the mysterious voice which links gifted man with a higher class
+of beings to whom futurity is revealed. Be this as it may, even while
+the youthful patriot beheld with, a visioned eye the liberty of his
+country, and rejoiced in thus beholding, there ever came a dim and
+silent shadowing, a whispering voice, that he should indeed behold it,
+but not from earth. When the devoted brother and loyal subject pictured
+his sovereign in very truth a free and honored King, his throne
+surrounded by nobles and knights of his own free land, and many others,
+the enthusiast saw not himself amongst them, and yet he rejoiced in the
+faith such things would be. When the young and ardent lover sate by the
+side of his betrothed, gazing on her sweet face, and drinking in deeply
+the gushing tide of joy; when his spirit pictured yet dearer, lovelier,
+more assured bliss, when Agnes would be in very truth his own, still did
+that strange thrilling whisper come, and promise he should indeed
+experience such bliss, but not on earth; and yet he loved, aye, and
+rejoiced, and there came not one shadow on his bright, beautiful face,
+not one sad echo in the rich, deep tones of his melodious voice to
+betray such dim forebodings had found resting in his soul.
+
+Already excited by his conversation with Agnes, the service in which he
+found himself engaged was not such as to tranquillize his spirit, or
+still his full heart's quivering throb. His imaginative soul had already
+flung its halo over the solemn rites which attended his inauguration as
+a knight. Even to less enthusiastic spirits there was a glow, a glory in
+this ceremony which seldom failed to awake the soul, and inspire it with
+high and noble sentiments. It was not therefore strange that these
+emotions should in the heart of Nigel Bruce obtain that ascendency,
+which to sensitive minds must become pain. Had it been a night of calm
+and holy stillness, he would in all probability have felt its soothing
+effect; but as it was, every pulse throbbed and every nerve was strained
+'neath his strong sense of the sublime. He could not be said to think,
+although he had struggled long and fiercely to compose his mind for
+those devotional exercises he deemed most fitted for the hour. Feeling
+alone possessed him, overwhelming, indefinable; he deemed it admiration,
+awe, adoration of Him at whose nod the mighty thunders rolled and the
+destructive lightnings flashed, but he could not define it such. He did
+not dream of earth, not even the form of Agnes flashed, as was its wont,
+before him; no, it was of scenes and sounds undreamed of in earth's
+philosophy he thought; and as he gazed on the impenetrable darkness, and
+then beheld it dispersed by the repeated lightning, his excited fancy
+almost believed that he should see it peopled by the spirits of the
+mighty dead which slept within those walls, and no particle of terror
+attended this belief. In the weak superstition of his age, Nigel Bruce
+had never shared, but firmly and steadfastly he believed, even in his
+calm and unexcited moments, that there was a link between the living and
+the dead; that the freed spirits of the one were permitted to hold
+commune with the other, not in visible shape, but in those thrilling
+whispers which the spirit knows, while yet it would deny them even to
+itself. It was the very age of superstition; religion itself was clothed
+in a veil of solemn mystery, which to minds constituted as Nigel's gave
+it a deeper, more impressive tone. Its ceremonies, its shrines, its
+fictions, all gave fresh zest to the imagination, and filled the heart
+of its votary with a species of devotion and excitement, which would now
+be considered as mere visionary madness, little in accordance with the
+true spirit of piety or acceptable to the Most High, but which was then
+regarded as meritorious; and even as we look back upon the saints and
+heroes of the past, even now should not be condemned; for, according to
+the light bestowed, so is devotion demanded and accepted by the God of
+all.
+
+Nigel Bruce had paused in his hasty walk, and leaning against the pillar
+round which his armor hung, fixed his eyes for a space on the large
+oriel window we have named, whose outline was but faintly discernible,
+save on the left side, which was dimly illumined by the silver lamp
+burning in the shrine of St. Stephen, close beside which the youthful
+warrior stood. The storm had suddenly sunk into an awful and almost
+portentous silence; and in that brief interval of stillness and gloom,
+Nigel felt his blood flow more calmly in his veins, his pulses stilled
+their starting throbs, and the young soldier crossed his arms on his
+breast, and bent his uncovered head upon them in silent yet earnest
+prayer.
+
+The deep, solemn chime of the abbey-bell, echoing like a spirit-voice
+through the arched and silent church, roused him, and he looked up. At
+the same moment a strong and awfully brilliant flash of lightning darted
+through the window on which his eyes were fixed, followed by a mighty
+peal of thunder, longer and louder than any that had come before. For
+above a minute that blue flash lingered playing, it seemed, on steel,
+and a cold shuddering thrill crept through the frame of Nigel Bruce,
+sending the life-blood from his cheek back to his very heart, for either
+fancy had again assumed her sway, and more vividly than before, or his
+wild thoughts had found a shape and semblance. Within the arch formed by
+the high window stood or seemed to stand a tall and knightly form, clad
+from the gorget to the heel in polished steel; his head was bare, and
+long, dark hair shaded a face pale and shadowy indeed, but strikingly
+and eminently noble; there was a scarf across his breast, and on it
+Nigel recognized the cognizance of his own line, the crest and motto of
+the Bruce. It could not have been more than a minute that the blue
+lightning lingered there, yet to his excited spirit it was long enough
+to impress indelibly and startlingly every trace of that strange vision
+upon his heart. The face was turned to his, with a solemn yet sorrowful
+earnestness of expression, and the mailed hand raised on high, seemed
+pointing unto heaven. The flash passed and all was darkness, the more
+dense and impenetrable, from the vivid light which had preceded it; but
+Nigel stirred not, moved not, his every sense absorbed, not in the
+weakness of mortal terror, but in one overwhelming sensation of awe,
+which, while it oppressed the spirit well-nigh to pain, caused it to
+long with an almost sickening intensity for a longer and clearer view of
+that which had come and passed with the lightning flash. Again the vivid
+blaze dispersed the gloom, but no shadow met his fixed impassioned gaze.
+Vision or reality, the form was gone; there was no trace, no sign of
+that which had been. For several successive flashes Nigel remained
+gazing on the spot where the mailed form had stood, as if he felt it
+would, it must again appear; but as time sped, and he saw but space, the
+soul relaxed from its high-wrought mood, the blood, which had seemed
+stagnant in his veins, rushed back tumultuously through its varied
+channels, and Nigel Bruce prostrated himself before the altar, to
+wrestle with his perturbed spirit till it found calm in prayer.
+
+A right noble and glorious scene did the great hall of the palace
+present the morning which followed this eventful night. The king,
+surrounded by his highest prelates and nobles, mingling indiscriminately
+with the high-born dames and maidens of his court, all splendidly
+attired, occupied the upper part of the hall, the rest of which was
+crowded both by his military followers and many of the good citizens of
+Scone, who flocked in great numbers to behold the august ceremony of the
+day. Two immense oaken doors at the south side of the hall were flung
+open, and through them was discerned the large space forming the palace
+yard, prepared as a tilting-ground, where the new-made knights were to
+prove their skill. The storm had given place to a soft breezy morning,
+the cool freshness of which appearing peculiarly grateful from the
+oppressiveness of the night; light downy clouds sailed over the blue
+expanse of heaven, tempering without clouding the brilliant rays of the
+sun. Every face was clothed with smiles, and the loud shouts which
+hailed the youthful candidates for knighthood, as they severally
+entered, told well the feeling with which the patriots of Scotland were
+regarded.
+
+Some twenty youths received the envied honor at the hand of their
+sovereign this day, but our limits forbid a minute scrutiny of the
+bearing of any, however well deserving, save of the two whose vigils
+have already detained us so long. A yet longer and louder shout
+proclaimed the appearance of the youngest scion of the house of Bruce,
+and his companion. The daring patriotism of Isabella of Buchan had
+enshrined her in every heart, and so disposed all men towards her
+children, that the name of their traitorous father was forgotten.
+
+Led by their godfathers, Nigel by his brother-in-law, Sir Christopher
+Seaton, and Alan by the Earl of Lennox, their swords, which had been
+blessed by the abbot at the altar, slung round their necks, they
+advanced up the hall. There was a glow on the cheek of the young Alan,
+in which pride and modesty were mingled; his step at first was
+unsteady, and his lip was seen to quiver from very bashfulness, as he
+first glanced round the hall and felt that every eye was turned towards
+him; but when that glance met his mother's fixed on him, and breathing
+that might of love which filled her heart, all boyish tremors fled, the
+calm, staid resolve of manhood took the place of the varying glow upon
+his cheek, the quivering lip became compressed and firm, and his step
+faltered not again.
+
+The cheek of Nigel Bruce was pale, but there was firmness in the glance
+of his bright eye, and a smile unclouded in its joyance on his lip. The
+frivolous lightness of the courtier, the mad bravado of knight-errantry,
+which was not uncommon to the times, indeed, were not there. It was the
+quiet courage of the resolved warrior, the calm of a spirit at peace
+with itself, shedding its own high feeling and poetic glory over all
+around him.
+
+On reaching the foot of King Robert's throne, both youths knelt and laid
+their sheathed swords at his feet. Their armor-bearers then approached,
+and the ceremony of clothing the candidates in steel commenced; the
+golden spur was fastened on the left foot of each by his respective
+godfather, while Athol, Hay, and other nobles advanced to do honor to
+the youths, by aiding in the ceremony. Nor was it warriors alone.
+
+"Is this permitted, lady?" demanded the king, smiling, as the Countess
+of Buchan approached the martial group, and, aided by Lennox, fastened
+the polished cuirass on the form of her son. "Is it permitted for a
+matron to arm a youthful knight? Is there no maiden to do such inspiring
+office?"
+
+"Yes, when the knight be one as this, my liege," she answered, in the
+same tone; "let a matron arm him, good my liege," she added, sadly--"let
+a mother's hand enwrap his boyish limbs in steel, a mother's blessing
+mark him thine and Scotland's, that those who watch his bearing in the
+battle-field may know who sent him there, may thrill his heart with
+memories of her who stands alone of her ancestral line, that though he
+bears the name of Comyn, the blood of Fife flows reddest in his veins."
+
+"Arm him and welcome, noble lady," answered the king, and a buzz of
+approbation ran through the hall; "and may thy noble spirit and
+dauntless loyalty inspire him; we shall not need a trusty follower while
+such as he are round us. Yet, in very deed, my youthful knight must
+have a lady fair for whom he tilts to-day. Come hither, Isoline; thou
+lookest verily inclined to envy thy sweet friend her office, and nothing
+loth to have a loyal knight thyself. Come, come, my pretty one, no
+blushing now. Lennox, guide those tiny hands aright."
+
+Laughing and blushing, Isoline, the daughter of Lady Campbell, a sister
+of the Bruce, a graceful child of some thirteen summers, advanced,
+nothing loth, to obey her royal uncle's summons, and an arch smile of
+real enjoyment irresistibly stole over the countenance of Alan,
+dispersing the emotion his mother's words produced.
+
+"Nay, tremble not, sweet one," the king continued, in a lower and yet
+kinder tone, as he turned from the one youth to the other, and observed
+that Agnes, overpowered by emotion, had scarcely power to perform her
+part, despite the whispered words of encouraging affection Nigel
+murmured in her ear. Imaginative to a degree, which, by her quiet,
+subdued manners, was never suspected, the simple act of those early
+flowers withering in her grasp, fresh as they were from the hand of her
+betrothed, had weighed down her spirits as with an indefinable sense of
+pain, which she could not combat. The war of the elements, attending as
+it did the vigil of her lover, had not decreased these feelings, and the
+morning found her dispirited and shrinking in sensitiveness from the
+very scene she had anticipated with joy.
+
+"It must not be with a trembling hand the betrothed of a Bruce arms her
+chosen knight, fair Agnes," continued the king, cheeringly. "She must
+inspire him with valor and confidence. Smile, then, gentlest and
+loveliest; we would have all smiles to-day."
+
+And she did smile, but it was a smile of tears, gleaming on her
+beautiful face as a sunny beam through a glistening spray. One by one
+the cuirass and shoulder-pieces, the greaves and gauntlets, the gorget
+and brassards, the joints of which were so beautifully burnished that
+they shone as mirrors, and so flexible every limb had its free use,
+enveloped those manly forms. Their swords once again girt to their
+sides, and once more keeling, the king descended from his throne, and
+alternately dubbed them knight in the name of God, St. Michael, and St.
+George.
+
+"Be faithful, brave, and hardy, youthful cavaliers," he said; "true to
+the country which claims ye, to the monarch ye have sworn to serve, to
+the knight from whose sword ye have received the honor ye have craved.
+Remember, 'tis not the tournay nor the tilted field in which ye will
+gain renown. For your country let your swords be drawn; against her foes
+reap laurels. Sir Nigel, 'tis thine to retain unsullied the name thou
+bearest, to let the Bruce be glorified in thee. And thou, Sir Alan, 'tis
+thine to _earn_ a name--in very truth, to win thy golden spurs; to prove
+we do no unwise deed, forgetting thy early years, to do honor to thy
+mother's son."
+
+Lightly and eagerly the new-made knights sprung to their feet, the very
+clang of their glittering armor ringing gratefully and rejoicingly in
+their ears. Their gallant steeds, barded and richly caparisoned, held by
+their esquires, stood neighing and pawing at the foot of the steps
+leading from the oaken doors.
+
+Without touching the stirrup, both sprung at the same instant in their
+saddles; the helmet, with its long graceful plume, was quickly donned;
+the lance and shield received; the pennon adorning the iron head of each
+lowered a moment in honor to their sovereign, then waved gayly in air,
+and then each lance was laid in rest; a trumpet sounded, and onward
+darted the fiery youths thrice round the lists, displaying a skill and
+courage in horsemanship which was hailed with repeated shouts of
+applause. But on the tournay and the banquet which succeeded the
+ceremony we have described we may not linger, but pass rapidly on to a
+later period of the same evening.
+
+Sir Nigel and his beautiful betrothed had withdrawn a while from the
+glittering scene around them; they had done their part in the graceful
+dance, and now they sought the comparative solitude and stillness of the
+flower-gemmed terrace, on which the ball-room opened, to speak
+unreservedly the thoughts which had filled each heart; perchance there
+were some yet veiled, for the vision of the preceding night, the
+strange, incongruous fancies it had engendered in the youthful warrior,
+a solemn vow had buried deep in his own soul, and not even to Agnes, to
+whom his heart was wont to be revealed, might such thoughts find words;
+and she shrunk in timidity from avowing the inquietude of her own simple
+heart, and thus it was that each, for the sake of the other, spoke
+hopefully and cheeringly, and gayly, until at length they were but
+conscious of mutual and devoted love--the darkening mists of the future
+lost in the radiance of the present sun.
+
+A sudden pause in the inspiring music, the quick advance of all the
+different groups towards one particular spot, had failed perchance to
+interrupt the happy converse of the lovers, had not Sir Alan hastily
+approached them, exclaiming, as he did so--
+
+"For the love of heaven! Nigel, forget Agnes for one moment, and come
+along with me. A messenger from Pembroke has just arrived, bearing a
+challenge, or something very like it, to his grace the king; and it may
+be we shall win our spurs sooner than we looked for this morning. The
+sight of Sir Henry Seymour makes the war trumpet sound in mine ears.
+Come, for truly there is something astir."
+
+With Agnes still leaning on his arm, Nigel obeyed the summons of his
+impatient friend, and joined the group around the king. There was a
+quiet dignity in the attitude and aspect of Robert Bruce, or it might be
+the daring patriotism of his enterprise was appreciated by the gallant
+English knight; certain it was that, though Sir Henry's bearing had been
+somewhat haughty, his brow knit, and his head still covered, as he
+passed up the hall, by an irresistible impulse he doffed his helmet as
+he met the eagle glance of the Bruce, and bowed his head respectfully
+before him, an example instantly followed by his attendants.
+
+"Sir Henry Seymour is welcome to our court," said the king, courteously;
+"welcome, whatever message he may bear. How fares it with the chivalric
+knight and worthy gentleman, Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke? Ye
+bring us a message from him, 'tis said. Needs it a private hearing, sir
+knight? if so, we are at your service; yet little is it Aymer de Valence
+can say to Scotland's king which Scotland may not hear."
+
+"Pembroke is well, an please you, and sendeth greeting," replied the
+knight. "His message, sent as it is to the Bruce, is well fitted for the
+ears of his followers, therefore may it be spoken here. He sendeth all
+loving and knightly greeting unto him known until now as Robert Earl of
+Carrick, and bids him, an he would proclaim and prove the rights he hath
+assumed, come forth from the narrow precincts of a palace and town,
+which ill befit a warrior of such high renown, and give him battle in
+the Park of Methven, near at hand. He challenges him to meet him there,
+with nobles, knights, and yeomen, who proclaiming Robert Bruce their
+sovereign, cast down the gauntlet of defiance and rebellion against
+their rightful king and mine, his grace of England; he challenges thee,
+sir knight, or earl, or king, whichever name thou bearest, and dares
+thee to the field."
+
+"And what if we accept not his daring challenge?" demanded King Robert,
+sternly, without permitting the expression of his countenance to satisfy
+in any way the many anxious glances fixed upon it.
+
+"He will proclaim thee coward knight and traitor slave," boldly answered
+Sir Henry. "In camp or in hall, in lady's bower or tented field, he will
+proclaim thee recreant; one that took upon himself the state and pomp of
+royalty without the spirit to defend and prove it."
+
+"Had he done so by our predecessor, Baliol, he had done well," returned
+the king, calmly. "Nobles, and knights, and gentlemen," he added, the
+lion spirit of his race kindling in his eye and cheek, "what say ye in
+accepting the bold challenge of this courtly earl? Do we not read your
+hearts as well as our own? Ye have chafed and fretted that we have
+retained ye so long inactive: in very truth your monarch's spirit chafed
+and fretted too. We will do battle with this knightly foe, and give him,
+in all chivalric and honorable courtesy, the meeting he desires."
+
+One startling and energetic shout burst simultaneously from the warriors
+around, forming a wild and thrilling response to their sovereign's
+words. In vain they sought to restrain that outbreak of rejoicing, in
+respect to the royal presence; they had pined, they had yearned for
+action, and Sir Henry was too good a knight himself not to understand to
+the full the patriotic fervor and chivalrous spirit from which that
+shout had sprung. Proudly and joyfully the Bruce looked on his devoted
+adherents, and then addressed the English knight.
+
+"Thou hast our answer, good Sir Henry," he said; "more thou couldst
+scarcely need. Commend us to your master, and take heed thou sayest all
+that thou hast heard and seen in answer to his challenge. In the Park of
+Methven, three days hence, he may expect the King of Scotland and his
+patriot troops with him, to do battle unto death. Edward, good brother,
+thou, Seaton, and the Lord of Douglas, conduct this worthy knight in all
+honor from the hall. Thou hast our answer."
+
+The knight bowed low, but ere he retreated he spoke again. "I am charged
+with yet another matter, an it so please you," he said, evidently
+studying to avoid all royal titles, although the bearing of the king
+rendered his task rather more difficult than he could have imagined; "a
+matter of small import, truly, yet must it be spoken. 'Tis rumored that
+you have amid your household a child, a boy, whose father was a favored
+servant of my gracious liege and yours, King Edward. The Earl of
+Pembroke, in the name of his sovereign and of the child's father, bids
+me demand him of thee, as having, from his tender years and
+inexperience, no will nor voice in this matter, he having been brought
+here by his mother, who, saving your presence, had done better to have
+remembered her duty to her husband than encourage rebellion against her
+king."
+
+"Keep to the import of thy message, nor give thy tongue such license,
+sir," interrupted the Bruce, sternly; and many an eye flashed, and many
+a hand sought his sword. "Sir Alan of Buchan, stand forth and give thine
+own answer to this imperative demand; 'tis to thee, methinks, its import
+would refer. Thou hast wisdom and experience, if not years enough, to
+answer for thyself.
+
+"Tell Aymer de Valence, would he seek me, he will find me by the side of
+my sovereign King Robert, in Methven Park, three days hence," boldly and
+quickly answered the young soldier, stepping forward from his post in
+the circle, and fronting the knight. "Tell him I am here of my own free
+will, to acknowledge Robert the Bruce as mine and Scotland's king; to
+defy the tyrant Edward, even to the death; tell him 'tis no child he
+seeks, but a knight and soldier, who will meet him on the field."
+
+"It would seem we are under some mistake, young sir," replied Sir Henry,
+gazing with unfeigned admiration on the well-knit frame and glowing
+features of the youthful knight. "I speak of and demand the surrender of
+the son and heir of John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, who was represented to
+me as a child of some ten or thirteen summers; 'tis with him, not with
+thee, my business treats."
+
+"And 'tis the son--I know not how long _heir_--of John Comyn, Earl of
+Buchan, who speaks with thee, sir knight. It may well be, my very age,
+my very existence hath been forgotten by my father," he added, with a
+fierceness and bitterness little in accordance with his years, "aye,
+and would have been remembered no more, had not the late events recalled
+them; yet 'tis even so--and that thy memory prove not treacherous, there
+lies my gage. Foully and falsely hast thou spoken of Isabella of Buchan,
+and her honor is dear to her son as is his own. In Methven Park we _two_
+shall meet, sir knight, and the child, the puny stripling, who hath of
+his own nor voice nor will, will not fail thee, be thou sure."
+
+Proudly, almost sternly, the boy fixed his flashing orbs on the English
+knight, and without removing his glance, strode to the side of his
+mother and drew her arm within his own. There was something in the
+accent, in the saddened yet resolute expression of his countenance,
+which forbade all rejoinder, not from Sir Henry alone, but even from his
+own friends. Seymour raised the gage, and with a meaning smile secured
+it in his helmet; then respectfully saluting the group around him,
+withdrew, attended as desired by the Bruce.
+
+"Heed it not, my boy, my own noble boy!" said the Countess of Buchan, in
+those low, earnest, musical tones peculiarly her own; for she saw that
+there was a quivering in the lip, a sudden paleness in the cheek of her
+son, as he gazed up in her lace, when he thought they stood alone, which
+denoted internal emotion yet stronger than that which had inspired his
+previous words. "Their scorn, their contumely, I heed as little as the
+mountain rock the hailstones which fall upon its sides, in vain seeking
+to penetrate or wound. Nay, I could smile at them in very truth, were it
+not that compelled as I am to act alone, to throw aside as worthless and
+rejected those natural ties I had so joyed to wear, my heart seems
+closed to smiles; but for words as those, or yet harsher scorn, grieve
+not, my noble boy, they have no power to fret or hurt me."
+
+"Yet to hear them speak in such tone of thee--thee, whose high soul and
+noble courage would shame a score of some who write themselves
+men!--thee, who with all a woman's loving heart, and guileless,
+unselfish, honorable mind, hath all a warrior's stern resolve, a
+patriot's noble purpose! Mother, mother, how may thy son brook scorn and
+falsity, and foul calumny cast upon thee?" and there was a choking
+suffocation in his throat, filling his eyes perforce with tears; and had
+it not been that manhood struggled for dominion, he would have flung
+himself upon his mother's breast and wept.
+
+"As a soldier and a man, my son," she drew him closer to her as she
+spoke; "as one who, knowing and feeling the worth of the contemned one,
+is conscious that the foul tongues of evil men can do no ill, but fling
+back the shame upon themselves. Arouse thee, my beloved son. Alas! when
+I look on thee, on thy bright face, on those graceful limbs, so supple
+now in health and life, and feel to what my deed may have devoted thee,
+my child, my child, I need not slanderous tongues to grieve me!"
+
+"And doth the Countess of Buchan repent that deed?" asked the rich
+sonorous voice of the Bruce, who, unobserved, had heard their converse.
+"Would she recall that which she hath done?"
+
+"Sire, not so," she answered; "precious as is my child to this lone
+heart--inexpressibly dear and precious--yet if the liberty of his
+country demand me to resign him, the call shall be obeyed."
+
+"Speak not thus, noble lady," returned the king, cheerily. "He is but
+_lent_, Scotland asks no more; and when heaven smiles on this poor
+country, smiles in liberty and peace, trust me, such devotedness will
+not have been in vain. Our youthful knight will lay many a wreath of
+laurel at his mother's feet, nor will there then be need to guard her
+name from scorn. See what new zest and spirit have irradiated the brows
+of our warlike guests; we had scarce deemed more needed than was there
+before, yet the visit of Sir Henry Seymour, bearing as it did a
+challenge to strife and blood, hath given fresh lightness to every step,
+new joyousness to every tone. Is not this as it should be?"
+
+"Aye, as it _must_ be, sire, while loyal hearts and patriot spirits form
+thy court. Nobly and gallantly was the answer given to Pembroke's
+challenge. Yet pardon me, sire, was it wise--was it well?"
+
+"Its wisdom, lady, rests with its success in the hands of a higher
+power," answered the king, gravely, yet kindly. "Other than we did we
+could not do; rashly and presumptuously we would not have left our
+quarters. Not for the mere chase of, mad wish for glory would we have
+risked the precious lives of our few devoted friends, but challenged as
+we were, the soul of Bruce could not have spoken other than he did; nor
+do we repent, nay, we rejoice that the stern duty of inaction is over.
+Thine eye tells me thou canst understand this, lady, therefore we say no
+more, save to beseech thee to inspire our consort with the necessity of
+this deed; she trembles for the issue of our daring. See how grave and
+sad she looks, so lately as she was all smiles."
+
+The countess did not reply, but hastened to the side of the amiable, but
+yet too womanly Queen Margaret, and gently, but invisibly sought to
+soothe her fears; and she partially succeeded, for the queen ever seemed
+to feel herself a bolder and firmer character when in the presence and
+under the influence of Isabella of Buchan.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+
+It was a gallant, though, alas! but too small a force which, richly and
+bravely accoutred, with banners proudly flying, music sounding, superb
+chargers caparisoned for war, lances in rest, and spear and bill, sword
+and battle-axe, marched through the olden gates of Scone in a
+south-westward direction, early on the morning of the 25th of June,
+1306. Many were the admiring eyes and yearning hearts which followed
+them, and if doubt and dread did mingle in the fervid aspirations raised
+for their welfare and success, they were not permitted to gain
+ascendency so long as the cheering tones and happy smiles of every one
+of that patriot band lingered on the ear and sight. As yet there were
+but few of the nobles and knights with their men. The troops had been
+commanded to march leisurely forward, under charge of the esquires and
+gentlemen, who were mostly lieutenants or cornets to their leaders'
+respective bands of followers; and, if not overtaken before, to halt in
+a large meadow to the north of Perth, which lay in their way.
+
+The knots of citizens, however, who had accompanied the army to the
+farthest environs of the town, had not dispersed to their several homes
+ere the quick, noisy clattering of a gallant troop of horse echoed along
+the street, and the king, surrounded by his highest nobles and bravest
+knights, galloped by, courteously returning the shouts and acclamations
+of delight which hailed him on every side. His vizor was purposely left
+up, and his noble countenance, beaming with animation and hope, seemed
+to inspire fresh hope and confidence in all that gazed. A white ostrich
+plume, secured to his helmet by a rich clasp of pearls and diamonds,
+fell over his left shoulder till it well-nigh mingled with the flowing
+mane of his charger, whose coal-black glossy hide was almost concealed
+beneath the armor which enveloped him, and the saddle-cloth of crimson
+velvet, whose golden fringe nearly swept the ground. King Robert was
+clothed in the same superb suit of polished steel armor, inlaid and
+curiously wrought with ingrained silver, in which we saw him at first; a
+crimson scarf secured his trusty sword to his side, and a short mantle
+of azure velvet, embroidered with the golden thistle of Scotland, and
+lined with the richest sable, was secured at his throat by a splendid
+collaret of gems. The costly materials of his dress, and, yet more, the
+easy and graceful seat upon his charger, his chivalric bearing, and the
+frank, noble expression of his countenance, made him, indeed, "look
+every inch a king," and might well of themselves have inspired and
+retained the devoted loyalty of his subjects, even had there been less
+of chivalry in his daring rising.
+
+Edward Bruce was close beside his brother. With a figure and appearance
+equally martial and equally prepossessing, he wanted the quiet dignity,
+the self-possession of voice and feature which characterized the king.
+He had not the mind of Robert, and consequently the uppermost passion of
+the spirit was ever the one marked on his brow. On this morning he was
+all animated smiles, for war was alike his vocation and his pastime.
+
+Thomas and Alexander Bruce were also there, both gallant men and
+well-tried warriors, and eager as Edward for close encounter with the
+foe. The Earls of Lennox and Athol, although perhaps in their secret
+souls they felt that the enterprise was rash, gave no evidence of
+reluctance in their noble bearing; indeed, had they been certain of
+marching to their death, they would not have turned from the side of
+Bruce. The broad banner of Scotland, whose ample folds waved in the
+morning breeze, had been intrusted to the young heir of Buchan, who,
+with the other young and new-made knights, eager and zealous to win
+their spurs, had formed a body guard around the banner, swearing to
+defend it to the last moment of their lives. Nigel Bruce was one of
+these; he rode close beside his brother in arms, and midst that animated
+group, those eager spirits throbbing for action, no heart beat quicker
+than his own. All was animated life, anticipated victory; the very
+heavens smiled as if they would shed no shadow on this patriot band.
+
+It was scarcely two hours after noon when King Robert and his troops
+arrived at the post assigned--the park or wood of Methven; and believing
+that it was not till the succeeding day to which the challenge of
+Pembroke referred, he commanded his men to make every preparation for a
+night encampment. The English troops lay at about a quarter of a mile
+distant, on the side of a hill, which, as well as tree and furze would
+permit, commanded a view of the Bruce's movements. There were tents
+erected, horses picketed, and every appearance of quiet, confirming the
+Scotch in their idea of no engagement taking place till the morrow.
+
+Aware of the great disparity of numbers, King Robert eagerly and
+anxiously examined his ground as to the best spot for awaiting the
+attack of the English. He fixed on a level green about half a mile
+square, guarded on two sides by a thick wood of trees, on the third and
+left by a deep running rivulet, and open on the fourth, encumbered only
+by short, thick bushes and little knots of thorn, which the king
+welcomed, as impeding the progress and obstructing the evolutions of
+Pembroke's horse. The bushes which were scattered about on the ground he
+had chosen, he desired his men to clear away, and ere the sun neared his
+setting, all he wished was accomplished, and his plan of battle
+arranged. He well remembered the impenetrable phalanx of the unfortunate
+Wallace at the battle of Falkirk, and determined on exposing a steady
+front of spears in the same manner. Not having above thirty horse on
+whom he could depend, and well aware they would be but a handful against
+Pembroke's two hundred, he placed them in the rear as a reserve, in the
+centre of which waved the banner of Scotland. The remainder of his
+troops he determined on arranging in a compact crescent, the bow exposed
+to the English, the line stretching out against the wood. This was his
+intended line of battle, but, either from mistake or purposed treachery
+on the part of Pembroke, his plan was frustrated, and in addition to the
+great disparity of numbers he had to struggle with surprise.
+
+The day had been extremely sultry, and trusting in full confidence to
+the honor of his opponent, and willing to give his men all needful rest,
+the king dismissed them from their ranks to refreshment and repose,
+leaving but very few to guard, himself retiring with his older officers
+to a tent prepared for his reception.
+
+Arm in arm, and deep in converse, Nigel Bruce and Alan of Buchan
+wandered a little apart from their companions, preferring a hasty meal
+and the calm beauty of a lovely summer evening, accompanied by a
+refreshing breeze, to remaining beside the rude but welcome meal, and
+sharing the festivity which enlivened it.
+
+"Thinkest thou not, Nigel, his grace trusts but too fully to the honor
+of these Englishmen?" asked Alan, somewhat abruptly, turning the
+conversation from the dearer topics of Agnes and her mother, which had
+before engrossed them.
+
+"On my faith, if he judge of them by his own true, noble spirit, he
+judges them too well."
+
+"Nay, thou art over-suspicious, friend Alan," answered Nigel, smiling.
+"What fearest thou?"
+
+"I like not the absence of all guards, not so much for the safety of our
+own camp, but to keep sharp watch on the movements of our friends
+yonder. Nigel, there is some movement; they look not as they did an hour
+ago."
+
+"Impossible, quite impossible, Alan; the English knights are too
+chivalric, too honorable, to advance on us to-night. If they have made a
+movement, 'tis but to repose."
+
+"Nigel, if Pembroke feel inclined to take advantage of our unguarded
+situation, he will swear, as many have done before him, that a new day
+began with the twelve-chime bell of this morning, and be upon us ere we
+are aware; and I say again, there is movement, and warlike movement,
+too, in yonder army. Are tents deserted, and horses and men collected,
+for the simple purpose of retiring to rest? Come with me to yon mound,
+and see if I be not correct in my surmise."
+
+Startled by Alan's earnest manner, despite his firm reliance on
+Pembroke's honor, Nigel made no further objection, but hastened with him
+to the eminence he named. It was only too true. Silently and guardedly
+the whole English army, extending much further towards Perth than was
+visible to the Scotch, had been formed in battle array, line after line
+stretching forth its glittering files, in too compact and animated array
+to admit of a doubt as to their intentions. The sun had completely sunk,
+and dim mists were spreading up higher and higher from the horizon,
+greatly aiding the treacherous movements of the English.
+
+"By heavens, 'tis but too true!" burst impetuously from Nigel's lips,
+indignation expressed in every feature. "Base, treacherous cowards! Hie
+thee to the king--fly for thy life--give him warning, while I endeavor
+to form the lines. In vain, utterly in vain!" he muttered, as Alan with
+the speed of lightning darted down the slope. "They are formed--fresh,
+both man and horse--double, aye, more than treble our numbers; they will
+be upon us ere the order of battle can be formed, and defeat _now_--"
+
+He would not give utterance to the dispiriting truth which closed that
+thought, but springing forward, dashed through fern and brake, and
+halted not till he stood in the centre of his companions, who, scattered
+in various attitudes on the grass, were giving vent, in snatches of song
+and joyous laughter, to the glee which filled their souls.
+
+"Up! up!--the foe!" shouted Nigel, in tones so unlike the silvery
+accents which in general characterized him, that his companions
+started to their feet and grasped their swords, as roused by the
+sound of trumpet, "Pembroke is false: to arms--to your posts!
+Fitz-Alan--Douglas--sound an alarm, and, in heaven's name, aid me in
+getting the men under arms! Be calm, be steady; display no alarm, no
+confusion, and all may yet be well."
+
+He was obeyed. The quick roll of the drum, the sharp, quick blast of the
+trumpet echoed and re-echoed at different sides of the encampment; the
+call to arms, in various stentorian tones, rung through the woodland
+glades, quickly banishing all other sounds. Every man sprung at once
+from his posture of repose, and gathered round their respective leaders;
+startled, confused, yet still in order, still animated, still confident,
+and yet more exasperated against their foe.
+
+The appearance of their sovereign, unchanged in his composed and warlike
+mien, evincing perhaps yet more animation in his darkly flushing cheek,
+compressed lip, and sparkling eye; his voice still calm, though his
+commands were more than usually hurried; his appearance on every side,
+forming, arranging, encouraging, almost at the same instant--at one
+moment exciting their indignation against the treachery of the foe, at
+others appealing to their love for their country, their homes, their
+wives, to their sworn loyalty to himself--inspired courage and
+confidence at the same instant as he allayed confusion; but despite
+every effort both of leader and men, it needed time to form in the
+compact order which the king had planned, and ere it was accomplished,
+nearer and nearer came the English, increasing their pace to a run as
+they approached, and finally charging in full and overwhelming career
+against the unprepared but gallant Scots. Still there was no wavering
+amid the Scottish troops; still they stood their ground, and forming,
+almost as they fought, in closer and firmer order, exposing the might
+and unflinching steadiness of desperate men, determined on liberty or
+death, to the greater number and better discipline of their foe. It
+mattered not that the fading light of day had given place to the darker
+shades of night, but dimly illumined by the rising moon--they struggled
+on, knowing as if by instinct friend from foe. And fearful was it to
+watch the mighty struggles from figures gleaming as gigantic shadows in
+the darkness; now and then came a deep smothered cry or bursting groan,
+wrung from the throes of death, or the wild, piercing scream from a
+slaughtered horse, but the tongues of life were silent; the clang of
+armor, the clash of steel, the heavy fall of man and horse, indeed came
+fitfully and fearfully on the night breeze, and even as the blue
+spectral flash of summer lightning did the bright swords rise and fall
+in the thick gloom.
+
+"Back, back, dishonored knight! back, recreant traitor!" shouted James
+of Douglas; and his voice was heard above the roar of battle, and those
+near him saw him at the same instant spring from his charger, thrust
+back Pembroke and other knights who were thronging round him, and with
+unrivalled skill and swiftness aid a tall and well-known form to rise
+and spring on the horse he held for him. "Thinkest thou the sacred
+person of the King of Scotland is for such as thee? back, I say!" And he
+did force him, armed and on horseback as he was, many paces back, and
+Robert Bruce again galloped over the field, bareheaded indeed, for his
+helmet had fallen off in the strife, urging, inciting, leading on yet
+again to the charge. And it was in truth as if a superhuman strength and
+presence had been granted the patriot king that night, for there were
+veteran warriors there, alike English and Scotch, who paused even in the
+work of strife to gaze and tremble.
+
+Again was he unhorsed, crushed by numbers--one moment more and he had
+fallen into the hands of his foes, and Scotland had lain a slave forever
+at the feet of England; but again was relief at hand, and the young Earl
+of Mar, dashing his horse between the prostrate monarch and his
+thronging enemies, laid the foremost, who was his own countryman, dead
+on the field, and remained fighting alone; his single arm dealing deadly
+blows on every side at the same moment until Robert had regained his
+feet, and, though wounded and well-nigh exhausted, turned in fury to the
+rescue of his preserver. It was too late; in an agony of spirit no pen
+can describe, he beheld his faithful and gallant nephew overpowered by
+numbers and led off a captive, and he stood by, fighting indeed like a
+lion, dealing death wherever his sword fell, but utterly unable to
+rescue or defend him. Again his men thronged round him, their rallying
+point, their inspiring hope, their guardian spirit; again he was on
+horseback, and still, still that fearful strife continued. Aided by the
+darkness, the Bruce in his secret soul yet encouraged one gleam of hope,
+yet dreamed of partial success, at least of avoiding that almost worse
+than death, a total and irremediable defeat. Alas, had the daylight
+suddenly illumined that scene, he would have felt, have seen that hope
+was void.
+
+Gallantly, meanwhile, gallantly even as a warrior of a hundred fields,
+had the young heir of Buchan redeemed his pledge to his sovereign, and
+devoted sword and exposed life in his cause. The standard of Scotland
+had never touched the ground. Planting it firmly in the earth, he had
+for a while defended it nobly where he stood, curbing alike the high
+spirit of his prancing horse and his own intense longing to dash forward
+in the thickest of the fight. He saw his companions fall one by one,
+till he was well-nigh left alone. He heard confused cries, as of
+triumph; he beheld above twenty Englishmen dashing towards him, and he
+felt a few brief minutes and his precious charge might be waved in scorn
+as a trophy by the victors; the tide of battle had left him for an
+instant comparatively alone, and in that instant his plan was formed.
+
+"Strike hard, and fear not!" he cried to an old retainer, who stirred
+not from his side; "divide this heavy staff, and I will yet protect my
+charge, and thou and I, Donald, will to King Robert's side; he needs all
+true men about him now."
+
+Even as he spoke his command was understood and obeyed. One sweep of the
+stout Highlander's battle-axe severed full four feet of the heavy lance
+to which the standard was attached and enabled Alan without any
+inconvenience to grasp in his left hand the remainder, from which the
+folds still waved: grasping his sword firmly in his right, and giving
+his horse the rein, shouting, "Comyn, to the rescue!" he darted towards
+the side where the strife waxed hottest.
+
+It was a cry which alike startled friends and foes, for that name was
+known to one party as so connected with devotee adherence to Edward, to
+the other so synonymous with treachery, that united as it was with "to
+the rescue," some there were who paused to see whence and from whom it
+came. The banner of Scotland quickly banished doubt as to which part;
+that youthful warrior belonged; knights and yeomen alike threw
+themselves in his path to obtain possession of so dear a prize. Followed
+by about ten stalwart men of his clan, the young knight gallantly cut
+his way through the greater number of his opponents, but a sudden gleam
+on the helmet of one of them caused him to halt suddenly.
+
+"Ha! Sir Henry Seymour, we have met at length!" he shouted. "Thou
+bearest yet my gage--'tis well. I am here to redeem it."
+
+"Give up that banner to a follower, then," returned Sir Henry,
+courteously, checking his horse in its full career, "for otherwise we
+meet at odds. Thou canst not redeem thy gage, and defend thy charge at
+the same moment."
+
+"Give up my charge! Never, so help me heaven! Friend or foe shall claim
+it but with my life," returned Alan, proudly. "Come on, sir knight; I am
+here to defend the honor thou hast injured--the honor of one dearer than
+my own."
+
+"Have then thy will, proud boy: thy blood be on thine own head," replied
+Seymour; but ere he spurred on to the charge, he called aloud, "let none
+come between us, none dare to interfere--'tis a quarrel touching none
+save ourselves," and Alan bowed his head, in courteous recognition of
+the strict observance of the rules of chivalry in his adversary, at the
+very moment that he closed with him in deadly strife; and such was war
+in the age of chivalry, and so strict were its rules, that even with the
+standard of Scotland in his hand, the person of the heir of Buchan was
+sacred to all save to his particular opponent.
+
+It was a brief yet determined struggle. Their swords crossed and
+recrossed with such force and rapidity, that sparks of fire flashed from
+the blades; the aim of both appeared rather to unhorse and disarm than
+slay: Seymour, perhaps, from admiration of the boy's extraordinary
+bravery and daring, and Alan from a feeling of respect for the true
+chivalry of the English knight. The rush of battle for a minute
+unavoidably separated them. About four feet of the banner-staff yet
+remained uninjured, both in its stout wood and sharp iron head; with
+unparalleled swiftness, Alan partly furled the banner round the pike,
+and transferred it to his right hand, then grasping it firmly, and
+aiming full at Sir Henry's helm, backed his horse several paces to allow
+of a wider field, gave his steed the spur, and dashed forward quick as
+the wind. The manoeuvre succeeded. Completely unprepared for this
+change alike in weapon and attack, still dazzled and slightly confused
+by the rush which had divided them, Sir Henry scarcely saw the youthful
+knight, till he felt his helmet transfixed by the lance, and the blow
+guided so well and true, that irresistibly it bore him from his horse,
+and he lay stunned and helpless, but not otherwise hurt, at the mercy of
+his foe. Recovering his weapon, Alan, aware that the great disparity of
+numbers rendered the securing English prisoners but a mere waste of
+time, contented himself by waving the standard high in air, and again
+shouting his war-cry, galloped impetuously on. Wounded he was, but he
+knew it not; the excitement, the inspiration of the moment was all he
+felt.
+
+"To the king--to the king!" shouted Nigel Bruce, urging his horse to the
+side of Alan, and ably aiding him to strike down their rapidly
+increasing foes. "Hemmed in on all sides, he will fall beneath their
+thirsting swords. To the king--to the king! Yield he never will; and
+better he should not. On, on, for the love of life, of liberty, of
+Scotland!--on to the king!"
+
+His impassioned words reached even hearts fainting 'neath exhaustion,
+failing in hope, for they knew they strove in vain; yet did that tone,
+those words rouse even them, and their flagging limbs grew strong for
+Robert's sake, and some yet reached the spot to fight and die around
+him; others--alas! the greater number--fell ere the envied goal was
+gained.
+
+The sight of the royal standard drew, as Alan had hoped, the attention
+of some from the king, and gave him a few moments to rally. Again there
+was a moment of diversion in favor of the Scotch. The brothers of the
+Bruce and some others of his bravest knights were yet around him,
+seemingly uninjured, and each and all appeared endowed with the strength
+of two. The gigantic form of Edward Bruce, the whelming sweep of his
+enormous battle-axe, had cleared a partial space around the king, but
+still the foes hemmed in, reinforced even as they fell. About this time
+the moon, riding high in the heavens, had banished the mists which had
+enveloped her rising, and flung down a clear, silvery radiance over the
+whole field, disclosing for the first time to King Robert the exact
+situation in which he stood. Any further struggle, and defeat,
+imprisonment, death, all stared him in the face, and Scotland's liberty
+was lost, and forever. The agony of this conviction was known to none
+save to the sovereign's own heart, and to that Searcher of all, by whom
+its every throb was felt.
+
+The wood behind him was still plunged in deep shadows, and he knew the
+Grampian Hills, with all their inaccessible paths and mountain
+fastnesses--known only to the true children of Scotland--could easily be
+reached, were the pursuit of the English eluded, which he believed could
+be easily accomplished, were they once enabled to retreat into the wood.
+
+The consummate skill and prudence of the Bruce characterizing him as a
+general, even as his extraordinary daring and exhaustless courage marked
+the warrior, enabled him to effect this precarious and delicate
+movement, in the very sight of and almost surrounded by foes. Covering
+his troops, or rather the scattered remnant of troops, by exposing his
+own person to the enemy, the king was still the first object of attack,
+the desire of securing his person, or, at least, obtaining possession of
+his head, becoming more and more intense. But it seemed as though a
+protecting angel hovered round him: for he had been seen in every part
+of the field; wherever the struggle had been fiercest, he had been the
+centre; twice he had been unhorsed, and bareheaded almost from the
+commencement of the strife, yet there he was still, seemingly as firm in
+his saddle, as strong in frame, as unscathed in limb, as determined in
+purpose, as when he sent back his acceptance of Pembroke's challenge.
+Douglas, Fitz-Alan, Alexander and Nigel Bruce, and Alan of Buchan, still
+bearing the standard, were close around the king, and it was in this
+time of precaution, of less inspiriting service, that the young Alan
+became conscious that he was either severely wounded, or that the
+strength he had taxed far beyond its natural powers was beginning to
+fail. Still mechanically he grasped the precious banner, and still he
+crossed his sword with every foe that came; but the quick eye of Nigel
+discerned there was a flagging of strength, and he kept close beside him
+to aid and defend. The desired goal was just attained, the foes were
+decreasing in numbers, for they were scattered some distance from each
+other, determined on scouring the woods in search of fugitives, the
+horses of the king and his immediate followers were urged to quicken
+their pace, when an iron-headed quarrel, discharged from an arbalist,
+struck the royal charger, which, with a shrill cry of death, dropped
+instantly, and again was the king unhorsed. The delay occasioned in
+extricating him from the fallen animal was dangerous in the extreme; the
+greater part of his men were at some distance, for the king had ordered
+them, as soon as the unfrequented hollows of the wood were reached, to
+disperse, the better to elude their pursuers. Douglas, Alexander Bruce,
+and Fitz-Alan had galloped on, unconscious of the accident, and Nigel
+and Alan were alone near him. A minute sufficed for the latter to spring
+from his horse and aid the king to mount, and both entreated, conjured
+him to follow their companions, and leave them to cover his retreat. A
+while he refused, declaring he would abide with them: he would not so
+cowardly desert them.
+
+"Leave you to death!" he cried; "my friends, my children; no, no! Urge
+me no more. If I may not save my country, I may _die_ for her."
+
+"Thou shalt not, so help me heaven!" answered Nigel, impetuously. "King,
+friend, brother, there is yet time. Hence, I do beseech thee, hence.
+Nay, an thou wilt not, I will e'en forget thou art my king, and force
+thee from this spot."
+
+He snatched the reins of his brother's horse, and urging it with his own
+to their fullest speed, took the most unfrequented path, and dashing
+over every obstacle, through brake and briar, and over hedge and ditch,
+placed him in comparative safety.
+
+And was Alan deserted? Did his brother in arms, in his anxiety to save
+the precious person of his royal brother, forget the tie that bound
+them, and leave him to die alone? A sickening sense of inability, of
+utter exhaustion, crept over the boy's sinking frame, inability even to
+drag his limbs towards the wood and conceal himself from his foes.
+Mechanically he at first stood grasping the now-tattered colors, as if
+his hand were nailed unto the staff, his foot rooted to the ground.
+There were many mingled cries, sending their shrill echoes on the night
+breeze; there were chargers scouring the plain; bodies of men passing
+and repassing within twenty yards of the spot where he stood, yet half
+hidden by the deep shadow of a large tree, for some minutes he was
+unobserved. An armed knight, with about twenty followers, were rushing
+by; they stopped, they recognized the banner; they saw the bowed and
+drooping figure who supported it, they dashed towards him. With a strong
+effort Alan roused himself from that lethargy of faintness. Nearer and
+nearer they came.
+
+"Yield, or you die!" were the words borne to his ear, shrill, loud,
+fraught with death, and his spirit sprang up with the sound. He waved
+his sword above his head, and threw himself into a posture of defence;
+but ere they reached him, there was a sudden and rapid tramp of horse,
+and the voice of Nigel Bruce shouted--
+
+"Mount, mount! God in heaven be thanked, I am here in time!"
+
+Alan sprung into the saddle; he thought not to inquire how that charger
+had been found, nor knew he till some weeks after that Nigel had exposed
+his own person to imminent danger, to secure one of the many steeds
+flying masterless over the plain. On, on they went, and frequently the
+head of Alan drooped from very faintness to his saddle-bow, and Nigel
+feared to see him fall exhausted to the earth, but still they pursued
+their headlong way. Death was behind them, and the lives of all true and
+loyal Scotsmen were too precious to admit a pause.
+
+The sun had risen when King Robert gazed round him on the remnant of his
+troops. It was a wild brake, amid surrounding rocks and mountains where
+they stood; a torrent threw itself headlong from a craggy steep, and
+made its way to the glen, tumbling and roaring and dashing over the
+black stones that opposed its way. The dark pine, the stunted fir, the
+weeping birch, and many another mountain tree, marked the natural
+fertility of the soil, although its aspect seemed wild and rude. It was
+to this spot the king had desired the fugitives to direct their several
+ways, and now he gazed upon all, all that were spared to him and
+Scotland from that disastrous night. In scattered groups they stood or
+sate; their swords fallen from their hands, their heads drooping on
+their breasts, with the mien of men whose last hope had been cast on a
+single die, and wrecked forever. And when King Robert thought of the
+faithful men who, when the sun had set the previous evening, had
+gathered round him in such devoted patriotism, such faithful love, and
+now beheld the few there were to meet his glance, to give him the
+sympathy, the hope he needed, scarcely could he summon energy sufficient
+to speak against hope, to rally the failing spirits of his remaining
+followers. Mar, Athol, Hay, Fraser, he knew were prisoners, and he knew,
+too, that in their cases that word was but synonymous with death.
+Lennox, his chosen friend, individually the dearest of all his
+followers, he too was not there, though none remembered his being taken;
+Randolph, his nephew, and about half of those gallant youths who not ten
+days previous had received and welcomed the honor of knighthood, in all
+the high hopes and buoyancy of youth and healthful life; more, many more
+than half the number of the stout yeomen, who had risen at his call to
+rescue their land from chains--where now were these? Was it wonder that
+the king had sunk upon a stone, and bent his head upon his hands? But
+speedily he rallied; he addressed each man by name; he spoke comfort,
+hope, not lessening the magnitude of his defeat, but still promising
+them liberty--still promising that yet would their homes be redeemed,
+their country free; aye, even were he compelled to wander months, nay,
+years in those mountain paths, with naught about him but the title of a
+king; still, while he had life, would he struggle on for Scotland; still
+did he feel, despite of blighted hope, of bitter disappointment, that to
+him was intrusted the sacred task of her deliverance. Would he, might he
+sink and relax in his efforts and resign his purpose, because his first
+engagement was attended by defeat? had he done so, it was easy to have
+found death on the field. Had he listened to the voice of despair, he
+confessed, he would not have left that field alive.
+
+"But I lived for my country, for ye, her children," he continued, his
+voice becoming impassioned in its fervor; "lived to redeem this night,
+to suffer on a while, to be your savior still. Will ye then desert me?
+will ye despond, because of one defeat--yield to despair, when Scotland
+yet calls aloud? No, no, it cannot be!" and roused by his earnest, his
+eloquent appeal, that devoted band sprung from their drooping posture,
+and kneeling at his feet, renewed their oaths of allegiance to him; the
+oath that bound them to seek liberty for Scotland. It was then, as one
+by one advanced, the king for the first time missed his brother Nigel
+and the heir of Buchan; amidst the overwhelming bitterness of thought
+which had engrossed him, he had for a brief while forgotten the
+precarious situation of Alan, and the determination of Nigel to seek and
+save, or die with him; but now the recollection of both rushed upon him,
+and the flush which his eloquence had summoned faded at once, and the
+sudden expression of anguish passing over his features roused the
+attention of all who stood near him.
+
+"They must have fallen," he murmured, and for the first time, in a
+changed and hollow voice. "My brother, my brother, dearest, best! can it
+be that, in thy young beauty, thou, too, art taken from me?--and Alan,
+how can I tell his mother--how face her sorrow for her son?"
+
+Time passed, and there was no sound; the visible anxiety of the king
+hushed into yet deeper stillness the voices hushed before. His meaning
+was speedily gathered from his broken words, and many mounted the craggy
+heights to mark if there might not yet be some signs of the missing
+ones. Time seemed to linger on his flight. The intervening rocks and
+bushes confined all sounds within a very narrow space; but at length a
+faint unintelligible noise broke on the stillness, it came nearer,
+nearer still, a moment more and the tread of horses' hoofs echoed
+amongst the rocks--a shout, a joyful shout proclaimed them friends. The
+king sprung to his feet. Another minute Nigel and Alan pressed around
+him; with the banner still in his hand, Alan knelt and laid it at his
+sovereign's feet.
+
+"From thy hand I received it, to thee I restore it," he said, but his
+voice was scarcely articulate; he bowed his head to press Robert's
+extended hand to his lips, and sunk senseless at his feet.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+
+Rumors of the fatal issue of the engagement at Methven speedily reached
+Scone, laden, of course, with, yet more disastrous tidings than had
+foundation in reality. King Robert, it was said, and all his nobles and
+knights--nay, his whole army--were cut off to a man; the king, if not
+taken prisoner, was left dead on the field, and all Scotland lay again
+crushed and enslaved at the feet of Edward. For four-and-twenty hours
+did the fair inhabitants of the palace labor under this belief,
+well-nigh stunned beneath the accumulation of misfortune. It was curious
+to remark the different forms in which affliction appeared in different
+characters, The queen, in loud sobs and repeated wailing, at one time
+deplored her own misery; at others, accused her husband of rashness and
+madness. Why had he not taken her advice and remained quiet? Why could
+he not have been contented with the favor of Edward and a proud, fair
+heritage? What good did he hope to get for himself by assuming the crown
+of so rude and barren a land as Scotland? Had she not told him he was
+but a summer king, that the winter would soon blight his prospects and
+nip his budding hopes; and had she not proved herself wiser even than he
+was himself? and then she would suddenly break off in these reproaches
+to declare that, if he were a prisoner, she would go to him; she would
+remain with him to the last; she would prove how much she idolized
+him--her own, her brave, her noble Robert. And vain was every effort on
+the part of her sisters-in-law and the Countess of Buchan, and other of
+her friends, to mitigate these successive bursts of sorrow. The Lady
+Seaton, of a stronger mind, yet struggled with despondency, yet strove
+to hope, to believe all was not as overwhelming as had been described;
+although, if rumor were indeed true, she had lost a husband and a son,
+the gallant young Earl of Mar, whom she had trained to all noble deeds
+and honorable thoughts, for he had been fatherless from infancy. Lady
+Mary could forget her own deep anxieties, her own fearful forebodings,
+silently and unobservedly to watch, to follow, to tend the Countess of
+Buchan, whose marble cheek and lip, and somewhat sterner expression of
+countenance than usual, alone betrayed the anxiety passing within, for
+words it found not. She could share with her the task of soothing, of
+cheering Agnes, whose young spirit lay crushed beneath this heavy blow.
+She did not complain, she did not murmur, but evidently struggled to
+emulate her mother's calmness, for she would bend over her frame and
+endeavor to continue her embroidery. But those who watched her, marked
+her frequent shudder, the convulsive sob, the tiny hands pressed closely
+together, and then upon her eyes, as if to still their smarting throbs;
+and Isoline, who sat in silence on a cushion at her feet, could catch
+such low whispered words as these--
+
+"Nigel, Nigel, could I but know thy fate! Dead, dead!--could I not die
+with thee? Imprisoned, have I not a right to follow thee; to tend, to
+soothe thee? Any thing, oh, any thing, but this horrible suspense! Alan,
+my brother, thou too, so young, to die."
+
+The morning of the second day brought other and less distressing rumors;
+all had not fallen, all were not taken. There were tales of courage, of
+daring gallantry, of mighty struggles almost past belief; but what were
+they, even in that era of chivalry, to the heart sinking under
+apprehensions, the hopes just springing up amidst the wild chaos of
+thoughts to smile a moment, to be crushed 'neath suspense, uncertainty,
+the next? Still the eager tones of conjecture, the faintest-spoken
+whispers of renewed hope, were better than the dead stillness, the heavy
+hush of despair.
+
+And the queen's apartments, in which at sunset all her friends had
+assembled, presented less decided sounds of mourning and of wail, than
+the previous day. Margaret was indeed still one minute plunged in tears
+and sobs, and the next hoping more, believing more than any one around
+her. Agnes had tacitly accompanied her mother and Lady Mary to the royal
+boudoir, but she had turned in very sickness of heart from all her
+companions, and remained standing in a deep recess formed by the high
+and narrow casement, alone, save Isoline, who still clung to her side,
+pale, motionless as the marble statue near her, whose unconscious repose
+she envied.
+
+"Speak, Isabella, why will you not speak to me?" said the queen,
+fretfully. "My husband bade me look to thee for strength, for support
+under care and affliction like to this, yet thou keepest aloof from me;
+thou hast words of comfort, of cheering for all save me."
+
+"Not so, royal lady, not so," she answered, as with a faint, scarcely
+perceptible smile, she advanced to the side of her royal mistress, and
+took her hand in hers. "I have spoken, I have urged, entreated, conjured
+thee to droop not; for thy husband's sake, to hope on, despite the
+terrible rumors abroad. I have besought thee to seek firmness for his
+sake; but thou didst but tell me, Isabella, Isabella, thou canst not
+feel as I do, he is naught to thee but thy king; to me, what is he not?
+king, hero, husband--all, my only all; and I have desisted, lady, for I
+deemed my words offended, my counsel unadvised, and looked on but as
+cold and foolish."
+
+"Nay, did I say all this to thee? Isabella, forgive me, for indeed,
+indeed, I knew it not," replied Margaret, her previous fretfulness
+subsiding into a softened and less painful burst of weeping. "He is in
+truth, my all, my heart's dearest, best, and without him, oh! what am I?
+even a cipher, a reed, useless to myself, to my child, as to all others.
+I am not like thee, Isabella--would, would I were; I should be more
+worthy of my Robert's love, and consequently dearer to his heart. I can
+be but a burden to him now."
+
+"Hush, hush! would he not chide thee for such words, my Margaret?"
+returned the countess, soothingly, and in a much lower voice, speaking
+as she would to a younger sister. "Had he not deemed thee worthy, would
+he have made thee his? oh, no, believe it not; he is too true, too
+honorable for such thought."
+
+"He loved me, because he saw I loved," whispered the queen, perceiving
+that her companions had left her well-nigh alone with the countess, and
+following, as was her custom, every impulse of her fond but
+ill-regulated heart. "I had not even strength to conceal that--that
+truth which any other would have died rather than reveal. He saw it and
+his noble spirit was touched; and he has been all, all, aye, more than I
+could have dreamed, to me--so loving and so true."
+
+"Then why fancy thyself a burden, not a joy to him, sweet friend?"
+demanded Isabella of Buchan, the rich accents of her voice even softer
+and sweeter than usual, for there was something in the clinging
+confidence of the queen it was impossible not to love.
+
+"I did not, I could not, for he cherished me so fondly till this sudden
+rising--this time, when his desperate enterprise demands energy and
+firmness, even from the humblest female, how much more from the Bruce's
+wife! and his manner is not changed towards me, nor his love. I know he
+loves me, cherishes me, as he ever did; but he must pity my weakness, my
+want of nerve; when he compares me to himself, he must look on me with
+almost contempt. For now it is, now that clearer than ever his character
+stands forth in such glorious majesty, such moderation, such a daring
+yet self-governed spirit, that I feel how utterly unworthy I am of him,
+how little capable to give that spirit, that mind the reflection it must
+demand; and when my weak fears prevail, my weak fancies speak only of
+danger and defeat, how can he bear with me? Must I not become, if I am
+not now, a burden?"
+
+"No, dearest Margaret," replied the countess, instantly. "The mind that
+can so well _appreciate_ the virtues of her husband will never permit
+herself, through weakness and want of nerve, to become a burden to him.
+Thou hast but to struggle with these imaginary terrors, to endeavor to
+encourage, instead of to dispirit, and he will love and cherish thee
+even more than hadst thou never been unnerved."
+
+"Let him but be restored to me, and I will do all this. I will make
+myself more worthy of his love; but, oh, Isabella, while I speak this,
+perhaps he is lost to me forever; I may never see his face, never hear
+that tone of love again!" and a fresh flood of weeping concluded her
+words.
+
+"Nay, but thou wilt--I know thou wilt," answered the countess,
+cheeringly. "Trust me, sweet friend, though defeat may attend him a
+while, though he may pass through trial and suffering ere the goal be
+gained, Robert Bruce will eventually deliver his country--will be her
+king, her savior--will raise her in the scale of nations, to a level
+even with the highest, noblest, most deserving. He is not lost to thee;
+trial will but prove his worth unto his countrymen even more than would
+success."
+
+"And how knowest thou these things, my Isabella?" demanded Margaret,
+looking up in her face, with a half-playful, half-sorrowful smile. "Hast
+thou the gift of prophecy?"
+
+"Prophecy!" repeated the countess, sadly. "Alas! 'tis but the character
+of Robert which hath inspired my brighter vision. Had I the gift of
+prophecy, my fond heart would not start and quiver thus, when it vainly
+strives to know the fate of my only son. I, too, have anxiety, lady,
+though it find not words."
+
+"Thou hast, thou hast, indeed; and yet I, weak, selfish as I am, think
+only of myself. Stay by me, Isabella; oh, do not leave me, I am stronger
+by thy side."
+
+It was growing darker and darker, and the hopes that, ere night fell,
+new and more trustworthy intelligence of the movements of the fugitives
+would be received were becoming fainter and fainter on every heart.
+Voices were hushed to silence, or spoke only in whispers. Half an hour
+passed thus, when the listless suffering on the lovely face of Agnes was
+observed by Isoline to change to an expression of intense attention.
+
+"Hearest thou no step?" she said, in a low, piercing whisper, and laying
+a cold and trembling hand on Isoline's arm. "It is, it is his--it is
+Nigel's; he has not fallen--he is spared!" and she started up, a bright
+flush on her cheek, her hands pressed convulsively on her heart.
+
+"Nay, Agnes, there is no sound, 'tis but a fancy," but even while she
+spoke, a rapid step was heard along the corridor, and a shadow darkened
+the doorway--but was that Nigel? There was no plume, no proud crest on
+his helmet; its vizor was still closely barred, and a surcoat of coarse
+black stuff was thrown over his armor, without any decoration to display
+or betray the rank of the wearer. A faint cry of alarm broke from the
+queen and many of her friends, but with one bound Agnes sprang to the
+intruder, whose arms were open to receive her, and wildly uttering
+"Nigel!" fainted on his bosom.
+
+"And didst thou know me even thus, beloved?" he murmured, rapidly
+unclasping his helmet and dashing it from him, to imprint repeated
+kisses on her cheek. "Wake, Agnes, best beloved, my own sweet love; what
+hadst thou heard that thou art thus? Oh, wake, smile, speak to me: 'tis
+thine own Nigel calls."
+
+And vainly, till that face smiled again on him in consciousness, would
+the anxious inmates of that room have sought and received intelligence,
+had he not been followed by Lord Douglas, Fitz-Alan, and others, their
+armor and rank concealed as was Nigel's, who gave the required
+information as eagerly as it was desired.
+
+"Robert--my king, my husband--where is he--why is he not here?"
+reiterated Margaret, vainly seeking to distinguish his figure amid the
+others, obscured as they were by the rapidly-increasing darkness. "Why
+is he not with ye--why is he not here?"
+
+"And he is here, Meg; here to chide thy love as less penetrating, less
+able to read disguise or concealment than our gentle Agnes there. Nay,
+weep not, dearest; my hopes are as strong, my purpose as unchanged, my
+trust in heaven as fervent as it was when I went forth to battle. Trial
+and suffering must be mine a while, I have called it on my own head; but
+still, oh, still thy Robert shall deliver Scotland--shall cast aside her
+chains."
+
+The deep, manly voice of the king acted like magic on the depressed
+spirits of those around him; and though there was grief, bitter, bitter
+grief to tell, though many a heart's last lingering hopes were crushed
+'neath that fell certainty, which they thought to have pictured during
+the hours of suspense, and deemed themselves strengthened to endure, yet
+still 'twas a grief that found vent in tears--grief that admitted of
+soothing, of sympathy--grief time might heal, not the harrowing agony of
+grief half told--hopes rising to be crushed.
+
+Still did the Countess of Buchan cling to the massive arm of the chair
+which Margaret had left, utterly powerless, wholly incapacitated from
+asking the question on which her very life seemed to depend. Not even
+the insensibility of her Agnes had had the power to rouse her from the
+stupor of anxiety which had spread over her, sharpening every faculty
+and feeling indeed, but rooting her to the spot. Her boy, her Alan, he
+was not amongst those warriors; she heard not the beloved accents of his
+voice; she saw not his boyish form--darkness could not deceive her.
+Disguise would not prevent him, were he amongst his companions, from
+seeking her embrace. One word would end that anguish, would speak the
+worst, end it--had he fallen!
+
+The king looked round the group anxiously and inquiringly.
+
+"The Countess of Buchan?" he said; "where is our noble friend? she
+surely hath a voice to welcome her king, even though he return to her
+defeated."
+
+"Sire, I am here," she said, but with difficulty; and Robert, as if he
+understood it, could read all she was enduring, hastened towards her,
+and took both her cold hands in his.
+
+"I give thee joy," he said, in accents that reassured her on the
+instant. "Nobly, gallantly, hath thy patriot boy proved himself thy son;
+well and faithfully hath he won his spurs, and raised the honor of his
+mother's olden line. He bade me greet thee with all loving duty, and say
+he did but regret his wounds that they prevented his attending me, and
+throwing himself at his mother's feet."
+
+"He is wounded, then, my liege?" Robert felt her hands tremble in his
+hold.
+
+"It were cruel to deceive thee, lady--desperately but not dangerously
+wounded. On the honor of a true knight, there is naught to alarm, though
+something, perchance, to regret; for he pines and grieves that it may be
+yet a while ere he recover sufficient strength to don his armor. It is
+not loss of blood, but far more exhaustion, from the superhuman
+exertions that he made. Edward and Alexander are with him; the one a
+faithful guard, in himself a host, the other no unskilful leech: trust
+me, noble lady, there is naught to fear."
+
+He spoke, evidently to give her time to recover the sudden revulsion of
+feeling which his penetrating eye discovered had nearly overpowered her,
+and he succeeded; ere he ceased, that quivering of frame and lip had
+passed, and Isabella of Buchan again stood calm and firm, enabled to
+inquire all particulars of her child, and then join in the council held
+as to the best plan to be adopted with regard to the safety of the queen
+and her companions.
+
+In Scone, it was evident, they could not remain, for already the towns
+and villages around, which had all declared for the Bruce, were hurrying
+in the greatest terror to humble themselves before Pembroke, and entreat
+his interference in their favor with his sovereign. There was little
+hope, even if Scone remained faithful to his interests, that she would
+be enabled to defend herself from the attacks of the English; and it
+would be equally certain, that if the wife of Bruce, and the wives and
+daughters of so many of his loyal followers remained within her walls,
+to obtain possession of their persons would become Pembroke's first
+object. It remained to decide whether they would accompany their
+sovereign to his mountain fastnesses and expose themselves to all the
+privations and hardships which would inevitably attend a wandering
+life, or that they should depart under a safe escort to Norway, whose
+monarch was friendly to the interests of Scotland. This latter scheme
+the king very strongly advised, representing in vivid colors the misery
+they might have to endure if they adhered to him; the continual danger
+of their falling into the hands of Edward, and even could they elude
+this, how was it possible their delicate frames, accustomed as they were
+to luxury and repose, could sustain the rude fare, the roofless homes,
+the continued wandering amid the crags and floods and deserts of the
+mountains. He spoke eloquently and feelingly, and there was a brief
+silence when he concluded. Margaret had thrown her arms round her
+husband, and buried her face on his bosom; her child clung to her
+father's knee, and laid her soft cheek caressingly by his. Isabella of
+Buchan, standing a little aloof, remained silent indeed, but no one who
+gazed on her could doubt her determination or believe she wavered. Agnes
+was standing in the same recess she had formerly occupied, but how
+different was the expression of her features. The arm of Nigel was
+twined round her, his head bent down to hers in deep and earnest
+commune; he was pleading against his own will and feelings it seemed,
+and though he strove to answer every argument, to persuade her it was
+far better she should seek safety in a foreign land, her determination
+more firmly expressed than could have been supposed from her yielding
+disposition, to abide with him, in weal or in woe, to share his
+wanderings, his home, be it roofless on the mountain, or within palace
+walls; that she was a Highland girl, accustomed to mountain paths and
+woody glens, nerved to hardship and toil--this determination, we say,
+contrary as it was to his eloquent pleadings, certainly afforded Nigel
+no pain, and might his beaming features be taken as reply, it was
+fraught with unmingled pleasure. In a much shorter time than we have
+taken to describe this, however, the queen had raised her head, and
+looking up in her husband's face with an expression of devotedness,
+which gave her countenance a charm it had never had before, fervently
+exclaimed--
+
+"Robert, come woe or weal, I will abide with thee; her husband's side is
+the best protection for a wife; and if wandering and suffering be his
+portion, who will soothe and cheer as the wife of his love? My spirit is
+but cowardly, my will but weak; but by thee I may gain the strength
+which in foreign lands could never be my own. Imaginary terrors, fancied
+horrors would be worse, oh, how much worse than reality! and when we met
+again I should be still less worthy of thy love. No, Robert, no! urge me
+not, plead to me no more. My friends may do as they will, but Margaret
+abides with thee."
+
+"And who is there will pause, will hesitate, when their queen hath
+spoken thus?" continued the Countess of Buchan in a tone that to
+Margaret's ear whispered approval and encouragement. "Surely, there is
+none here whose love for their country is so weak, their loyalty to
+their sovereign of such little worth, that at the first defeat, the
+first disappointment, they would fly over seas for safety, and
+contentedly leave the graves of their fathers, the hearths of their
+ancestors, the homes of their childhood to be desecrated by the chains
+of a foreign tyrant, by the footsteps of his hirelings? Oh, do not let
+us waver! Let us prove that though the arm of woman is weaker than that
+of man, her spirit is as firm, her heart as true; and that privation,
+and suffering, and hardship encountered amid the mountains of our land,
+the natural fastnesses of Scotland, in company with our rightful king,
+our husbands, our children--all, all, aye, death itself, were preferable
+to exile and separation. 'Tis woman's part to gild, to bless, and make a
+home, and still, still we may do this, though our ancestral homes be in
+the hands of Edward. Scotland has still her sheltering breast for all
+her children; and shall we desert her now?"
+
+"No, no, no!" echoed from every side, enthusiasm kindling with her
+words. "Better privation and danger in Scotland, than safety and comfort
+elsewhere."
+
+Nor was this the mere decision of the moment, founded on its enthusiasm.
+The next morning found them equally firm, equally determined; even the
+weak and timid Margaret rose in that hour of trial superior to herself,
+and preparations were rapidly made for their departure. Nor were the
+prelates of Scotland, who had remained at Scone during the king's
+engagement, backward in encouraging and blessing their decision. His
+duties prevented the Abbot of Scone accompanying them; but it was with
+deep regret he remained behind, not from any fear of the English, for a
+warrior spirit lurked beneath those episcopal robes, but from his deep
+reverence for the enterprise, and love for the person of King Robert. He
+acceded to the necessity of remaining in his abbey with the better
+grace, as he fondly hoped to preserve the citizens in the good faith and
+loyalty they had so nobly demonstrated. The Archbishop of St. Andrew's
+and the Bishop of Glasgow determined on following their sovereign to the
+death; and the spirit of Robert, wounded as it had been, felt healed and
+soothed, and inspired afresh, as the consciousness of his power over
+some true and faithful hearts, of every grade and rank of either sex,
+became yet more strongly proved in this hour of depression. He ceased to
+speak of seeking refuge for his fair companions in another land, their
+determination to abide with him, and their husbands and sons, was too
+heartfelt, too unwavering, to allow of a hope to change it; and he well
+knew that their presence, instead of increasing the cares and anxieties
+of his followers, would rather lessen, them, by shedding a spirit of
+chivalry even over the weary wanderings he knew must be their portion
+for a while, by gilding with the light of happier days the hours of
+darkness that might surround them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+
+The queen and her companions were conveyed in detachments from the
+palace and town of Scone, the Bruce believing, with justice, they would
+thus attract less notice, and be better able to reach the mountains in
+safety. The Countess of Buchan, her friend Lady Mary, Agnes, and
+Isoline, attended by Sir Nigel, were the first to depart, for though she
+spoke it not, deep anxiety was on the mother's heart for the fate of her
+boy. They mostly left Scone at different hours of the night; and the
+second day from the king's arrival, the palace was untenanted, all signs
+of the gallant court, which for a brief space had shed such lustre, such
+rays of hope on the old town, were gone, and sorrowfully and
+dispiritedly the burghers and citizens went about their several
+occupations, for their hearts yet throbbed in loyalty and patriotism,
+though hope they deemed was wholly at an end. Still they burned with
+indignation at every intelligence of new desertions to Edward, and
+though the power of Pembroke compelled them to bend unwillingly to the
+yoke, it was as a bow too tightly strung, which would snap rather than
+use its strength in the cause of Edward.
+
+A few weeks' good nursing from his mother and sister, attended as it was
+by the kindness and warm friendship of the sovereign he adored, and the
+constant care of Nigel, speedily restored the heir of Buchan, if not
+entirely to his usual strength, at least with sufficient to enable him
+to accompany the royal wanderers wherever they pitched their tent, and
+by degrees join in the adventurous excursions of his young companions to
+supply them with provender, for on success in hunting entirely depended
+their subsistence.
+
+It was in itself a strange romance, the life they led. Frequently the
+blue sky was their only covering, the purple heath their only bed; nor
+would the king fare better than his followers. Eagerly, indeed, the
+young men ever exerted themselves to form tents or booths of brushwood,
+branches of trees, curiously and tastefully interwoven with the wild
+flowers that so luxuriantly adorned the rocks, for the accommodation of
+the faithful companions who preferred this precarious existence with
+them, to comfort, safety, and luxury in a foreign land. Nature, indeed,
+lavishly supplied them with beautiful materials, and where the will was
+good, exertion proved but a new enjoyment. Couches and cushions of the
+softest moss formed alike seats and places of repose; by degrees almost
+a village of these primitive dwellings would start into being, in the
+centre of some wild rocks, which formed natural barriers around them,
+watered, perhaps, by some pleasant brook rippling and gushing by in
+wild, yet soothing music, gemmed by its varied flowers.
+
+Here would be the rendezvous for some few weeks; here would Margaret and
+her companions rest a while from their fatiguing wanderings; and could
+they have thought but of the present, they would have been completely
+happy. Here would their faithful knights return laden with the spoils of
+the chase, or with some gay tale of danger dared, encountered, and
+conquered; here would the song send its full tone amid the responding
+echoes. The harp and muse of Nigel gave a refinement and delicacy to
+these meetings, marking them, indeed, the days of chivalry and poetry.
+Even Edward Bruce, the stern, harsh, dark, passioned warrior, even he
+felt the magic of the hour, and now that the courage of Nigel had been
+proved, gave willing ear, and would be among the first to bid him wake
+his harp, and soothe the troubled visions of the hour; and Robert, who
+saw so much of his own soul reflected in his young brother, mingled as
+it was with yet more impassioned fervor, more beautiful, more endearing
+qualities, for Nigel had needed not trial to purify his soul, and mark
+him out a patriot. Robert, in very truth, loved him, and often would
+share with him his midnight couch, his nightly watchings, that he might
+confide to that young heart the despondency, the hopelessness, that to
+none other might be spoken, none other might suspect--the secret fear
+that his crime would be visited on his unhappy country, and he forbidden
+to secure her freedom even by the sacrifice of his life.
+
+"If it be so, it must be so; then be thou her savior, her deliverer, my
+Nigel," he would often urge; "droop not because I may have departed;
+struggle on, do as thy soul prompts, and success will, nay, must attend
+thee; for thou art pure and spotless, and well deserving of all the
+glory, the blessedness, that will attend the sovereign of our country
+freed from chains; thou art, in truth, deserving of all this, but I--"
+
+"Peace, peace, my brother!" would be Nigel's answer; "thou, only thou
+shalt deliver our country, shall be her free, her patriot king! Have we
+not often marked the glorious sun struggling with the black masses of
+clouds which surround and obscure his rising, struggling, and in vain,
+to penetrate their murky folds, and deluge the world with light, shining
+a brief moment, and then immersed in darkness, until, as he nears the
+western horizon, the heaviest clouds flee before him, the spotless azure
+spreadeth its beautiful expanse, the brilliant rays dart on every side,
+warming and cheering the whole earth with reviving beams, and finally
+sinking to his rest in a flood of splendor, more dazzling, more imposing
+than ever attends his departure when his dawn hath been one of joy. Such
+is thy career, my brother; such will be thy glorious fate. Oh, droop not
+even to me--to thyself! Hope on, strive on, and thou shalt succeed!"
+
+"Would I had thy hopeful spirit, my Nigel, an it pictured and believed
+things as these!" mournfully would the Bruce reply, and clasp the young
+warrior to his heart; but it was only Nigel's ear that heard these
+whispers of despondency, only Nigel's eye which could penetrate the
+inmost folds of that royal heart. Not even to his wife--his Margaret,
+whose faithfulness in these hours of adversity had drawn her yet closer
+to her husband--did he breathe aught save encouragement and hope; and to
+his followers he was the same as he had been from the first, resolute,
+unwavering; triumphing over every obstacle; cheering the faint-hearted;
+encouraging the desponding; smiling with his young followers, ever on
+the alert to provide amusement for them, to approve, guide, instruct;
+gallantly and kindly to smooth the path for his female companions,
+joining in every accommodation for them, even giving his manual labor
+with the lowest of his followers, if his aid would lessen fatigue, or
+more quickly enhance comfort. And often and often in the little
+encampment we have described, when night fell, and warrior and dame
+would assemble, in various picturesque groups, on the grassy mound, the
+king, seated in the midst of them, would read aloud, and divert even the
+most wearied frame and careworn mind by the stirring scenes and
+chivalric feelings his MSS. recorded. The talent of deciphering
+manuscripts, indeed of reading any thing, was one seldom attained or
+even sought for in the age of which we treat; the sword and spear were
+alike the recreation and the business of the nobles. Reading and writing
+were in general confined to monks, and the other clergy; but Robert,
+even as his brother Nigel, possessed both these accomplishments,
+although to the former their value never seemed so fully known as in his
+wanderings. His readings were diversified by rude narratives or tales,
+which he demanded in return from his companions, and many a hearty laugh
+would resound from the woodland glades, at the characteristic humor with
+which these demands were complied with: the dance, too, would diversify
+these meetings. A night of repose might perhaps succeed, to be disturbed
+at its close by a cause for alarm, and those pleasant resting-places
+must be abandoned, the happy party be divided, and scattered far and
+wide, to encounter fatigue, danger, perchance even death, ere they met
+again.
+
+Yet still they drooped not, murmured not. No voice was ever heard to
+wish the king's advice had been taken, and they had sought refuge in
+Norway. Not even Margaret breathed one sigh, dropped one tear, in her
+husband's presence, although many were the times that she would have
+sunk from exhaustion, had not Isabella of Buchan been near as her
+guardian angel to revive, encourage, infuse a portion of her own spirit
+in the weaker heart, which so confidingly clung to her. The youngest
+and most timid maiden, the oldest and most ailing man, still maintained
+the same patriotic spirit and resolute devotion which had upheld them at
+first. "The Bruce and Scotland" were the words imprinted on their souls,
+endowed with a power to awake the sinking heart, and rouse the fainting
+frame.
+
+To Agnes and Nigel, it was shrewdly suspected, these wanderings in the
+centre of magnificent nature, their hearts open to each other, revelling
+in the scenes around them, were seasons of unalloyed enjoyment,
+happiness more perfect than the state and restraint of a court.
+Precarious, indeed, it was, but even in moments of danger they were not
+parted; for Nigel was ever the escort of the Countess of Buchan, and
+danger by his side lost half its terror to Agnes. He left her side but
+to return to it covered with laurels, unharmed, uninjured, even in the
+midst of foes; and so frequently did this occur, that the fond,
+confiding spirit of the young Agnes folded itself around the belief that
+he bore a charmed life; that evil and death could not injure one so
+faultless and beloved. Their love grew stronger with each passing week;
+for nature, beautiful nature, is surely the field of that interchange of
+thought, for that silent commune of soul so dear to those that love. The
+simplest flower, the gushing brooks, the frowning hills, the varied hues
+attending the rising and the setting of the sun, all were turned to
+poetry when the lips of Nigel spoke to the ears of love. The mind of
+Agnes expanded before these rich communings. She was so young, so
+guileless, her character moulded itself on his. She learned yet more to
+comprehend, to appreciate the nobility of his soul, to cling yet closer
+to him, as the consciousness of the rich treasure she possessed in his
+love became more and more unfolded to her view. The natural fearfulness
+of her disposition gave way, and the firmness, the enthusiasm of
+purpose, took possession of her heart, secretly and silently, indeed;
+for to all, save to herself, she was the same gentle, timid, clinging
+girl that she had ever been.
+
+So passed the summer months; but as winter approached, and the prospects
+of the king remained as apparently hopeless and gloomy as they were on
+his first taking refuge in the mountains, it was soon pretty evident
+that some other plan must be resorted to; for strong as the resolution
+might be, the delicate frames of his female companions, already
+suffering from the privations to which they had been exposed, could not
+sustain the intense cold and heavy snows peculiar to the mountain
+region. Gallantly as the king had borne himself in every encounter with
+the English and Anglo-Scots, sustaining with unexampled heroism repeated
+defeats and blighted hopes, driven from one mountainous district by the
+fierce opposition of its inhabitants, from another by a cessation of
+supplies, till famine absolutely threatened, closely followed by its
+grim attendant, disease, all his efforts to collect and inspire his
+countrymen with his own spirit, his own hope, were utterly and entirely
+fruitless, for his enemies appeared to increase around him, the autumn
+found him as far, if not further, from the successful termination of his
+desires than he had been at first.
+
+All Scotland lay at the feet of his foe. John of Lorn, maternally
+related to the slain Red Comyn, had collected his forces to the number
+of a thousand, and effectually blockaded his progress through the
+district of Breadalbane, to which he had retreated from a superior body
+of English, driving him to a narrow pass in the mountains, where the
+Bruce's cavalry had no power to be of service; and had it not been for
+the king's extraordinary exertions in guarding the rear, and there
+checking the desperate fury of the assailants, and interrupting their
+headlong pursuit of the fugitives, by a strength, activity, and
+prudence, that in these days would seem incredible, the patriots must
+have been cut off to a man. Here it was that the family of Lorn obtained
+possession of that brooch of Bruce, which even to this day is preserved
+as a relic, and lauded as a triumph, proving how nearly their redoubted
+enemy had fallen into their hands. Similar struggles had marked his
+progress through the mountains ever since the defeat of Methven; but
+vain was every effort of his foes to obtain possession of his person,
+destroy his energy, and thus frustrate his purpose. Perth, Inverness,
+Argyle, and Aberdeen had alternately been the scene of his wanderings.
+The middle of autumn found him with about a hundred followers, amongst
+whom were the Countess of Buchan and her son, amid the mountains which
+divide Kincardine from the southwest boundary of Aberdeen. The remainder
+of his officers and men, divided into small bands, each with some of
+their female companions under their especial charge, were scattered over
+the different districts, as better adapted to concealment and rest.
+
+It was that part of the year when day gives place to night so suddenly,
+that the sober calm of twilight even appears denied to us. The streams
+rushed by, turbid and swollen from the heavy autumnal rains. A rude wind
+had robbed most of the trees of their foliage; the sere and withered
+leaves, indeed, yet remained on the boughs, beautiful even in, their
+decay, but the slightest breath would carry them away from their
+resting-places, and the mountain passes were incumbered, and often
+slippery from the fallen leaves. The mountains looked frowning and bare,
+the pine and fir bent and rocked in their craggy cradles, and the wind
+moaned through their dark branches sadly and painfully. The sun had,
+indeed, shone fitfully through the day, but still the scene was one of
+melancholy desolation, and the heart of the Countess of Buchan, bold and
+firm in general, could not successfully resist the influence of Nature's
+sadness. She sat comparatively alone; a covering had, indeed, been
+thrown over some thick poles, which interwove with brushwood, and with a
+seat and couch of heather, which was still in flower, formed a rude
+tent, and was destined for her repose; but until night's dark mantle was
+fully unfurled, she had preferred the natural seat of a jutting crag,
+sheltered from the wind by an overhanging rock and some spreading firs.
+Her companions were scattered in different directions in search of food,
+as was their wont. Some ten or fifteen men had been left with her, and
+they were dispersed about the mountain collecting firewood, and a supply
+of heath and moss for the night encampment; within hail, indeed, but
+scarcely within sight, for the space where the countess sate commanded
+little more than protruding crags and stunted trees, and mountains
+lifting their dark, bare brows to the starless sky.
+
+It was not fear which had usurped dominion in the Lady Isabella's heart,
+it was that heavy, sluggish, indefinable weight which sometimes clogs
+the spirit we know not wherefore, until some event following quick upon
+it forces us, even against our will, to believe it the overhanging
+shadow of the future which had darkened the present. She was sad, very
+sad, yet she could not, as was ever her custom, bring that sadness to
+judgment, and impartially examining and determining its cause, remove it
+if possible, or banish it resolutely from her thoughts.
+
+An impulse indefinable, yet impossible to be resisted, had caused her to
+intrust her Agnes to the care of Lady Mary and Nigel, and compelled her
+to follow her son, who had been the chosen companion of the king.
+Rigidly, sternly, she had questioned her own heart as to the motives of
+this decision. It was nothing new her accompanying her son, for she had
+invariably done so; but it was something unusual her being separated
+from the queen, and though her heart told her that her motives were so
+upright, so pure, they could have borne the sternest scrutiny, there was
+naught which the most rigid mentor could condemn, yet a feeling that
+evil would come of this was amongst the many others which weighed on her
+heart. She could not tell wherefore, yet she wished it had been
+otherwise, wished the honor of being selected as the king's companion
+had fallen on other than her son, for separate herself from him she
+could not. One cause of this despondency might have been traced to the
+natural sinking of the spirit when it finds itself alone, with time for
+its own fancies, after a long period of exertion, and that mental
+excitement which, unseen to all outward observers, preys upon itself.
+Memory had awakened dreams and visions she had long looked upon as dead;
+it did but picture brightly, beautifully, joyously what might have been,
+and disturbed the tranquil sadness which was usual to her now; disturb
+it as with phantasmagoria dancing on the brain, yet it was a struggle
+hard and fierce to banish them again. As one sweet fancy sunk another
+rose, even as gleams of moonlight on the waves which rise and fall with
+every breeze. Fancy and reason strove for dominion, but the latter
+conquered. What could be now the past, save as a vision of the night;
+the present, a stern reality with all its duties--duties not alone to
+others, but to herself. These were the things on which her thoughts must
+dwell; these must banish all which might have been and they did; and
+Isabella of Buchan came through that fiery ordeal unscathed, uninjured
+in her self-esteem, conscious that not in one thought did she wrong her
+husband, in not one dream did she wrong the gentle heart of the queen
+which so clung to her; in not the wildest flight of fancy did she look
+on Robert as aught save as the deliverer of his country, the king of all
+true Scottish men.
+
+She rose up from that weakness of suffering, strengthened in her resolve
+to use every energy in the queen's service in supporting, encouraging,
+endeavoring so to work on her appreciation of her husband's character,
+as to render her yet more worthy of his love. She had ever sought to
+remain beside the queen, ever contrived they should be of the same
+party; that her mind was ever on the stretch, on the excitement, could
+not be denied, but she knew not how great its extent till the call for
+exertion was comparatively over, and she found herself, she scarcely
+understood how, the only female companion of her sovereign, the
+situation she had most dreaded, most determined to avoid. While engaged
+in the performance of her arduous task, the schooling her own heart and
+devoting herself to Robert's wife, virtue seemed to have had its own
+reward, for a new spirit had entwined her whole being--excitement,
+internal as it was, had given a glow to thought and action; but in her
+present solitude the reaction of spirit fell upon her as a dull,
+sluggish weight of lead. She had suffered, too, from both privation and
+fatigue, and she was aware her strength was failing, and this perhaps
+was another cause of her depression; but be that as it may, darkness
+closed round her unobserved, and when startled by some sudden sound, she
+raised her head from her hands, she could scarcely discern one object
+from another in the density of gloom. "Surely night has come suddenly
+upon us," she said, half aloud; "it is strange they have not yet
+returned," and rising, she was about seeking the tent prepared for her,
+when a rude grasp was laid on her arm, and a harsh, unknown voice
+uttered, in suppressed accents--
+
+"Not so fast, fair mistress, not so fast! My way does not lie in that
+direction, and, with your leave, my way is yours."
+
+"How, man! fellow, detain me at your peril!" answered the countess,
+sternly, permitting no trace of terror to falter in her voice, although
+a drawn sword gleamed by her side, and a gigantic form fully armed had
+grasped her arm. "Unhand me, or I will summon those that will force
+thee. I am not alone, and bethink thee, insult to me will pass not with
+impunity."
+
+The man laughed scornfully. "Boldly answered, fair one," he said; "of a
+truth thou art a brave one. I grieve such an office should descend upon
+me as the detention of so stout a heart; yet even so. In King Edward's
+name, you are my prisoner."
+
+"Your prisoner, and wherefore?" demanded the countess believing that
+calmness would be a better protection than any symptoms of fear. "You
+are mistaken, good friend, I knew not Edward warred with women."
+
+"Prove my mistake, fair mistress, and I will crave your pardon," replied
+the man, "We have certain intelligence that a party of Scottish rebels,
+their quondam king perhaps among them, are hidden in these mountains.
+Give us trusty news of their movements, show us their track, and Edward
+will hold you in high favor, and grant liberty and rich presents in
+excuse of his servant's too great vigilance. Hearest thou, what is the
+track of these rebels--what their movements?"
+
+"Thou art a sorry fool, Murdock," retorted another voice, ere the
+countess could reply, and hastily glancing around, she beheld herself
+surrounded by armed men; "a sorry fool, an thou wastest the precious
+darkness thus. Is not one rank rebel sufficient, think you, to satisfy
+our lord? he will get intelligence enough out of her, be sure. Isabella
+of Buchan is not fool enough to hold parley with such as we, rely on't."
+
+A suppressed exclamation of exultation answered the utterance of that
+name, and without further parley the arms of the countess were strongly
+pinioned, and with the quickness of thought the man who had first spoken
+raised her in his arms, and bore her through the thickest brushwood and
+wildest crags in quite the contrary direction to the encampment; their
+movements accelerated by the fact that, ere her arms were confined, the
+countess, with admirable presence of mind, had raised to her lips a
+silver whistle attached to her girdle, and blown a shrill, distinct
+blast. A moment sufficed to rudely tear it from her hand, and hurry her
+off as we have said; and when that call was answered, which it was as
+soon as the men scattered on the mountain sufficiently recognized the
+sound, they flung down their tools and sprung to the side whence it
+came, but there was no sign, no trace of her they sought; they scoured
+with lighted torches every mossy path or craggy slope, but in vain;
+places of concealment were too numerous, the darkness too intense, save
+just the space illumined by the torch, to permit success. The trampling
+of horses announced the return of the king and his companions, ere their
+search was concluded; his bugle summoned the stragglers, and speedily
+the loss of the countess was ascertained, their fruitless search
+narrated, and anxiety and alarm spread over the minds of all. The agony
+of the youthful Alan surpassed description, even the efforts of his
+sovereign failed to calm him. Nor was the Bruce himself much less
+agitated.
+
+"She did wrong, she did wrong," he said, "to leave herself so long
+unguarded; yet who was there to commit this outrage? There is some
+treachery here, which we must sift; we must not leave our noble
+countrywoman in the hands of these marauders. Trust me, Alan, we shall
+recover her yet."
+
+But the night promised ill for the fulfilment of this trust. Many hours
+passed in an utterly fruitless search, and about one hour before
+midnight a thick fog increased the dense gloom, and even prevented all
+assistance from the torches, for not ten yards before them was
+distinguishable. Dispirited and disappointed, the king and his
+companions threw themselves around the watchfires, in gloomy meditation,
+starting at the smallest sound, and determined to renew their search
+with the first gleam of dawn; the hurried pace of Alan, as he strode up
+and down, for he could not rest, alone disturbing the stillness all
+around.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+
+It was already two hours after midnight when a hurried tread, distinct
+from Alan's restless pacing, disturbed the watchers, and occasioned many
+to raise themselves on their elbows and listen.
+
+It came nearer and nearer, and very soon a young lad, recognized as Sir
+Alan's page, was discerned, springing from crag to crag in breathless
+haste, and finally threw himself at his sovereign's feet.
+
+"It is not too late--up, up, and save her!" were the only words he had
+power to gasp, panting painfully for the breath of which speed had
+deprived him. His hair and dress were heavy with the damp occasioned by
+the fog, and his whole appearance denoting no common agitation.
+
+"Where?" "How?" "What knowest thou?" "Speak out." "What ailest thee,
+boy?" were the eager words uttered at once by all, and the king and
+others sprung to their feet, while Alan laid a heavy hand on the boy's
+shoulder, and glared on him in silence; the lad's glance fell beneath
+his, and he sobbed forth--
+
+"Mercy, mercy! my thoughtlessness has done this, yet I guessed not,
+dreamed not this ill would follow. But oh, do not wait for my tale now;
+up, up, and save her ere it be too late!"
+
+"And how may we trust thee now, an this is the effect of former
+treachery?" demanded Robert, with a sternness that seemed to awe the
+terrified boy into composure.
+
+"I am not treacherous, sire. No, no! I would have exposed my throat to
+your grace's sword rather than do a traitor's deed: trust me, oh, trust
+me, and follow without delay!"
+
+"Speak first, and clearly," answered Alan, fiercely; "even for my
+mother's sake the sacred person of the King of Scotland shall not be
+risked by a craven's word. Speak, an thou wouldst bid me trust
+thee--speak, I charge thee."
+
+"He is right--he is right; let him explain this mystery ere we follow,"
+echoed round; and thus urged, the boy's tale was hurriedly told.
+
+It was simply this. Some days previous, when wandering alone about the
+rocks, he had met a woodman, whom he recognized as one of the retainers
+of Buchan, and, as such, believed him as loyal and faithful to King
+Robert's interest as himself and others in the countess's train. The man
+had artfully evaded all young Malcolm's expression of astonishment and
+inquiries as to why Donald MacAlpine, whom he well knew to be one of the
+stoutest and most sturdy men-at-arms which the clan possessed, should
+have taken to so peaceful an employment as cutting wood, and skilfully
+drew from the boy much information concerning the movements of the party
+to whom he belonged. Malcolm freely spoke of Sir Alan and the Countess
+of Buchan, dilating with no little pleasure on his young master having
+received knighthood at the hand of his king, and all the honors and
+delights which accompanied it. Aware, however, of the dangers which
+environed the Bruce, he spoke of him more cautiously, and the more
+Donald sought to discover if the king were near at hand, the more
+carefully did Malcolm conceal that he was, telling the woodman if he
+wished to know all particulars, he had better turn his sickle into a
+spear, his cap into a helmet, and strike a good blow for Scotland and
+King Robert. This the man refused to do, alleging he loved his own
+sturdy person and independent freedom too well to run his neck into such
+a noose; that King Robert might do very well for a while, but eventually
+he must fall into King Edward's hands. Malcolm angrily denied this, and
+they parted, not the best friends imaginable. On reviewing all that had
+passed, the boy reproached himself incessantly for having said too much,
+and was continually tormented by an indefinable fear that some evil
+would follow. This fear kept him by the side of the countess, instead
+of, as was his wont, following Sir Alan to the chase. The increasing
+darkness had concealed her from him, but he was the first to distinguish
+her whistle. He had reached the spot time enough to recognize the
+supposed woodman in the second speaker, and to feel with painful
+acuteness his boyish thoughtlessness had brought this evil on a
+mistress, to serve whom he would willingly have laid down his life.
+Resistance he knew, on his part, was utterly useless, and therefore he
+determined to follow their track, and thus bring accurate intelligence
+to the king. The minds of the men preoccupied by the thought of their
+distinguished prisoner, and the thickening gloom, aided his resolution.
+Happening to have a quantity of thick flax in his pocket, the boy, with
+admirable foresight, fastened it to different shrubs and stones as he
+passed, and thus secured his safe return; a precaution very necessary,
+as from the windings and declivities, and in parts well-nigh impregnable
+hollows, into which he followed the men, his return in time would have
+been utterly frustrated.
+
+The gathering mist had occasioned a halt, and a consultation as to
+whether they could reach the encampment to which they belonged, or
+whether it would not be better to halt till dawn. They had decided in
+favor of the latter, fearing, did they continue marching, they might
+lose their track, and perhaps fall in with the foe. He had waited, he
+said, till he saw them making such evident preparations for a halt of
+some hours, that he felt certain they would not remove till daylight. It
+was a difficult and precarious path, he said, yet he was quite sure he
+could lead fifteen or twenty men easily to the spot, and, taken by
+surprise, nothing would prevent the recovery of the countess: less than
+two hours would take them there.
+
+This tale was told in less time than we have taken to transcribe it, and
+not twenty minutes after Malcolm's first appearance, the king and Sir
+Alan, with fifteen tried followers, departed on their expedition. There
+had been some attempt to dissuade the king from venturing his own person
+where further treachery might yet lurk, but the attempt was vain.
+
+"She has perilled her life for me," was his sole answer, "and were there
+any real peril, mine would be hazarded for her; but there is none--'tis
+but a child's work we are about to do, not even glory enough to call for
+envy."
+
+The fog had sufficiently cleared to permit of their distinguishing the
+route marked out by Malcolm, but not enough to betray their advance,
+even had there been scouts set to watch the pass. Not a word passed
+between them. Rapidly, stealthily they advanced, and about three in the
+morning stood within sight of their foes, though still unseen
+themselves. There was little appearance of caution: two large fires had
+been kindled, round one of which ten or twelve men were stretched their
+full length, still armed indeed, and their hands clasping their
+unsheathed swords, but their senses fast locked in slumber. Near the
+other, her arms and feet pinioned, Alan, with a heart beating almost
+audibly with indignation, recognized his mother. Two men, armed with
+clubs, walked up and down beside her, and seven others were grouped in
+various attitudes at her feet, most of them fast asleep. It was evident
+that they had no idea of surprise, and that their only fear was
+associated with the escape of their prisoner.
+
+"They are little more than man to man," said the Bruce; "therefore is
+there no need for further surprise than will attend the blast of your
+bugle, Sir Alan. Sound the reveille, and on to the rescue."
+
+He was obeyed, and the slumberers, with suppressed oaths, started to
+their feet, glancing around them a brief minute in inquiring
+astonishment as to whence the sound came. It was speedily explained: man
+after man sprang through the thicket, and rushed upon the foes, several
+of whom, gathering themselves around their prisoner, seemed determined
+that her liberty should not be attained with her life, more than once
+causing the swords of the Bruce's followers to turn aside in their rapid
+descent, less they should injure her they sought to save. Like a young
+lion Alan fought, ably seconded by the king, whose gigantic efforts
+clearing his path, at length enabled himself and Alan to stand uninjured
+beside the countess, and thus obtain possession of her person, and guard
+her from the injury to which her captors voluntarily exposed her. There
+was at first no attempt at flight, although the Bruce's men carried all
+before them; the men fell where they stood, till only five remained,
+and these, after a moment's hesitation, turned and fled. A shrill cry
+from Malcolm had turned the king's and Alan's attention in another
+direction, and it was well they did so. Determined on foiling the
+efforts of his foes, Donald MacAlpine, who was supposed to be among the
+fallen, had stealthily approached the spot where the countess, overcome
+with excessive faintness, still reclined, then noiselessly rising, his
+sword was descending on her unguarded head, when Alan, aroused by
+Malcolm's voice, turned upon him and dashed his weapon from his grasp,
+at the same minute that the Bruce's sword pierced the traitor's heart:
+he sprung in the air with a loud yell of agony, and fell, nearly
+crushing the countess with his weight.
+
+It was the voice of Alan which aroused that fainting heart. It was in
+the bosom of her son those tearful eyes were hid, after one startled and
+bewildered gaze on the countenance of her sovereign, who had been
+leaning over her in unfeigned anxiety. A thicket of thorn, mingled with
+crags, divided her from the unseemly signs of the late affray; but
+though there was naught to renew alarm, it was with a cold shudder she
+had clung to her son, as if even her firm, bold spirit had given way.
+Gently, cheeringly the king addressed her, and she evidently struggled
+to regain composure; but her powers of body were evidently so
+prostrated, that her friends felt rest of some kind she must have, ere
+she could regain sufficient strength to accompany them on their
+wanderings. She had received three or four wounds in the melee, which
+though slight, the loss of blood that had followed materially increased
+her weakness, and the king anxiously summoned his friends around him to
+deliberate on the best measures to pursue.
+
+Amongst them were two of Sir Alan's retainers, old and faithful Scottish
+men, coeval with his grandfather, the late Earl of Buchan. Devoted alike
+to the countess, the king, and their country, they eagerly listened to
+all that was passing, declaring that rather than leave the Lady Isabella
+in a situation of such danger as the present, they would take it by
+turns to carry her in their arms to the encampment. The king listened
+with a benevolent smile.
+
+"Is there no hut or house, or hunting-lodge to which we could convey
+your lady," he asked, "where she might find quieter shelter and greater
+rest than hitherto? An ye knew of such, it would be the wiser plan to
+seek it at break of day."
+
+A hunting-lodge, belonging to the Earls of Buchan, there was, or ought
+to be, the old men said, near the head of the Tay, just at the entrance
+of Athol Forest. It had not been used since their old master's days; he
+had been very partial to it when a boy, and was continually there; it
+had most likely fallen into decay from disuse, as they believed the
+present earl did not even know of its existence, but that was all the
+better, as it would be a still more safe and secure retreat for the
+countess, and they were sure, when once out of the hollows and
+intricacies of their present halting-place, they could easily discover
+the path to it.
+
+And how long did they think it would be, the king inquired, before their
+lady could be taken to it? the sooner, they must perceive as well as
+himself, the better for her comfort. He was relieved when they declared
+that two days, or at the very utmost three, would bring them there, if,
+as the old men earnestly entreated he would, they retraced their steps
+to the encampment as soon as daylight was sufficiently strong for them
+clearly to distinguish their path. This was unanimously resolved on, and
+the few intervening hours were spent by the countess in calm repose.
+
+Conscious that filial affection watched over her, the sleep of the
+countess tranquillized her sufficiently to commence the return to the
+encampment with less painful evidences of exhaustion. A rude litter
+waited for her, in which she could recline when the pass allowed its
+safe passage, and which could be easily borne by the bearers when the
+intricacies of the path prevented all egress save by pedestrianism. It
+had been hurriedly made by her devoted adherents, and soothed and
+gratified, her usual energy seemed for the moment to return. By nine
+o'clock forenoon all traces of the Bruce and his party had departed from
+the glen, the last gleam of their armor was lost in the winding path,
+and then it was that a man, who had lain concealed in a thicket from the
+moment of the affray, hearing all that had passed, unseen himself, now
+slowly, cautiously raised himself on his knees, gazed carefully round
+him, then with a quicker but as silent motion sprung to his feet, and
+raised his hands in an action of triumph.
+
+"_He is_ amongst them, then," he muttered, "the traitor Bruce himself.
+This is well. The countess, her son, find the would-be king--ha! ha! My
+fortune's made!" and he bounded away in quite a contrary direction to
+that taken by the Bruce.
+
+The old retainers of Buchan were correct in their surmises. The evening
+of the second day succeeding the event we have narrated brought them to
+the hunting-lodge. It was indeed very old, and parts had fallen almost
+to ruins, but there were still three or four rooms remaining, whose
+compact walls and well-closed roofs rendered them a warm and welcome
+refuge for the Countess of Buchan, whose strenuous exertions the two
+preceding days had ended, as was expected, by exhaustion more painful
+and overpowering than before.
+
+The exertions of her friends--for the Bruce and his followers with one
+consent had permitted their wanderings to be guided by the old
+men--speedily rendered the apartments habitable. Large fires were soon
+blazing on the spacious hearths, and ere night fell, all appearance of
+damp and discomfort had vanished. The frugal supper was that night a
+jovial meal; the very look of a cheerful blaze beneath a walled roof was
+reviving to the wanderers; the jest passed round, the wine-cup sparkled
+to the health of the countess, and many a fervent aspiration echoed
+round for the speedy restoration of her strength; for truly she was the
+beloved, the venerated of all, alike from her sovereign to his lowest
+follower.
+
+"Trust my experience, my young knight," had been the Bruce's address to
+Alan ere they parted for the night. "A few days' complete repose will
+quite restore your valued parent and my most honored friend. This
+hunting-lodge shall be our place of rendezvous for a time, till she is
+sufficiently restored to accompany us southward. You are satisfied, are
+you not, with the diligence of our scouts?"
+
+"Perfectly, your highness," was Alan's reply; for well-tried and
+intelligent men had been sent in every direction to discover, if
+possible, to what party of the enemy the captors of the Lady Isabella
+belonged, and to note well the movements and appearance, not only of any
+martial force, but of the country people themselves. They had executed
+their mission as well as the intricate passes and concealed hollows of
+the mountains permitted, and brought back the welcome intelligence, that
+for miles round the country was perfectly clear, and to all appearance
+peaceful. The hunting-lodge, too, was so completely hidden by dark woods
+of pine and overhanging crags, that even had there been foes prowling
+about the mountains, they might pass within twenty yards of its vicinity
+and yet fail to discover it. The very path leading to the bottom of the
+hollow in which it stood was concealed at the entrance by thick shrubs
+and an arch of rock, which had either fallen naturally into that shape,
+or been formed by the architects of the lodge. It seemed barely possible
+that the retreat could be discovered, except by the basest treachery,
+and therefore the king and Sir Alan felt perfectly at rest regarding the
+safety of the countess, even though they could only leave with her a
+guard of some twenty or thirty men.
+
+So much was she refreshed the following morning, that the hopes of her
+son brightened, and with that filial devotion so peculiarly his
+characteristic, he easily obtained leave of absence from his sovereign,
+to remain by the couch of his mother for at least that day, instead of
+accompanying him, as was his wont, in the expeditions of the day. The
+countess combated this decision, but in vain. Alan was resolved. He was
+convinced, he said, her former capture, and all its ill consequences,
+would not have taken place had he been by her side; and even were she
+not now exposed to such indignity, she would be lonely and sad without
+him, and stay, in consequence, he would. The king and his officers
+approved of the youth's resolution, and reluctantly Isabella yielded.
+
+About two hours before noon the Bruce and his companions departed,
+desiring Sir Alan not to expect their return till near midnight, as they
+intended penetrating a part of the country which had not yet been
+explored; they might be a few hours sooner, but they scarcely expected
+it. It was afterwards remembered that a peculiar expression of sadness
+overclouded the countenance of the countess, as for a moment she fixed
+her speaking eyes on the king's face when he cheerfully bade her
+farewell, and said, in a low emphatic voice--
+
+"Farewell, sire! It may be the hour of meeting is longer deferred than
+we either of us now believe. Fain would I beseech your grace to grant me
+one boon, make me but one promise ere you depart."
+
+"Any boon, any promise that our faithful friend and subject can demand,
+is granted ere 'tis asked," answered the king, without a moment's pause,
+though startled alike at the expression of her features and the sadness
+of her voice. "Gladly would we give any pledge that could in any way
+bespeak our warm sense of thy true merit, lady, therefore speak, and
+fear not."
+
+"'Tis simply this, sire," she said, and her voice was still mournful,
+despite her every effort to prevent its being so. "Should unforeseen
+evil befall me, captivity, danger of death, or aught undreamed of now,
+give me your royal word as a knight and king, that you will not peril
+your sacred person, and with it the weal and liberty of our unhappy
+country, for my sake, but leave me to my fate; 'tis a strange and
+fanciful boon, yet, gracious sovereign, refuse it not. I mean not
+treachery such as we have encountered, where your grace's noble
+gallantry rescued me with little peril to yourself. No; I mean other and
+greater danger; where I well know that rather than leave me exposed to
+the wrath of my husband and Edward of England, you would risk your own
+precious life, and with it the liberty of Scotland. Grant me this boon,
+my liege, and perchance this heavy weight upon my spirit will pass and
+leave me free."
+
+"Nay, 'tis such a strange and unknightly promise, lady, how may I pledge
+my word to its fulfilment?" answered Robert, gravely and sadly. "You bid
+me pledge mine honor to a deed that will stain my name with an
+everlasting infamy, that even the liberty of Scotland will not wash
+away. How may I do this thing? You press me sorely, lady. Even for thee,
+good and faithful as thou art, how may I hurt my knightly fame?"
+
+"Sire, thou wilt not," she returned, still more entreatingly; "thy
+brilliant fame, thy noble name, will never--can never, receive a stain.
+I do but ask a promise whose fulfilment may never be demanded. I do but
+bid thee remember thou art not only a knight, a noble, a king, but one
+by whom the preservation, the independence of our country can alone be
+achieved--one on whose safety and freedom depends the welfare of a
+nation, the unchained glory of her sons. Were death thy portion,
+Scotland lies a slave forever at the feet of England, and therefore is
+it I do beseech thee, King of Scotland, make me this pledge. I know thy
+noble spirit well, and I know thy too chivalric honor would blind thee
+to a sense of danger, to a sense of country, duty, glory, of all save
+the rescue of one who, though she be faithful to thee and to her
+country, is but as a drop of water in the ocean, compared to other
+claims. My liege, thy word is already in part pledged," she continued,
+more proudly. "Any pledge or promise I might demand is granted ere it is
+asked, your highness deigned to say; thou canst not retract it now."
+
+"And wherefore shouldst thou, royal brother?" cheeringly interrupted
+Alexander Bruce. "The Lady Isahella asks not unreasonably; she does but
+suggest _what may be_, although that may be is, as we all know, next to
+impossible, particularly now when nature has fortified this pleasant
+lodge even as would a garrison of some hundred men. Come, be not so
+churlish in thy favors, good my liege; give her the pledge she demands,
+and be sure its fulfilment will never be required."
+
+"Could I but think so," he replied, still gravely. "Lady, I do entreat
+thee, tell me wherefore thou demandest this strange boon; fearest thou
+evil--dreamest thou aught of danger hovering near? If so, as there is a
+God in heaven, I will not go forth to-day!"
+
+"Pardon me, gracious sovereign," answered Isabella, evasively; "I ask
+it, because since the late adventure there has been a weight upon my
+spirit as if I, impotent, of little consequence as I am, yet even I
+might be the means of hurling down evil on thy head, and through thee on
+Scotland; and, therefore, until thy promise to the effect I have
+specified is given, I cannot, I will not rest--even though, as Lord
+Alexander justly believes, its fulfilment will never be required. Evil
+here, my liege, trust me, cannot be; therefore go forth in confidence. I
+fear not to await your return, e'en should I linger here alone. Grant
+but my boon."
+
+"Nay, an it must be, lady, I promise all thou demandest," answered
+Bruce, more cheerfully, for her words reassured him; "but, by mine
+honor, thou hast asked neither well nor kindly. Remember, my pledge is
+passed but for real danger, and that only for Scotland's sake, not for
+mine own; and now farewell, lady. I trust, ere we meet again, these
+depressing fancies will have left thee."
+
+"They have well-nigh departed now, my liege; 'twas simply for thee and
+Scotland these heavy bodings oppressed me. My son," she added, after a
+brief pause, "I would your highness could prevail on him to accompany
+you to-day. Wherefore should he stay with me?"
+
+"Wherefore not rather, lady?" replied the king, smiling. "I may not
+leave thee to thine own thoughts to weave fresh boons like to the last.
+No, no! our young knight must guard thee till we meet again," and with
+these words he departed. They did not, however, deter the countess from
+resuming her persuasions to Alan to accompany his sovereign, but without
+success. Isabella of Buchan had, however, in this instance departed from
+her usual strict adherence to the truth, she did not feel so secure that
+no evil would befall her in the absence of the Bruce, as she had
+endeavored to make him believe.
+
+Some words she had caught during her brief captivity caused her, she
+scarcely knew why, to believe that the Earl of Buchan himself was in the
+neighborhood; nay, that the very party which had captured her were
+members of the army under his command. She had gathered, too, that it
+was a very much larger force than the king's, and therefore it was that
+she had made no objection to Robert's wish that she should rest some few
+days in the hunting-lodge. She knew that, however her failing strength
+might detain and harass their movements, Bruce and his followers would
+never consent to leave her, unless, as in the present case, under a
+comparatively comfortable roof and well-concealed shelter; and she knew,
+too, that however she might struggle to accompany them in their
+wanderings, the struggle in her present exhausted state would be utterly
+in vain, and lingering for her might expose her sovereign to a renewal
+of the ills with which he had already striven so nobly, and perchance to
+yet more irreparable misfortune. The information of the scouts had
+partially reassured her, at least to the fact that no immediate danger
+was to be apprehended, and for a while she indulged the hope that safety
+might be found in this hidden spot until the peril passed. She had full
+confidence in the fidelity of the old retainers who had guided them to
+the spot, and sought to feel satisfied that its vicinity was unknown to
+the earl, her husband; but, whether from the restlessness of a slight
+degree of fever, or from that nervous state of mind attendant on
+worn-out strength, ere the Bruce departed the same foreboding came on
+her again, and all her desire was the absence of her sovereign and his
+followers, to have some hold upon his almost too exalted sense of
+chivalry, which would prevent any rash act of daring on his part; and
+this, as we have seen, she obtained.
+
+Could she but have prevailed on her son to accompany them, she would
+calmly and resignedly have awaited her fate, whatever it might be; but
+the horror of beholding him a prisoner in the hands of his father--that
+father perhaps so enraged at the boy's daring opposition to his will and
+political opinions, that he would give him up at once to the wrath of
+Edward--was a picture of anguish from which her mind revolted in such
+intense suffering, she could not rest. She strove with the fancy; she
+sought to rouse every energy, to feel secure in her present
+resting-place. But who can resist the influence of feelings such as
+these? What mother's heart cannot enter into the emotions of Isabella of
+Buchan, as she gazed on her noble boy, improved as he was in manliness
+and beauty, and with the dread anticipation of evil, believing only
+absence could protect him; that perchance the very love which kept him
+by her side would expose him to danger, imprisonment, and death? She did
+not speak her fears, but Alan vainly sought to soothe that unwonted
+restlessness. She had endeavored to secure the Bruce's safety by the aid
+of Malcolm, the young page, by whose instrumentality she had been both
+captured and released. Taking advantage of Sir Alan's absence, she had
+called the boy to her side, and made him promise that, at the first
+manifest sign of danger, he would make his escape, which, by his extreme
+agility and address, would easily be achieved, seek the king, and give
+him exact information of the numbers, strength, and situation of the
+foes, reminding him, at the same time, of his solemn pledge. She made
+him promise the profoundest secrecy, and adjured him at all hazards to
+save the king.
+
+The boy, affected by the solemnity of her manner, promised faithfully to
+observe her minutest sign, and on the re-entrance of Sir Alan departed,
+to marvel wherefore his lady should so have spoken, and examine the
+localities around, as to the best means of concealment and escape.
+
+The hours waned, and night fell, as is usual in October, some five hours
+after noon, the gloom perhaps greatly increased by the deep shades in
+which their place of concealment lay. Sir Alan roused the fire to a
+cheerful blaze, and lighting a torch of pine-wood, placed it in an iron
+bracket projecting from the wall, and amused himself by polishing his
+arms, and talking in that joyous tone his mother so loved, on every
+subject that his affection fancied might interest and amuse her. He was
+wholly unarmed, except his sword, which, secured to his waist by a
+crimson sash, he never laid aside; and fair and graceful to his mother's
+eye did he look in his simple doublet of Lincoln-green, cut and slashed
+with ruby velvet, his dark curls clustering round his bare throat, and
+his bright face beaming in all the animation of youth and health,
+spiritualized by the deeper feelings of his soul; and she, too, was
+still beautiful, though her frame was slighter, her features more
+attenuated than when we first beheld her. He had insisted on her
+reclining on the couch, and drawn from her otherwise painful thoughts by
+his animated sallies, smiles circled her pale lip, and her sorrows were
+a while forgotten.
+
+An hour, perhaps rather more, elapsed, and found the mother and son
+still as we have described, There had been no sound without, but about
+that period many heavy footsteps might have been distinguished,
+cautiously, it seemed, advancing. Alan started up and listened; the
+impatient neigh of a charger was heard, and then voices suppressed, yet,
+as he fancied, familiar.
+
+"King Robert returned already!" he exclaimed; "they must have had an
+unusually successful chase. I must e'en seek them and inquire."
+
+"Alan! my child!" He started at the voice, it was so unlike his
+mother's. She had risen and flung her arm around him with a pressure so
+convulsive, he looked at her with terror. There was no time to answer; a
+sudden noise usurped the place of the previous stillness--a struggle--a
+heavy fall; the door was flung rudely open, and an armed man stood upon
+the threshold, his vizor up, but even had it not been, the heart of the
+countess too truly told her she gazed upon her husband!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+
+A brief pause followed the entrance of this unexpected visitor. Standing
+upon the threshold, his dark brow knit, his eyes fixed on his prisoners,
+the Earl of Buchan stood a few minutes immovable. Alan saw but a
+mail-clad warrior, more fierce and brutal in appearance than the
+generality of their foes, and felt, with all that heart-sinking
+despondency natural to youth, that they were betrayed, that resistance
+was in vain, for heavier and louder grew the tramp of horse and man, and
+the narrow passage, discernible through the open door, was filled with
+steel-clad forms, their drawn swords glancing in the torchlight, their
+dark brows gleaming in ill-concealed triumph. Alan was still a boy in
+years, despite his experience as a warrior, and in the first agony of
+this discovery, the first dream of chains and captivity, when his young
+spirit revelled in the thought of freedom, and joyed as a bird in the
+fresh air of mount and stream, weaving bright hopes, not exile or
+wandering could remove, his impulse had been to dash his useless sword
+in anguish to the earth, and weep; but the sight of his mother checked
+that internal weakness. He felt her convulsive clasp; he beheld the
+expression on her features,--how unlike their wont--terror, suffering,
+whose _entire_ cause he vainly endeavored to define, and he roused
+himself for her. And she, did she see more than her son? She _knew_ that
+face, and as she gazed, she felt hope had departed; she beheld naught
+but a long, endless vista of anguish; yet she felt not for herself, she
+thought but of her child. And the earl, can we define his exulting
+mood?--it was the malice, the triumph of a fiend.
+
+"Who and what art thou?" demanded Alan, fiercely, laying his right hand
+on his sword, and with the left firmly clasping his mother's waist.
+"What bold knight and honorable chevalier art thou, thus seeking by
+stealth the retreat of a wanderer, and overpowering by numbers and
+treachery men, who on the field thou and such as thou had never dared to
+meet?"
+
+The earl laughed; that bitter, biting laugh of contempt and triumph so
+difficult to bear.
+
+"Thou hast a worthy tongue, my pretty springald," said he; "canst thou
+use thy sword as bravely? Who and what am I? ask of the lady thou hast
+so caressingly encircled with thine arm, perchance she can give thee
+information."
+
+Alan started, a cold thrill passed through his frame, as the real cause
+of his mother's terror flashed on his mind; her lips, parched and
+quivering, parted as to speak, but there was no sound.
+
+"Mother," he said, "mother, speak to thy son. Why, why art thou thus?
+it is not the dread of imprisonment, of death. No, no; they have no
+terrors for such as thee. Who is this man?"
+
+Engrossed in his own agitation, Alan had not heard the muttered
+exclamation which burst from Buchan's lips with his first words, for
+great was the earl's surprise as he looked on his son; the impression he
+was still a child had remained on his mind despite all reports to the
+contrary, but no softer feeling obtained dominion.
+
+"Who and what am I?" he continued, after a brief pause. "Wouldst thou
+know, Alan of Buchan? Even a faithful knight, soldier, and subject of
+his Royal Highness Edward, king of England and Scotland, and
+consequently thy foe; the insulted and dishonored husband of the woman
+thou callest mother, and consequently thy father, young man. Ha! have I
+spoken home? Thy sword, thy sword; acknowledge thy disloyalty to thy
+father and king, and for thee all may yet be well."
+
+"Never!" answered Alan, proudly, the earl's concluding words rousing the
+spirit which the knowledge of beholding his father and the emotion of
+his mother seemed to have crushed. "Never, Lord of Buchan! for father I
+cannot call thee. Thou mayest force me to resign my sword, thou mayest
+bring me to the block, but acknowledge allegiance to a foreign tyrant,
+who hath no claims on Scotland or her sons, save those of hate and
+detestation, that thou canst never do, even if thy sword be pointed at
+my heart."
+
+"Boy!" burst from the earl's lips, in accents of irrepressible rage, but
+he checked himself; "thou hast learned a goodly lesson of disobedience
+and daring, of a truth, and I should tender grateful thanks to thy most
+worthy, most efficient and virtuous teacher," he added, in his own
+bitterly sarcastic tone. "The Lady Isabella deems, perchance, she has
+done her duty to her husband in placing a crown on the head of his
+hereditary and hated foe, and leading his son in the same path of
+rebellion and disloyalty, and giving his service to the murderer of his
+kinsman."
+
+"Earl of Buchan, I have done my duty alike to my country and my son,"
+replied the countess, her high spirit roused by the taunts of her
+husband. "According to the dictates of my conscience, mine honor as a
+Scottish woman, the mother of a Scottish warrior, I have done my duty,
+and neither imprisonment, nor torture, nor death will bid me retract
+those principles, or waver in my acknowledgment of Scotland and her
+king. Pardon me, my lord; but there is no rebellion in resisting the
+infringement of a tyrant, no disloyalty in raising the standard against
+Edward, for there is no treason when there is no lawful authority; and
+by what right is Edward of England king of Scotland? Lord of Buchan, I
+have done my duty. As my father taught _me_ I have taught my child!"
+
+"Regarding, of course, madam, all which that child's father would have
+taught him, particularly that most Christian virtue returning good for
+evil, as in the fact of revenging the death of a kinsman with the gift
+of a crown. Oh! thou hast done well, most intrinsically well."
+
+"I own no relationship with a traitor," burst impetuously from Alan.
+"Sir John Comyn was honored in his death, for the sword of the Bruce was
+too worthy a weapon for the black heart of a traitor. Lord of Buchan, we
+are in thy power, it is enough. Hadst thou wished thy son to imbibe thy
+peculiar principles, to forget his country and her lights, it had been
+better perchance hadst thou remembered thou hadst a child--a son. Had
+the duty of a father been performed, perchance I had not now forgotten
+mine as a son! As it is, we stand as strangers and as foes. Against thee
+in truth I will not raise my sword; but further, we are severed and
+forever!" He crossed his arms proudly on his bosom, and returned the
+dark, scowling glance of his father with a flashing eye, and a mien as
+firm and nobler than his own.
+
+"It is well, young man; I thank you for my freedom," returned the earl,
+between his teeth. "As my son, I might stand between thee and Edward's
+wrath; as a stranger and my foe, why, whatever his sentence be--the axe
+and block without doubt--let it work, it will move me little."
+
+"Heed not his rash words, in mercy, heed them not!" exclaimed the
+countess, her voice of agony contrasting strangely with its former proud
+reserve. "Neglected, forgotten him as thou hast, yet, Lord of Buchan, he
+is still thy son. Oh, in mercy, expose him not to the deadly wrath of
+Edward! thou canst save him, thou canst give him freedom. It is I--I who
+am the attainted traitor, not my child. Give me up to Edward, and he
+will heed not, ask not for thy son. It is I who have offended him and
+thee, not my child. Art thou not a Scottish noble, descendant of a
+house as purely loyal and devoted to their country as mine own--art thou
+not indeed this man, and yet hath Edward, the deadly foe of thy race,
+thy land, thy countrymen, more exalted claims than thine own blood? No,
+no, it cannot be! thou wilt relent, thou wilt have mercy; let him be but
+free, and do with me even what thou wilt!"
+
+"Free! go free!" repeated the earl, with a hoarse laugh, ere Alan could
+interfere. "Let him go free, forsooth, when he tells me he is my foe,
+and will go hence and join my bitterest enemies the moment he is free.
+Go free! and who art thou who askest this boon? Hast thou such claims
+upon me, that for thy pleasure I should give freedom to thy son?"
+
+"My lord, my lord, 'tis for thine own sake, for his, thy child as well
+as mine, I do beseech, implore thy mercy? draw not the curse of heaven
+on thy heart by exposing him to death. Thou wilt know and feel him as
+indeed thy child when he lies bleeding before thee, when thine own hand
+hath forged the death-bolt, and then, then it will be too late; thou
+wilt yearn for his voice in vain. Oh! is it not sufficient triumph to
+have in thy power the wife who hath dared thy authority, who hath joined
+the patriot band, and so drawn down on her the vengeance of Edward? The
+price of a traitor is set upon her head. My lord, my lord, is not one
+victim enough--will not my capture insure thee reward and honor in the
+court of Edward? Then do with me what thou wilt--chains, torture, death;
+but my child, my brave boy--oh, if thou hast one spark of mercy in thy
+heart, let him go!"
+
+"Mother," hoarsely murmured Alan, as he strove to raise her from her
+suppliant posture, "mother, this shall not be! look upon that face and
+know thou pleadest in vain. I will not accept my freedom at such a
+price; thy knee, thy supplications unto a heart of stone, for me! No,
+no; mother, dear mother, we will die together!"
+
+"Thou shalt not, thou shalt not, my beloved, my beautiful! thy death
+will be on my head, though it come from a father's hand. I will plead, I
+will be heard! My lord, my lord," she continued, wrought to a pitch of
+agonized feeling, no heart save that to which she pleaded could have
+heard unmoved, "I ask but his freedom, the freedom of a boy, a
+child--and of whom do I ask it?--of his father, his own father! Speak to
+me, answer me; thou canst not be so lost to the voice, the feelings of
+nature. For the sake of the mother who loved, the father who blessed
+_thee_, whose blessing hallowed our union and smiled on our infant boy,
+have mercy on me, on thyself--let him, oh, let him be free!"
+
+"Mercy on thee, thou false and perjured woman!" the earl burst forth,
+the cold sarcastic expression with which he had at first listened to her
+impassioned entreaties giving way to the fearful index of ungoverned
+rage; "on thee, thou false traitress, not alone to thy husband's
+principles but to his honor! Do I not know thee, minion--do I not know
+the motives of thy conduct in leaving thy husband's castle for the court
+of Bruce? Patriotism, forsooth--patriotism, ha! the patriotism that had
+vent in giving and receiving love from him; it was so easy to do homage
+to him in public as thy king. Oh, most rare and immaculate specimen of
+female loyalty and virtue, I know thee well!"
+
+"Man!" answered the countess, springing from her knee, and standing
+before him with a mien and countenance of such majestic dignity, that
+for a brief moment it awed even him, and her bewildered son gazed at her
+with emotions of awe, struggling with surprise.
+
+"Ha! faithless minion, thou bravest it well," continued Buchan,
+determined on evincing no faltering in his purpose, "but thou bravest it
+in vain; dishonored thou art, and hast been, aye, from the time thy
+minion Robert visited thee in Buchan Tower, and lingered with thee the
+months he had disappeared from Edward's court. Would Isabella of Buchan
+have rendered homage to any other bold usurper, save her minion Robert?
+Would the murder of a Comyn have passed unavenged by her had the
+murderer been other than her gallant Bruce? Would Isabella of Buchan be
+here, the only female in the Bruce's train--for I know that he is with
+thee--were loyalty and patriotism her only motive? Woman, I know thee! I
+know that thou didst love him, ere that false hand and falser heart were
+given to me; thy lips spoke perfidy when they vowed allegiance at the
+altar; and shall I have mercy on thy son, for such as thee? Mercy! ha,
+have I silenced thy eloquence now?"
+
+"Silenced, false, blasphemous villain!" vociferated Alan, every other
+feeling lost in the whirlwind of passion, and springing on the earl,
+with his drawn sword. "'Tis thou who art the false and faithless--thou
+who art lost to every feeling of honor and of truth. Thy words are false
+as hell, from whence they spring!"
+
+"Alan, by the love thou bearest me, I charge thee put up thy sword--it
+is thy father!" exclaimed, the countess, commandingly, and speaking the
+last word in a tone that thrilled to the boy's heart. He checked himself
+in his full career; he snapped his drawn sword in twain, he cast it
+passionately from him, and uttering, convulsively, "Oh God, oh God, my
+father!" flung himself in agony on the ground. With arms folded and the
+smile of a demon on his lip the earl had awaited his attack, but there
+was disappointment within, for his foul charge had failed in its
+intended effect. Prouder, colder, more commandingly erect had become the
+mein of the countess as he spoke, till she even appeared to increase in
+stature; her flashing eyes had never moved from his face, till his fell
+beneath them; her lip had curled, his cheek had flushed: powerful indeed
+became the contrast between the accused and the accuser.
+
+"Arise, my son," she said, "arise and look upon thy mother; her brow
+even as her heart is unstained with shame; she fears not to meet the
+glance of her child. Look up, my boy; I speak these words to _thee_, not
+to that bold, bad man, who hath dared unite the name of a daughter of
+Fife with shame. He hath no word either of exculpation, denial, or
+assent from me. But to thee, my child, my young, my innocent child,
+thee, whose ear, when removed from me, they may strive to poison with
+false tales, woven with such skill that hadst thou not thy mother's
+word, should win thee to belief--to thee I say, look on me, Alan--is
+this a brow of guilt?"
+
+"No, no, no, I will not look on thee, my mother! I need not to gaze on
+thee to know the horrid falsity of the charge," answered Alan, flinging
+his arms passionately around his mother. "Did I never see thee more,
+never list that voice again, and did all the fiends of hell come around
+me with their lies, I would not hear, much less believe such charge. No,
+no! oh God, 'tis my father, speaks it! Father--and my hand is powerless
+to avenge."
+
+"I need not vengeance, my beloved; grieve not, weep not that thy hand is
+chained, and may not defend thy mother's stainless name; I need it not.
+My heart is known unto my God, my innocence to thee; his blessing rest
+with thee, my beautiful, and give thee strength for all thou mayest
+endure."
+
+She bent down to kiss his brow, which was damp with the dew of intense
+anguish. He started up, he gave one long look on her calm and noble
+face, and then he flung himself in her arms, and sobbed like a child on
+her bosom. It was a fearful moment for that woman heart; had she been
+alone with her child, both nerve and spirit must have given way, but
+fortunately, perhaps, for the preservation of her fortitude, the Earl of
+Buchan was still the witness of that scene, triumphing in the sufferings
+he had caused. The countess did indeed fold her boy convulsively to her
+breast, but she did not bend her head on his, as Nature prompted; it was
+still erect; her mien majestic still, and but a slight quivering in her
+beautiful lip betrayed emotion.
+
+"Be firm; be thy noble self," she said. "Forget not thou art a knight
+and soldier amid the patriots of Scotland. And now a while, farewell."
+
+She extricated herself with some difficulty from his embrace; she paused
+not to gaze again upon the posture of overwhelming despondency in which
+he had sunk, but with a step quick and firm advanced to the door.
+
+"Whither goest thou, madam?" demanded the earl fiercely. "Bold as thou
+art, it is well to know thou art a prisoner, accused of high treason
+against King Edward."
+
+"I need not your lordship's voice to give me such information," she
+answered, proudly. "Methinks these armed followers are all-sufficient
+evidence. Guard me, aye, confine me with fetters an thou wilt, but in
+thy presence thou canst not force me to abide."
+
+"Bid a last farewell to thy son, then, proud minion," he replied, with
+fiendish malignity; "for an ye part now, it is forever. Ye see him not
+again."
+
+"Then be it so," she rejoined; "we shall meet where falsehood and
+malignant hate can never harm us more," and with a gesture of dignity,
+more irritating to the earl than the fiercest demonstration of passion,
+she passed the threshold. A sign from Buchan surrounded her with guards,
+and by them she was conducted to a smaller apartment, which was first
+carefully examined as to any concealed means of escape, and then she was
+left alone, a strong guard stationed at the door.
+
+The first few minutes after the disappearance of the countess were
+passed by her husband in rapidly striding up and down the room, by her
+son, in the same posture of mute and motionless anguish in which she had
+left him. There is no need to define that suffering, his peculiar
+situation is all-sufficient to explain it. Hurriedly securing the door
+from all intruders, the earl at length approached his son.
+
+"Wouldst thou be free?" he said, abruptly. "Methinks thou art young
+enough still to love liberty better than chains, and perchance death.
+Speak, I tell thee; wouldst thou be free?"
+
+"Free!" answered Alan, raising his head, with flashing eye and burning
+cheek; "would I be free? Ask of the chained lion, the caged bird, and
+they will tell thee the greenwood and forest glade are better, dearer,
+even though the chain were gemmed, the prison gilded. Would I be free?
+Thou knowest that I would."
+
+"Swear, then, that thou wilt quit Scotland, and vow fealty to Edward;
+that never more will thy sword be raised save against the contemned and
+hated Bruce. Be faithful but to me and to King Edward, and thou shalt be
+free."
+
+"Never!" answered Alan, proudly. "Earl of Buchan, I accept no conditions
+with my freedom; I will not be free, if only on this base condition.
+Turn recreant and traitor to my country and my king! resign the precious
+privilege of _dying_, if I may not _live_, for Scotland--I tell thee,
+never! Urge me no more."
+
+"Nay, thou art but a boy, a foolish boy," continued the earl, struggling
+to speak persuadingly, "incapable of judging that which is right and
+best. I tell thee, I will give thee not freedom alone, but honor,
+station, wealth; I will acknowledge thee as my well-beloved son and
+heir; I will forget all that is past; nay, not e'en thy will or actions
+will I restrain; I will bind thee by no vow; thou shalt take no part
+with Edward; I will interfere not with thy peculiar politics; e'en what
+thou wilt thou shalt do, aye, and have--and all this but on one
+condition, so slight and simple that thou art worse than fool an thou
+refusest."
+
+"Speak on," muttered Alan, without raising his head. "I hear."
+
+"Give me but information of the movements of him thou callest king,"
+replied Buchan, in a low yet emphatically distinct voice; "give me but a
+hint as to where we may meet him in combat--in all honorable and
+knightly combat, thou knowest that I mean--give me but information such
+as this, and thou art free, unshackled, in condition as in limb."
+
+"In other words, _betray him,_" replied Alan, starting up. "Purchase my
+freedom with the price of his! mine, of nothing worth, aye, less than
+nothing, redeemed by his! Oh, shame, shame on thee, my lord! Well mayest
+thou offer me freedom of action as in will on such condition. Of little
+heed to Edward were the resistance of all Scotland, were Robert in his
+power. Honor, station, wealth!--oh, knowest thou the human heart so
+little as to believe these can exist with black treachery and fell
+remorse? Once and forever, I tell thee thine offers are in vain. Were
+death in one scale, and free, unshackled liberty in the other, and thou
+badest me choose between, I would not so stain my soul. Death, death
+itself were welcome, aye, worse than death--confinement, chains. I would
+hug them to my heart as precious boons, rather than live and walk the
+earth a traitor."
+
+"Beware!" muttered the earl; "tempt me not too far, rash boy. I would
+not do thee ill; I would have pity on thy erring youth, remembering the
+evil counsels, the base heart which hath guided thee."
+
+"Do thou beware!" retorted Alan, fiercely. "Speak not such foul words to
+me. Father, as I know thou art in blood, there are ties far stronger
+which bind me to my mother--ties, neglect, forgetfulness, indifference
+as thine can never know. Pity, aye, mercy's self, I scorn them, for I
+need them not."
+
+"Ha! sayest thou so; then I swear thou shalt not have them!" exclaimed
+the earl, rage again obtaining the ascendant. "I would have saved thee;
+I would have given thee freedom, though I needed not the condition that
+I offered. Thinkest thou I do not know that the traitor Bruce and his
+followers will return hither, and fall into the net prepared? thinkest
+thou I know not he is with thee, aye, that he would not have left his
+patriot countess thus slightly guarded, an he hoped not to return
+himself? He cannot escape me--the murder of Sir John Comyn will be
+avenged."
+
+"He shall, he will escape thee, proud earl," undauntedly returned Alan.
+"The savior of his wretched country will not be forced to bow before
+such as thee; he will be saved out of the net prepared--harassed,
+chased, encompassed as he is. I tell thee, Earl of Buchan, he will
+escape thee yet."
+
+"Then, by heaven, thy head shall fall for his!" fiercely replied the
+earl. "If he return not, he has been forewarned, prepared, and I, fool
+as I was, have thought not of this danger. Look to it, proud boy, if the
+Bruce return not forty-eight hours hence, and thou art still silent,
+thou diest."
+
+He held up his clenched hand in a threatening attitude, but Alan neither
+moved nor spoke, firmly returning the earl's infuriated gaze till the
+door closed on his father's retreating form. He heard the bolts drawn,
+the heavy tramp of the guard, and then he threw himself on the couch,
+and buried his face in his hands.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+
+While these fearful scenes were passing in the hunting-lodge, Malcolm,
+the young page already mentioned, had contrived to elude the vigilance
+of the earl's numerous followers, and reach the brow of the hollow in
+perfect safety. Endowed with a sense and spirit above his years, and
+inspired by his devoted attachment to the countess and Sir Alan, the boy
+did not merely think of his own personal security, and of the simple act
+of warning the king against the treachery which awaited his return, but,
+with an eye and mind well practised in intelligent observation, he
+scanned the numbers, character, and peculiar situation of the foes which
+had so unexpectedly come upon them. Being peculiarly small and light in
+figure, and completely clothed in a dark green tunic and hose, which was
+scarcely discernible from the trees and shrubs around, he stole, in and
+out every brake and hollow, clambering lightly and noiselessly over
+crags, hanging like a broken branch from stunted trees, leaping with the
+elasticity of a youthful fawn over stream and shrub, and thus obtained a
+true and exact idea of the matter he desired. The boy's heart did indeed
+sink as he felt rescue would be utterly impossible; that in one
+direction the English force extended nearly a mile, guarding every
+avenue, every hollow in the forest, till it seemed next to impossible
+King Robert could escape, even if forewarned. Wherever he turned his
+steps the enemy appeared to lurk, but he wavered not in his purpose.
+Aware of the direction which the king would take in returning, Malcolm
+slackened not his speed until some three hours after he had quitted the
+hollow, and he stood before his sovereign well-nigh too exhausted for
+the utterance of his tale.
+
+The first impulse of the king and his true-hearted followers was to dare
+all danger, and rescue the countess and her brave son at the expense of
+their lives; but Malcolm, flinging himself at the feet of Robert,
+adjured him, in the name of the countess, to remember and act upon the
+vow he had so solemnly pledged at parting. He earnestly and emphatically
+repeated the last injunctions of his lady, her deep anguish that the
+king, the savior of Scotland, should hazard all for her and her
+child--better they should die than Robert; but these entreaties were but
+anguish to the noble spirit who heard, aye, and felt their truth, though
+abide by them he could not. Again and again he questioned and
+cross-questioned as to their numbers and their strength, but Malcolm
+never wavered from his first account; clearly and concisely he gave
+every required information, and with bleeding hearts that little band of
+patriots felt they dared not hope to rescue and to conquer. Yet tacitly
+to assent to necessity, to retreat without one blow, to leave their
+faithful companions to death, without one stroke for vengeance at least,
+if not for relief, this should not be.
+
+"We will see with our own eyes, hear with our own ears, at least, my
+friends," King Robert said. "Is there one among ye would retreat, from,
+the narrative of a child, true as it may be? Remember the pass in
+Argyle; if necessary, your sovereign can protect your retreat now as
+then, and we shall at least feel we have struggled to rescue, striven
+for the mastery, even if it be in vain. Were my death, aye, the death of
+Scotland the forfeit, I could not so stain my knightly fame by such
+retreat. Let but the morning dawn, and we will ourselves mark the
+strength of our foes."
+
+There was not one dissenting voice, rash as his determination might
+appear. The extraordinary skill and courage of their sovereign,
+displayed in so many instances during their perilous wanderings, were
+too fresh in their memories to permit of one doubt, one fear, even had
+he led them on to certain death. To throw themselves from their tired
+chargers, to give them food, to lie down themselves for a brief repose
+on the turf, that they might be strengthened and cheered for the work of
+the morning, all this did not occupy much time; and if their slumbers
+were brief and troubled, it did not prevent their rising with, alacrity
+at the first peep of day to polish their arms, look to the sharpening of
+their swords and spears, share the rude huntsman's meal, and mount and
+ride with the first signal of their king.
+
+But bold and brave as were these true-hearted men, successful as,
+comparatively speaking, they were in the numberless skirmishes which
+took place that day, darkness overtook them, with increase of glory
+indeed, but no nearer the accomplishment of their object than they had
+been in the morning.
+
+With bitter sorrow King Robert had perceived the full confirmation of
+the page's words. The early close of the night attendant on the autumn
+season was also unfavorable to his views; the events of the day had
+fully convinced him that many an ambush was set in his path, that his
+personal safety was wholly incompatible with a night attack, and
+therefore he was compelled to remain on the defensive in one spot, which
+was fortunately barricaded and concealed by Nature, during the many long
+and weary hours forming an October night. Yet still the following day
+beheld him struggling on, in the face alike of disappointment, defeat,
+and danger the most imminent; still seeking the same object, still
+hoping against hope, and retreating only because the welfare of his
+country, of her unfortunate children, depended upon him; bands more and
+more numerous pressed upon him, coming from every side, that scarcely
+was one skilfully eluded ere he had to struggle against another. Nothing
+but the most consummate skill, the most patient courage, and coolest
+address could have extricated him from the fearful dangers which
+encompassed him. Again did his followers believe he bore a charmed life,
+for not only did he deal destruction, unhurt himself, but after three
+days almost incessant fighting and fatigue, he had brought them to a
+place of safety, with but the loss of five-and-twenty men.
+
+But though painfully conscious that further efforts for the rescue of
+his friends were completely useless, King Robert could not rest
+satisfied without some more accurate knowledge of their fate, and after
+some hurried yet anxious consultation. Sir James Douglas, with that
+daring which so marked his simplest action, declared that at all risks
+he would seek some tidings that would end their anxiety. In the disguise
+of a peasant he would be secure from all discovery, he said; and he had
+not the slightest fear as to the success of the adventure. Five others
+started up as he spoke entreating permission to take the same disguise
+and accompany him. It was granted; King Robert advising them, however,
+to adopt a diversity of costume, and keep each one apart as they
+approached inhabited districts, as their numbers might excite suspicion,
+even though the actual disguise was complete. With arms concealed
+beneath their various disguises, they departed that same evening,
+engaging to meet the king at the base of Ben-Cruchan, some miles more
+south than their present trysting. It was an anxious parting, and yet
+more when they were actually gone; for the high spirit and vein of humor
+which characterized the young Lord Douglas had power to cheer his
+friends even in the most painful moments. King Robert, indeed, exerted
+himself, but this last stroke had been a heavy one; knowing so well the
+character of Edward, he trembled both for the countess and her noble
+son, perhaps less for the latter than the former, for he hoped and
+believed the Earl of Buchan, if indeed he were their captor, would at
+least have some mercy on his son, but for the countess he knew that
+there was no hope. The character, the sentiments of the earl had been
+noticed by the Bruce when both were at the court of Edward, and he felt
+and knew that any excuse to rid him of a wife whose virtues were
+obnoxious to him would be acted on with joy. And here, perhaps, it may
+be well to say a few words as to the real nature of King Robert's
+sentiments towards Isabella of Buchan, as from the anxiety her detention
+occasioned they may be so easily misunderstood.
+
+We have performed our task but ill if our readers have imagined aught
+but the most purely noble, most chivalric sentiments actuated the heart
+of the king. Whatever might have been the nature of those sentiments in
+earlier days, since his marriage with the daughter of the Earl of Mar
+they had never entered his soul.
+
+He had always believed the Lady Isabella's union with Lord John Comyn
+was one of choice, not of necessity, nor did his visit to her after the
+battle of Falkirk recall any former feeling. His mind had been under the
+heavy pressure of that self-reproach which the impressive words of
+Wallace had first awakened; the wretched state of his country, the
+tyranny of Edward, occupied the mind of the man in which the emotions of
+the boy had merged. He was, too, a husband and a father; and he was, as
+his fond wife so trustingly believed, too nobly honorable to entertain
+one thought to her dishonor. He looked on Isabella of Buchan as one
+indeed demanding his utmost esteem and gratitude, his most faithful
+friendship, and he secretly vowed that she should have it; but these
+emotions took not their coloring from the past, they were excited simply
+by her high-minded devotion to the cause of her country, her unshrinking
+patriotism, her noble qualities, alike as a mother, subject, friend. He
+felt but as one noble spirit ever feels for a kindred essence,
+heightened perhaps by the dissimilarity of sex, but aught of love, even
+in its faintest shadow, aught of dishonorable feelings towards her or
+his own wife never entered his wildest dream. It was the recollection of
+her unwavering loyalty, of the supporting kindness she had ever shown
+his queen, which occasioned his bitter sorrow at her detention by the
+foe; it was the dread that the cruel wrath of Edward would indeed
+condemn her to death for the active part she had taken in his
+coronation; the conviction, so agonizing to a mind like his, that he had
+no power to rescue and avenge; the fearful foreboding that thus would
+all his faithful friends fall from him--this, only this, would be the
+reward of all who served and loved him; and even while still, with
+undaunted firmness, cheering the spirits of his adherents, speaking hope
+to them, his own inward soul was tortured with doubts as to the wisdom
+of his resistance, lingering regrets for the fate of those of his
+friends already lost to him, and painful fears for the final doom of
+those who yet remained.
+
+It was in such moments of despondency that remorse, too, ever gained
+dominion, and heightened his inward struggles. Robert's hand was not
+framed for blood; his whole soul revolted from the bitter remembrance of
+that fatal act of passion which had stained his first rising. He would
+have given worlds, if he had had them, to have recalled that deed. Busy
+fancy represented a hundred ways of punishing treachery other than that
+which his fury had adopted; and this remembrance ever increased the
+anguish with which he regarded the fate of his friends. His lot was
+indeed as yet one of unexampled suffering, borne by heroism as great as
+unequalled but the lustre of the latter too frequently dazzles the mind,
+and prevents the full meed of glory being obtained. His heroism is known
+to all, his sufferings to but a few; but perhaps it was the latter yet
+more than the former which gave to Scotland the glory and honor she
+acquired in his reign. Heroism is scarce separable from ambition, but to
+mere ambition, the voice of suffering is seldom heard. Heroism dazzles
+the crowd, suffering purifies the man. If Robert the Bruce were
+ambitious, the passion in him assumed a nobler and better form; yet we
+can scarcely call that ambition which sought but the delivery of
+Scotland from chains, but the regaining an ancient heritage, and sought
+no more. It was patriotism hallowed by suffering, purified by adversity;
+patriotism the noblest, purest which ever entered the heart of man.
+
+King Robert and his handful of followers not only reached their
+trysting-place themselves, but were joined by the queen, and many of her
+female companions and their attendant warriors, ere Lord James of
+Douglas returned; three of his companions had straggled in, one by one,
+with various accounts, but none so satisfactory as the king desired, and
+he believed with justice, that Douglas lingered to bring, if not
+satisfactory (for that, alas! could not be) yet accurate intelligence.
+If aught could have comforted Agnes in these moments of agonized
+suspense, it would have been not alone the redoubled affection of her
+Nigel, but the soothing kindness, the love and sympathy of a father,
+which was lavished on her by King Robert; nay, each of those rude
+warriors softened in address and tone, as they looked on and spoke to
+that fair, fragile being, whom they feared now stood alone. She did not
+weep when other eyes than those of Nigel, or the Lady Campbell, or the
+gentle Isoline were on her, but that deadly pallor, that quivering lip,
+and heavy eye spoke all that she endured.
+
+A large cavern, divided by Nature into many compartments, was now the
+temporary shelter of the king and his friends. It was situated at the
+base of Ben-Cruchan, which, though at the entrance of the territories of
+Lorn, was now comparatively secure, the foe imagining the Bruce still
+amidst the mountains of Aberdeenshire.
+
+The evening meal was spread; a huge fire blazing in the stony cavity
+removed all appearance of damp or discomfort, and shed a warm, ruddy
+light on the groups within. It was a rude home for the King of Scotland
+and his court, yet neither murmuring nor despondency was marked on the
+bold brows of the warriors, or the gentler and paler features of their
+faithful companions; their frames, indeed, showed the effect of
+wandering and anxiety; many an eye which had been bright was sunken,
+many a blooming cheek was paled; but the lip yet smiled, the voice had
+yet its gleesome tones to soothe and cheer their warrior friends; the
+eager wish to prepare the couch and dress the simple meal, to perform
+those many little offices of love and kindness so peculiarly a woman's,
+and engaged in with a zest, a skill which was intuitive, for there had
+been a time, and one not far distant, when those high-born females
+little dreamed such household deeds would be their occupation.
+
+Brightly and beautifully shone forth conjugal and filial love in those
+wandering hours; the wife, the child, the sister bound themselves yet
+closer to the warrior husband, father, brother, which claimed them his.
+Yet sweet, most sweet as were those acts of love, there were anxious and
+loving hearts which felt that soon, too soon, they must part from them,
+they must persuade those gentle ones to accede to a temporary
+separation--they could not, they would not expose them to the snows and
+killing frosts of a Scottish winter.
+
+Anxiety, deep anxiety was on the heart of King Robert, becoming more
+painful with each glance he fixed on Agnes, who was sitting apart with
+Nigel, her aching head resting on his shoulder, but he strove to return
+the caresses of his daughter, to repay with fond smiles the exertions of
+his wife. Sir Niel Campbell (who, after many painful trials, had
+rejoined the king) and others strove to disperse the silently gathering
+gloom by jest and song, till the cavern walls re-echoed with their
+soldier mirth. Harshly and mournfully it fell on the ear and heart of
+the maiden of Buchan, but she would not have it stilled.
+
+"No, no; do thou speak to me, Nigel, and I shall only list to thee. Why
+should the noble efforts of these brave men--for I know even to them
+mirth is now an effort--be chilled and checked, because my sick heart
+beats not in unison? Oh, when will Lord James return?"
+
+Nigel sought to soothe, to speak hope, but though his words fell like
+balm on the bleeding heart he held to his, it was the rich melody of
+their voice, not the matter of their meaning.
+
+The hour of rest was fast approaching, when the well-known signal was
+heard without, and the young Lord Douglas, with his two companions, were
+hastily and eagerly admitted within the cave. Their looks denoted great
+fatigue, and the eager eyes which scanned their countenances read little
+to hope, yet much, much, alas! to fear.
+
+"Thou hast so far succeeded as to obtain the intelligence we need," was
+the king's instant greeting, as he released his favorite young follower
+from his embrace; "that I can read, but further, I fear me, thou hast
+little to communicate which we shall love to hear."
+
+"My tidings are ill indeed, your highness; aggravated and most
+undreamed-of ill. But, perchance," and the young man hesitated, for his
+eye caught the pallid face of Agnes, who had irresistibly drawn closer
+to the circle about the king, and fixed her eyes on him with an
+expression almost wild in its agony, "perchance they had better first
+meet your grace's private ear."
+
+"No, no!" reiterated Agnes, springing forward, and clinging convulsively
+to his arm. "It is only me thou fearest, I know; I know thou wouldst
+spare me, but do not, do not. I can bear all, every thing, save this
+horrible suspense; speak out, let me but know all, and then I can teach
+my soul to bear it. Oh, do not hesitate, do not pause; in mercy, tell
+me--oh, tell me all!"
+
+Thus adjured, but feeling most painfully the suffering his tale would
+produce, Douglas struggled with his own emotion, and repeated all the
+information he had obtained. Guardedly as he spoke, evidently as he
+endeavored to prepare the mind of Agnes, and thus soften its woe, his
+tale was yet such as to harrow up the hearts of all his hearers, how
+much more the frail and gentle being to whom it more immediately
+related; yet she stood calm, pale, indeed, and quivering, but with a
+desperate effort conquering the weakness of her nature, and bearing that
+deep woe as the daughter of her mother, the betrothed of Nigel Bruce.
+
+The young lord's information was simply this. On nearing the
+hunting-lodge, which was his first object, he found it very nearly
+deserted, but a few stragglers, amounting perhaps to fifty in number of
+the followers of Buchan, remaining behind, with orders to follow their
+master to Dunkeld without delay. Mingling with these as a countryman of
+the more northern counties, eager to obtain every species of
+intelligence respecting the movements of the English and the hunted
+Bruce, whom he pretended to condemn and vilify after the fashion of the
+Anglo-Scots, and feeling perfectly secure not only in the disguise he
+had assumed, but in the peculiar accent and intonation of the
+north-country peasant, which he could assume at pleasure, he made
+himself a welcome guest, and with scarcely any trouble received much of
+the information he desired. He was told of the first capture and rescue
+of the Countess of Buchan; that it was through one of the men left for
+dead on the scene of the skirmish the earl had received such exact
+information concerning the movements and intended destination of the
+Bruce; that immediately on receiving this intelligence he had gathered
+all his force, amounting to five hundred men, and dividing them into
+different bands, sent skilful guides with each, and was thus enabled to
+surround the lodge, and command five different avenues of the forest,
+without interruption or discovery. He learned, too, that a stormy
+interview had taken place between the earl, his wife, and son, the
+particulars of which, however, had not transpired; that the earl's rage
+had been terrific when he found the night passed, and the Bruce had not
+fallen into the snare laid for him; and he had sworn a fearful oath,
+that if the countess would not betray him into his power, her son should
+die; that both mother and son had stood this awful trial without
+shrinking; that no word either to betray their king or implore life and
+mercy had been wrung from them. Incensed beyond all measure, Buchan had
+sent on the countess with a numerous guard, his men believed, either to
+Dunkeld or Perth, in both of which towns there was a strong garrison of
+English, and lingered yet another day and night in the hope of dragging
+some intelligence from the lips of Alan, or persuading him into acting
+the spy upon the actions and movements of the Bruce. He succeeded in
+neither; and the men continued to state, with shuddering horror, which
+even their rude natures could not suppress, that they believed the son
+had actually fallen a victim to his father's rage--that he had actually
+been murdered. Numerous reports to that effect had been circulated on
+all sides, and though they had watched narrowly, they had seen nothing
+to contradict it. The body of the unfortunate boy had been cast into a
+deep well, heaps of rubbish flung over it, and the well built up. This
+they knew as a positive certainty, for they had seen it.
+
+Douglas heard this tale with an intensity of horror, of loathing, which
+at first deprived him almost of every other feeling; but when he could
+withdraw himself from the horrible idea, a species of disbelief took
+possession of him. It was impossible such utter depravity, such fearful
+insensibility to the claims of nature could exist in the breast of any
+man; it was a tale forged to inflict fresh agony on the mother's heart,
+and he determined on discovering, if possible, the truth. He pretended
+entirely to disbelieve it; declared it was not possible; that the earl
+had practised on their credulity, and would laugh at them afterwards;
+and contrived so well, that three or four declared he should be
+convinced with his own eyes, and set about pulling down the slight
+brickwork which covered the well. This was what Douglas wanted, and he
+eagerly lent them a helping hand.
+
+A body there was indeed, in form and in clothing so exactly that of the
+unhappy Alan, that, even though the face was so marred it could not be
+recognized, the young earl could doubt no longer; the young, the brave,
+the beautiful, and true, had fallen a victim to his own patriot loyalty,
+and by a father's hand. The deep suffering this certainly occasioned was
+regarded by his companions as sulkiness for having been proved wrong in
+his judgment; they jeered and laughed at him accordingly, and harshly as
+these sounds reverberated in his heart, they were welcome, as enabling
+him still more easily to continue his disguise.
+
+He accompanied them to Dunkeld, and found the earl had proceeded with
+his wife as prisoner to the castle of Stirling, there to deliver her
+over to the Earl of Hereford, through whom to be sent on to Edward.
+Determined on seeing her, if possible, Douglas resolved on daring the
+danger, and venturing even to the very stronghold of his foes. The
+horror which this unnatural act of the earl had excited in the minds of
+his men, he found had extended even over those in Dunkeld, and through
+them he learned that, directly on reaching the town, the earl had sought
+the countess, brutally communicated the death of her son, and placed in
+her hands the raven curls as all which remained of him, some of which
+were dabbled in blood; that she had remained apparently unmoved while in
+his presence, but the moment he left her had sunk into a succession of
+the most fearful fainting fits, in one of which she had been removed to
+Stirling.
+
+Withdrawing himself from his companions, under pretence of returning to
+his home in the north, having, he said, loitered too long, Douglas
+concealed himself for some days in the abbey of Scone, the holy inmates
+of which still retained their loyalty and patriotism, notwithstanding
+their revered abbot, unable to remain longer inactive, had donned the
+warrior's dress, and departed to join and fight with his king. Assuming
+the cowl and robes of one of the lay brothers, and removing the red wig
+and beard he had adopted with his former costume, the young lord took
+the staff in his hand, and with difficulty bringing his hasty pace to a
+level with the sober step and grave demeanor of a reverend monk, reached
+Stirling just as the cavalcade, with the litter intended for the captive
+countess, had assembled before the castle gate. Agitated almost beyond
+the power of control, Douglas made his way through the gathering crowds,
+and stood unquestioned close beside the litter. He did not wait long.
+Respectfully supported by the Earl of Hereford himself, the Countess of
+Buchan, with a firm, unfaltering step, approached the litter. The hood
+was thrown back, and Douglas could read the effects of withering agony
+on the marble stillness of those beautiful features, though to all else
+they spoke but firm and calm resolve; there was not a vestige of color
+on cheek or lip or brow; and though her figure was as commanding, as
+majestic as heretofore, there was a fearful attenuation about it,
+speaking volumes to Lord James's heart. Hereford placed her in the
+litter, and with a respectful salutation turned away to give some
+necessary orders to his men. Bold in his disguise, Douglas bent over the
+countess, and spoke in a low, feigned voice those words of comfort and
+of peace suited to his assumed character; but feigned as it was, the
+countess recognized him on that instant; a convulsive shudder passed
+through her every limb, contracting her features with very agony.
+
+"My child--my Alan!" she whispered, harrowing his very soul beneath that
+voice's thrilling woe. "Douglas, hast thou heard?--yes, yes; I can read
+it in thine awe-struck face. This, this is all I have left of him," and
+she partly drew from her bosom the clustering ringlets he recognized at
+once; "yet, wherefore should I mourn him: he is happy. Bid his memory be
+honored among ye; and oh, tell the sovereign for whom he fell, better a
+death like this than treachery and shame."
+
+She had paused as fearing observation, but perceiving the attention of
+all more fixed on the glittering cavalcade than on herself, she placed
+one of those glossy curls in the young earl's hand, and continued--
+
+"Give this to my poor Agnes, with her mother's blessing, and bid her
+take comfort, bid her not weep and mourn for me. A prison, even death is
+preferable now to life, for she is cared for. I trust her to Sir Nigel's
+love; I know that he will tend her as a brother till a happier hour
+makes her all his own. Commend me to my sovereign, and tell him, might I
+choose my path again, despite its anguish, 'twould be that which I have
+trod. And now farewell, young lord, I bless thee for this meeting."
+
+"Dominus vobiscum mea filia, et vale," responded the supposed monk, in a
+loud voice, for he had only time to assure the countess by a look of
+deep sympathy of his willingness to execute her simplest wish, and hide
+the ringlet in his bosom, ere Hereford turned towards him, with a gaze
+of stern inquiry. Ably concealing alike his emotion and the expression
+of his countenance, Douglas evaded discovery, and even obtained
+permission to follow the litter to the environs of the town. He did so,
+but the countess addressed him not again; and it was with a
+heart-sinking despondency he had turned to the mountains, when the
+cavalcade disappeared from his view. He retained his monkish garb till
+he entered the mountain district, where he fell in with his two
+companions, and they proceeded, as we have seen, to the quarters of
+their king.
+
+A pause of horror followed his narrative, told more forcibly and briefly
+by the lips of Douglas than through the cooler medium of the historian's
+pen. Stunned, overwhelmed, as if incapable of movement or speech, though
+sense remained, Agnes stood insensible, even to the voice of Nigel,
+whose soothing accents strove to whisper peace; but when Douglas placed
+in her cold hand the raven curls she knew so well, when tenderly yet
+earnestly he repeated her mother's words, the poor girl repeatedly
+pressed the hair to her parched lips, and laid it in her bosom; and then
+perceiving the sad and anxious face of her beloved, she passed her hand
+hurriedly over her brow, and burying her head on his breast, sense was
+preserved by an agony of tears.
+
+It was long, long ere this aggravated wretchedness was calmed, though
+the love of many, the devotion of one were ever round her to strengthen
+and console. Sympathy, the most heartfelt, reigned in every bosom. Of
+the many misfortunes which had befallen this patriot band, this seemed,
+if not really the severest, more fraught with horror than any which had
+come before; the youth, the gallant bearing, the endearing qualities of
+the heir of Buchan stood forth with vivid clearness in the memories of
+all, and there were times when they felt it could not be, it was too
+fearful; and then again, the too certain evidence of the fact, witnessed
+as it had been by one of such tried truth as James of Douglas, brought
+conviction too clearly home, and the sternest warrior, who would have
+faced his own captivity and death unmoved, felt no shame in the dimness
+which gathered in his eye for the fearful fate of the murdered boy.
+
+In King Robert's breast these emotions obtained yet more powerful
+dominion; again did remorse distract him, and there were moments of
+darkness, when his spirit questioned the justice of the Creator. Why was
+not his crime visited on his own head? Why did the guiltless and
+unstained fall thus around him, and he remain unharmed? and it needed
+all the eloquence of Nigel, the pious reasonings of the Abbot of Scone,
+to convince him that, dark and inscrutable as the decrees of Omnipotence
+sometimes seemed, in his case they were as clear as the wisdom from
+which they sprung. By chastisement he was purified; he was not yet fit
+to receive the reward of the righteous waiting on death. Destined to be
+the savior of his unhappy country, the remorse which bowed down his
+naturally haughty spirit was more acceptable in the sight of his God,
+more beneficial to his own soul, than the one act of devotedness
+included in a brave man's death. Robert struggled with his despondency,
+with his soul's deep grief, known as it was but to himself, his
+confessor, and his young brother; he felt its encouragement would
+unnerve him for his destined task. Other imperative matters now pressed
+round him, and by presenting fresh and increased danger, roused his
+energies once more to their wonted action.
+
+The winter had set in with unexampled severity, overwhelming snow-storms
+filled up the rude paths of the mountains, till egress and ingress
+appeared impossible. The Earl of Athol himself, who had been the
+inseparable companion of the Bruce in all his wanderings, now spoke of
+retiring, and passing the winter within stone walls, urging his
+sovereign with earnest eloquence to take refuge in Ireland till the
+spring, when they would reassemble under arms, and perhaps take the
+tyrant Edward once more by surprise.
+
+Bruce knew the veteran nobleman too well to attribute this advice to any
+motive save deep interest in his safety. He saw, too, that it was
+utterly impossible for them to remain as they then were, without serious
+evils alike to his female and male companions; the common soldiers,
+steady and firm as they still continued in loyalty, yet were continually
+dispersing, promising to reassemble in the spring, but declaring that it
+was useless to think of struggling against the English, when the very
+elements were at war against them. With a sad foreboding, Robert saw,
+and communicated to his devoted wife the necessity of their separation.
+He felt that it was right and best, and therefore he resisted all her
+tearful entreaties still to linger by his side; her child was suffering,
+for her tender years could not bear up against the cold and the want of
+proper nourishment, and yet even that claim seemed less to the mother's
+heart than the vision of her husband enduring increase of hardship
+alone. Her acquiescence was indeed at length obtained, but dimmed by
+many very bitter tears.
+
+A hasty consultation with his few remaining friends speedily decided the
+Bruce's plans. The castle of Kildrummie, a strong fortress situated at
+the head of the Don, in Aberdeenshire, yet remained to him, and thither,
+under the escort of his brother Nigel and three hundred men, the king
+determined to send his wife and child, and the other ladies of his
+court. Himself, his three brothers, Edward, Alexander, and Thomas,
+Douglas, Sir Niel Campbell, and his remaining two hundred followers,
+resolved on cautiously making their way southward across Loch Lomond,
+and proceed thence to the coast of Ireland, there to await the spring.
+In pursuance of this plan, Sir Niel Campbell was dispatched without
+delay to conciliate Angus, Lord of the Isles, to whom Cantire then
+belonged. Knowing he was unfriendly to his near neighbors, the Lords of
+Lorn, the king trusted he should find in him a powerful ally. To appeal
+yet more strongly to the chivalric hospitality which characterized the
+chieftain, Sir Niel consented that his wife and daughter Isoline should
+accompany him. Lady Campbell had too lately undergone the grief and
+anxiety attendant on the supposed loss of her husband to consent to
+another parting. Even the king, her brother, sought not to dissuade her;
+but all persuasions to induce Agnes to accompany them were vain; bitter
+as the pang of separation was to her already aching heart--for Lady
+Campbell and Isoline were both most dear to her--she steadily resolved
+to remain with the queen and her attendants, and thus share the fate of
+her betrothed.
+
+"Did not my mother commend me to thy care? Did she not bid thee tend me
+as a brother until happier hours, and shall I seek other guardianship
+than thine, my Nigel?" were her whispered words, and Nigel could not
+answer them. So pure, so unselfish was her love, that though he felt his
+happiness would have departed with her presence, could he have commanded
+words he would have implored her to seek the hospitality of the Lord of
+the Isles as a securer home than Kildrummie. Those forebodings already
+alluded to had returned with darker weight from the hour his separation
+from his brother was resolved on. He evinced no sign of his inward
+thoughts, he uttered no word of dissent, for the trust reposed in him by
+his sovereign was indeed as precious as it was honorable; but there was
+a mournful expression on his beautiful countenance--when unobserved, it
+would rest upon his brother--that Agnes could not define, although it
+filled her spirit with incomprehensible alarm, and urged her yet more to
+abide by his side.
+
+The dreaded day arrived at length, and agonized was indeed that parting.
+Cheerfully the king looked, and hopefully he spoke, but it had no power
+to calm the whelming tide of sorrow in which his wife clung to his
+embrace. Again and again she returned to that faithful heart which bore
+so fondly, so forbearingly, with all her faults and weaknesses; and
+Margory, although she could not comprehend the extent of sorrow
+experienced by her mother, wept bitterly at her side. Nor were they the
+only sufferers. Some indeed were fortunate enough to have relatives amid
+the band which accompanied them to Kildrummie, but by far the greater
+number clung to the necks of brothers, fathers, husbands, whose faithful
+and loving companions they had been so long--clung to them and wept, as
+if a long dim vista of sorrow and separation stretched before them.
+Danger, indeed, was around them, and the very fact of their being thus
+compelled to divide, appeared to heighten the perils, and tacitly
+acknowledge them as too great to be endured.
+
+With pain and difficulty the iron-souled warriors at length tore
+themselves from the embrace of those they held most dear. The knights
+and their followers had closed round the litters, and commenced their
+march. No clarion sent its shrill blast on the mountain echoes, no
+inspiring drum reverberated through the glens--all was mournfully still;
+as the rudest soldier revered the grief he beheld, and shrunk from
+disturbing it by a sound.
+
+King Robert stood alone, on the spot where Sir Christopher Seaton had
+borne from him his wife and child. His eyes still watched their litter;
+his thoughts still lingered with them alone; full of affection, anxiety,
+sadness, they were engrossed, but not defined. He was aroused by the
+sudden appearance of his younger brother, who, bareheaded, threw himself
+at his feet, and, in a voice strangely husky, murmured--
+
+"My sovereign, my brother, bless me, oh, bless me, ere we part!"
+
+"My blessing--the blessing of one they deem accursed; and to thee, good,
+noble, stainless as thou art! Nigel, Nigel, do not mock me thus,"
+answered the king, bitterness struggling with the deepest melancholy, as
+he laid his hand, which strangely trembled, on the young man's lowered
+head. "Alas! bring I not evil and misery and death on all who love me?
+What, what may my blessing bring to thee?"
+
+"Joy, bright joy in the hour of mirth and comfort; oh, untold-of comfort
+in the time of sorrow, imprisonment, death! My brother, my brother, oh,
+refuse it not; thou knowest not, thou canst not know how Nigel loves
+thee!"
+
+Robert gazed at him till every thought, every feeling was lost in the
+sudden sensation of dread lest ill should come to him; it had overtaken
+one as fair in promise, as beloved, and yet younger; and oh, if death
+selected the best, the loveliest, the dearest, would it next fall on
+him? The thought was such absolute agony, that the previous suffering
+of that hour was lost before it.
+
+"Bless thee--oh, may God in heaven bless thee, my brave, my noble
+Nigel!" he exclaimed, with a burst of emotion, perfectly appalling in
+one generally so controlled, and raising him, he strained him
+convulsively to his heart. "Yet why should we part?" he added, after a
+long pause; "why did I fix on thee for this office--are there not
+others? Nigel, Nigel, say but the word, and thou shalt rest with me:
+danger, privation, exile we have borne, and may still share together.
+Why should I send thee from me, dearest, most beloved of all who call me
+brother?"
+
+"Why?" answered Nigel, raising his glistening eyes from his brother's
+shoulder, "why, dear Robert? because thine eye could read my heart and
+trust it; because thou knewest I would watch over those who bear thy
+name, who are dear to thee, even as thy noble self. Oh, do not repent
+thee of thy choice; 'tis hard to bear alone danger, so long encountered
+hand in hand, yet as thou hast decided let it be. Thy words have soothed
+my yearning heart, which craved to list thy voice once more; and now
+then, my noble liege and brother, farewell. Think on thy Nigel's words;
+even when misery is round thee thou shalt, thou shalt be blessed. Think
+on them, my Robert, and then when joy and liberty and conquest crown
+thee, oh, forget not Nigel."
+
+He threw his arms around him, imprinted a fervent kiss on his cheek, and
+was out of sight ere the king by sign or word could arrest his progress.
+One hasty bound forward Robert indeed made, but a dimness stole over his
+sight, and for one brief minute he sunk down on the grass, and when he
+lifted his head again, there were burning tears upon his cheek.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+
+The hardships and dangers attendant on King Robert's progress southward,
+mingled as they were with the very spirit of romance, are so well known
+to every reader of Scottish history that they must be excluded from our
+pages, although a tale of chivalry would seem the very place for their
+insertion.
+
+The life of no hero, no sovereign, no general, presents us with a
+parallel to the lone and dreary passage of Loch Lomond. We hear of an
+ancient and a modern Hannibal crossing the snowy Alps, but it was at the
+head of triumphant armies; it was carrying war and victory into an
+enemy's land, and there was glory in the danger--the glory and pride of
+successful ambition. But there was greater and truer heroism in the
+spirit which struggled on when the broad, deep waters of Loch Lomond lay
+between them and comparative safety; when 'mid falling snow and howling
+winds he cheered his drooping and exhausted followers by reading aloud a
+spirit-stirring romance, to which they listened enwrapt and charmed,
+little imagining their own situation was one of far greater peril, of
+more exciting romance than any which the volume so vividly described. A
+leaky boat, which scarcely allowed three men to cross in safety, was
+their only means of conveyance, and a day and night passed ere the two
+hundred followers of the Bruce assembled on the opposite side. The
+cheerful blast of his bugle, which sounded to form them in bands before
+him on the beach, was answered by one whose unexpected appearance
+occasioned such joy to the heart of the king, that the exertions both of
+body and mind of the last few hours were forgotten. It was the Earl of
+Lennox, who since the fatal battle of Methven had been numbered amongst
+the dead, and lamented by his royal master with grief as deep as the joy
+was exceeding which greeted him again. Mutual was the tale of suffering
+each had to relate, few and faint the hopes and prospects to
+communicate, but so many were the friends the patriots had lost, that
+the reappearance of the venerable nobleman infused a new and brighter
+spirit amid the almost despairing men.
+
+That the Earl of Lennox had found a kind and hospitable home in the
+dominions of the Lord of the Isles, and received welcome and favor from
+the chieftain himself, was justly a subject of rejoicing to the fugitive
+king. Guided by him, the intricacies of their path were smoothed, and
+they reached their destination in a much shorter time than would
+otherwise have been the case. Sir Niel Campbell had performed his
+mission well, and kindness and truth so long unknown, now eagerly
+opened their hearths and hearts to the patriot king. Scorning alike the
+Scottish and English authority, Angus, Lord of the Isles, had formed an
+independent sovereignty, and now felt pride in receiving in his
+territories the only sovereign he had felt inclination to revere. The
+daring heroism, the unshaken spirit of the Bruce, were akin to his own
+wild, and reckless courage, and had there been no actual claim and right
+in Robert's pretensions to the crown, Angus would still have declared
+that he, and he alone, was the sovereign worthy to assume it. All, then,
+of state and dignity which he could assemble round him were proffered to
+the king, and had there been less generosity, less chivalric honor in
+his character King Robert might have passed the winter months in
+comparative security and comfort.
+
+Angus indeed spoke daringly and slightly of the English force, and had
+his inmost soul been read, would have joyed had they ventured to attack
+him, that he might show his skill and bravery in resisting and defending
+against their united force the sovereign who had confided in his
+gallantry and honor; but Robert knew better than the rude chieftain the
+devastating warfare which characterized Edward's efforts at subjection,
+and his whole soul shrunk from exposing Angus and his true-hearted
+followers to the utter ruin which, if he were once known to be amongst
+them, would inevitably ensue. At once to secure his personal
+concealment, and yet to withdraw from Cantire without in any way
+offending the high spirit of the island chieftain, Bruce resolved on
+making the little island of Rathlin the winter refuge of himself and his
+two hundred followers.
+
+Inhabited by the MacDonalds, who were of course subject to their general
+chief, though divided from him by the channel, Bruce was still under the
+generous protection of his friend, and therefore Angus could bring
+forward no objection to the proposal, save the miserable poverty, the
+many discomforts of the barren islet, and entreat with all his natural
+eloquence that King Robert would still remain in the peninsula. The
+arguments of the king, however, prevailed. A small fleet, better manned
+than built, was instantly made ready for his service, and Angus himself
+conveyed the king in his own galley to his destined residence. The
+aspect of the island, the savage appearance and manner of its
+inhabitants were indeed such as to strike despondingly and painfully on
+the hearts of any less inured to suffering than King Robert and his
+devoted adherents. To them it was welcome, for they justly felt the eye
+of Edward could scarcely reach them there. It was a painful alternative
+to warrior spirits such as theirs that the safety of their country
+depended on their inaction and concealment; yet as their king, their
+patriot king, was still amongst them, there was much, much to hope and
+cherish still. That their gentler friends and relatives were, they hoped
+and believed, in a place of safety, was a matter of rejoicing, though
+neither entreaty nor command could persuade the Lady Campbell and her
+daughter Isoline to accept the proffered hospitality of the island
+chieftain. It was nothing to them that they were the only females 'mid
+that warrior train, that many hardships were around them still. Neither
+Sir Kiel nor the king could resist their pleadings, and ere the sun of
+spring had shed its influence on the heart of man as well as the
+hardened earth, there were many who mourned that a separation had taken
+place, who wished that fatigue and anxiety had still been met together.
+
+Many weeks before King Robert retreated to the island of Rathlin, Sir
+Nigel Bruce had conducted his precious charge in safety to the castle of
+Kildrummie, whose feeble garrison gladly flung open their gates to
+receive them.
+
+It was a strong fortress situated on a circular mount, overhanging the
+river Don, which at that point ever rushed darkly and stormily along;
+the mount, though not steep, was full two miles in circumference, from
+base to brow occupied by the castle, which was erected in that massive
+yet irregular form peculiar to the architecture of the middle ages. A
+deep, broad moat or fosse, constantly supplied by the river, defended
+the castle wall, which ran round the mound, irregularly indeed, for
+there were indentations and sharp angles, occasioned by the uneven
+ground, each of which was guarded by a strong turret or tower, rising
+from the wall. The wall itself was some four-and-twenty feet in height,
+and nine in thickness, consequently the spaces between the turrets on
+the top of the wall formed broad level platforms, which in case of a
+siege were generally kept strongly guarded. Facing the east, and
+commanding a view of the river and adjacent country, stood the barbacan
+gate and drawbridge, which latter was further defended by strong oaken
+doors and an iron portcullis, forming the great gate of the castle
+wall, and the principal entrance into the fortress. Two towers of
+immense strength, united by a narrow, dimly-lighted passage, guarded
+this gate, and on these depended the grate or portcullis, which was
+lowered or raised by internal machinery. Within the castle wall was the
+outer ballium or court, containing some small, low-roofed dwellings, the
+residence of many feudal retainers of the baron. A rude church or chapel
+was also within this court, holding a communication with the keep or
+principal part of the castle by means of a passage in the third wall,
+which divided the ballium from the inner court. In very large castles
+there were in general a second fosse, wall, gate, and towers guarding
+the keep, and thus making a complete division between it and the
+ballium; but the original owners of Kildrummie, less rich and powerful
+suzerains than their equals in South Britain, were probably contented
+with merely a stout wall to divide their own sovereign residence from
+their more plebeian followers. The keep itself, constructed like all
+other similar buildings of the age, was a massive tower, covering but a
+small square, and four or five stories high. There were attempts at
+luxury in the chambers within, but to modern taste the Norman luxury was
+little better than rudeness; and certainly though the cushions were soft
+and richly embroidered, the arras in some of the apartments splendid
+specimens of needlework, and the beautifully carved and often inlaid
+oaken walls of others, gave evidence of both taste and talent, yet the
+dim light seemed to shed a gloom and heaviness over the whole range of
+rooms and passages, which no skill of workmanship or richness of
+material could remove. The windows were invariably small, and very long
+and narrow, and set in walls of such huge thickness, that the sun had
+barely power even in his summer splendor, to penetrate the dusky panes.
+In this keep was the great hall of audience, and for the banquet, at the
+upper end of which the dais was invariably found, and dark and loathsome
+dungeons formed its basement.
+
+The roof of Kildrummie keep was flatter than the generality of Norman
+castles, its four angles being surmounted more by the appearance than
+the reality of turrets; but one rose from the centre, round, and pierced
+by loopholes, turreted at the top, and commanding an extensive view of
+the adjoining country: from this tower the banner of the baron always
+waved, and its non-appearance excited some indignation in the breast of
+Nigel Bruce, for his warrior spirit had no sympathy with that timorous
+excuse, that did it wave at such a time it might excite the attention of
+the English, whereas did it elevate no symbol of defiance its garrison
+might pass unquestioned.
+
+"Up with the banner of Scotland and the Bruce!" were the first commands
+of Sir Nigel, as he stood within the ballium, surrounded by his charge
+and followers. "Shall we, pledged as we are to our country and king,
+even seem to stand neutral and conceal our colors, as ashamed of them?
+Shall this be?"
+
+He was answered by a simultaneous rush towards the keep, and at his word
+the folds of the broad banner waved exultingly from the tower, its
+appearance hailed by a loud shout from those beneath, and by a bright
+and momentary gleam of sunshine flashing through the heavy clouds.
+
+"Ha! see ye, my friends, even heaven smiles on us," exclaimed the young
+knight triumphantly, and smiling cheerily on his fair friends, as with
+gay words and graceful action he marshalled them into the keep. It was
+while doing so, that Agnes marked the figure of an old yet
+majestic-looking man, whose eyes, still bright and flashing, though his
+white hair denoted extreme old age, were fixed immovably on the face and
+form of Nigel. It was a peculiar glance, strained, eager, and yet
+mournful, holding her attention so fascinated that she paused in her
+onward way, and pointed him out to Nigel.
+
+"I know him not, love," he said, in, answer to her inquiry. "I should
+deem him minstrel by his garb, or seer, or both perchance, as is
+sometimes the case, conjoined. I will speak with him when my present
+grateful task is done."
+
+But it was the next morning ere he had the opportunity of doing so, for
+much devolved on the young seneschal. He had to visit the outworks, the
+stores, the offices, to give multitudinous orders, and receive various
+intelligences, to review the present garrison and his own followers, and
+assign to each his post; and though ably aided by Sir Christopher Seaton
+and other of his officers, all this occupied much time. The outworks he
+found in excellent condition; the barbacan, of massive stone, seemed
+well enabled to resist attack, should it be made; the machinery of the
+drawbridge was in good order, and enabled to be drawn up or let down at
+a moment's warning. The stores and granaries, which were contained in
+the towers on the castle wall, were very amply provided, though Nigel,
+taking advantage of the present peaceful temper of the country,
+dispatched trusty messengers without delay for further supplies. That
+this fortress, almost the only one remaining to his brother, would
+remain unmolested, Nigel did not for one moment believe, but he did hope
+that, in case of a siege, if amply provided with stores, it might hold
+out till the intense cold of the season and climate would turn the
+besiegers from their purpose; at all events, the advancing winter would
+be more favorable to the besieged than the besiegers, and though the
+garrison was comparatively small, the place itself was of such great
+strength as to guarantee the indulgence of his hopes. That the original
+garrison were too timorous and wavering for him to place much dependence
+on them he readily perceived, but he trusted much to the beneficial
+influence which his own steady, true-hearted followers might be enabled
+to infuse.
+
+Nigel was young, brave, and animated by every feeling which inspires
+courage and hope in the buoyant heart of youth. The gloom which had
+oppressed him in parting with his brother, and indeed had partially
+clouded his spirit during their rapid journey, vanished before the
+duties and responsibilities which thronged round him, now that he felt
+himself the guard and seneschal of the castle intrusted to his charge;
+now that new duties devolved on him, duties particularly dear to a young
+and gallant spirit like his own; duties, too, that bound him closer and
+closer with the gentle being in whose welfare and happiness his own were
+shrined. It was with a bright smile, then, and animated brow he joined
+his Agnes early the following morning, in a stroll through a small woody
+inclosure dignified by the name of garden, which occupied part of the
+inner court. The old minstrel who had so attracted the attention of
+Agnes was there before them. He stood against a projecting buttress, his
+arms folded, his eyes fixed, it seemed on vacancy, and evidently not
+aware he was approached till Nigel spoke.
+
+"Good morrow, father. I thought we had been the earliest to greet this
+fresh and frosty air, save those on guard, yet you are before us. Nay,
+wherefore doff thy cap, good father? The air is somewhat too frosty for
+thy silvered head."
+
+"I cannot doff it to a nobler, gentle youth," answered the old man,
+courteously, "save to my sovereign's self; and as his representative, I
+pay willing homage to his brother."
+
+"Ha! dost thou know me, father? And was it because I am King Robert's
+brother thine eyes so rested on me yester morn, mournfully, methought,
+as if the joy with which I hailed the gleam of sunshine smiling on our
+banner had little echo in thy breast?"
+
+"Not that, not that," answered the old man, tremulous; "I scarce
+remarked it, for my thoughts were in that future which is sometimes
+given me to read. I saw thee, noble youth, but 'twas not here. Dim
+visions come across my waking hours; it is not well to note them," and
+he turned away as if he might not meet those eager eyes.
+
+"Not here! yet I was at his side, good father," and Agnes laid her fair
+hand on the old man's arm.
+
+"Thou wert, thou wert, my child. Beautiful, beautiful!" he half
+whispered, as he laid his hand dreamily on those golden curls, and
+looked on her face; "yet hath sorrow touched thee, maiden. Thy morn of
+life hath been o'erclouded; its shadow lingers yet."
+
+"Too truly speakest thou, father," replied Nigel, drawing Agnes closer
+to his heart, for tears were starting in her eyes; "yet will not love
+soon chase that sorrow? Thou who canst penetrate the future, seer of the
+Bruce's line, tell me, shall she not be mine?"
+
+The old man looked on them both, and then his eyes became fixed on
+vacancy; long and painfully once or twice he passed his hand across his
+high, pale brow.
+
+"Vain, vain," he said, sadly; "but one vision comes to mine aching
+sight, and there she seems thine own. She is thine own--but I know not
+how that will be. Ask me no more; the dream is passing. 'Tis a sad and
+fearful gift. Others may triumph in the power, but for me 'tis sad, 'tis
+very sad."
+
+"Sad! nay, is it not joy, the anticipating joy," answered Nigel, with
+animation, "to look on a beloved one, and mark, amid the clouds of
+distance, glory, and honor, and love entwining on, his path? to look
+through shades of present sorrow, and discern the sunbeam afar off--is
+there not joy in this?"
+
+"Aye, gentle youth; but now, oh, now is there aught in Scotland to
+whisper these bright things? There was rejoicing, find glory, and
+triumph around the patriot Wallace. Scotland sprung from her sluggish
+sleep, and gave back her echo to his inspiring call. I looked upon the
+hero's beaming brow, I met the sparkle of his brilliant eye, I bowed
+before the native majesty of his god-like form, but there was no joy
+for me. Dark masses of clouds closed round the present sunshine; the
+present fled like a mist before them, and they oped, and then--there was
+still Wallace; but oh! how did I see him? the scaffold, the cord, the
+mocking crowds, the steel-clad guards--all, all, even as he fell. My
+children! my children! was there joy in this?"
+
+There was a thrilling pathos in the old man's voice that touched the
+very heart of his listeners. Agnes clung closer to the arm of her
+betrothed, and looked up tearfully in his face; his cheek was very pale,
+and his lip slightly quivered. There was evidently a desire to speak, to
+utter some inquiry, but he looked on that sweet face upturned to his,
+and the unspoken words died in an inarticulate murmur on his lips.
+
+"My brother," he said, at length, and with some difficulty, though it
+was evident from the expression of his countenance this was not the
+question he had meant to ask, "my noble brother, will thy glorious
+struggles, thy persevering valor, end in this? No, no, it cannot be.
+Prophet and seer, hast thou e'er gazed on him--him, the hope, the joy,
+the glory of the line of Bruce? Hast thou gazed on him, and was there no
+joy there?"
+
+"Yes!" answered the old man, starting from his posture of despondency,
+and raising his hands with animated fervor, while his cheek flushed, and
+his eyes, fixed on distance, sparkled with all the fire of youth. "Yes!
+I have gazed upon that face, and in present and in future it is glorious
+still. Thick mists have risen round him, well-nigh concealing him within
+their murky folds, but still, still as a star penetrating through cloud,
+and mist, and space, till it sees its own bright semblance in the ocean
+depths, so has that brow, circled by its diadem of freedom, gleamed back
+upon mine aching sight, and I have seen and known there is joy for Bruce
+and Scotland yet!"
+
+"Then is there joy for all true Scottish men, good father, and so will
+we chase all sadness from our brows and hearts," replied Nigel, lightly.
+"Come, tell us of the past, and not the future, while we stroll; thou
+hast traditions, hast thou not, to while away an hour?"
+
+"Nay, my young lord," replied the seer, "hast thou not enough in the
+present, embodied as it is in this fair maiden's dreaming eye and loving
+heart? The minstrel's harp and ancient lore are for the evening hour,
+not for a time and companion such as this," and with an audible blessing
+he turned away, leaving them to their stroll together.
+
+It was not, however, without an effort Nigel could take advantage of his
+absence, and make good use of moments so blissful to hearts that love.
+There was something in the old man's mournful tone and glance when it
+rested upon him, that answered strangely and sadly to the spirit-voice
+breathing in his own bold breast. It seemed to touch that chord
+indefinably, yet felt by the vibration of every nerve which followed. He
+roused himself, however, and ere they joined the morning meal, there was
+a brighter smile on the lip and heart of Agnes than had rested there for
+many a long day.
+
+For a few weeks there was peace both within and without the castle of
+Kildrummie. The relief, the shelter which its walls afforded to the
+wearied and exhausted wanderers was at first felt and enjoyed alone.
+Many of the frailer sex were far too exhausted and disabled by a variety
+of sufferings, to be sensible of any thing but that greater comforts
+than had been theirs for many painful months were now possessed; but
+when their strength became partially restored, when these comforts
+became sufficiently familiar to admit of other thoughts, the queen's
+fortitude began to waver. It was not the mere impulse of the moment
+which caused her to urge her accompanying her husband, on the plea of
+becoming more and more unworthy of his love if separated from him.
+Margaret of Mar was not born for a heroine; more especially to act on
+such a stormy stage as Scotland. Full of kindly feeling, of affection,
+confidence, gentleness, one that would have drooped and died had her
+doom been to pass through life unloved, her yielding mind took its tone
+and coloring from those with whom she most intimately associated; not
+indeed from the rude and evil, for from those she intuitively shrunk.
+Beneath her husband's influence, cradled in his love, her spirit
+received and cherished the _reflection_ of his strength; of itself, she
+too truly felt it had none; and consequently when that beloved one was
+far away, the reflection passed from her mind even as the gleam of his
+armor from the mirror on which it glanced, and Margaret was weak and
+timorous again. She had thought, and hoped, and prayed, her unfeigned
+admiration of Isabella of Buchan, her meek and beautiful appreciation of
+those qualities and candid acknowledgment that such was the character
+most adapted to her warrior husband, would bring more steadiness and
+courage to her own woman breast. Alas! the fearful fate which had
+overtaken the heroic countess came with such a shock to the weaker soul
+of Margaret, that if she had obtained any increase of courage, it was at
+once annihilated, and the desponding fancy entered her mind that if evil
+reached one so noble, so steadfast in thought and in action, how might
+she hope to escape; and now, when weakened and depressed alike by bodily
+and mental suffering, such fancies obtained so much possession of her
+that she became more and more restless. The exertions of Sir Nigel and
+his companions, even of her own friends, failed in rousing or infusing
+strength. Sometimes it was vague conjectures as to the fate of her
+husband, the dread that he had fallen into the hands of his foes--a
+catastrophe which not only herself but many stronger minds imagined
+could scarcely be avoided. She would dwell on these fancies till
+suspense became intolerable; and then, if these were partially calmed,
+came personal fears: the belief that if attacked the castle could not
+muster force enough for defence; suspicions of treachery in the
+garrison, and other symptoms of the wavering nature of her mind, till
+Sir Nigel felt too truly that if danger did come she would not stay to
+meet it. Her wishes ever turned to the sanctuary of St. Duthac in the
+domains of the Earl of Ross, believing the sanctity of the place would
+be more effectual protection than the strongest castle and bravest
+force. In vain Sir Nigel remonstrated, nay, assured her that the
+fidelity of the Lord of Ross was impugned; that he doubted his
+flattering overtures; that he was known to be in correspondence with
+England. But he spoke in vain--the queen persisted in trusting him; that
+he had ever been a friend of her father and brother the Earls of Mar,
+and he would be faithful to her interests now. Her opinion weighed with
+many of the ladies of her court, even amongst those who were not
+affected with her fears. At such times Agnes never spoke, but there was
+a calm, quiet determination in her expression that convinced the Lady
+Seaton, who alone had leisure to observe her, that her resolution was
+already taken and unalterable.
+
+All that could be done to calm, the queen's perturbed spirits by way of
+amusement Sir Nigel did; but his task was not an easy one, and the rumor
+which about this time reached him that the Earls of Hereford and
+Lancaster, with a very large force, were rapidly advancing towards
+Aberdeenshire, did not lessen its difficulties. He sought to keep the
+information as long as possible from all his female charge, although the
+appearance of many terrified villagers flying from their homes to the
+protection of the castle hardly enabled him to do so, and confirmed
+without doubt the truth of what he had heard. Nigel felt the moment of
+peril was approaching, and he nerved both mind and frame to meet it. The
+weak terrors of the queen and some of her train increased with every
+rumor, and, despite every persuasion of Sir Nigel, Seaton, and other
+brave and well-tried warriors, she rested not till a negotiation was
+entered into with the Earl of Ross to grant them a safe conduct through
+his lands, and permission to enter the sanctuary of St. Duthac.
+
+Perplexed with many sad thoughts, Nigel Bruce was one day slowly
+traversing a long gallery leading to some uninhabited chambers in the
+west wing of the building; it was of different architecture, and ruder,
+heavier aspect than the remainder of the castle. Tradition said that
+those rooms had been the original building inhabited by an ancestor of
+the line of Bruce, and the remainder had been gradually added to them;
+that some dark deed of blood had been there committed, and consequently
+they were generally kept locked, none of the vassals in the castle
+choosing to run the risk of meeting the spirits which they declared
+abode there. We have before said that Nigel was not superstitious,
+though his mind being of a cast which, adopting and embodying the ideal,
+he was likely to be supposed such. The particulars of the tradition he
+had never heard, and consequently it was always with a smile of
+disbelief he listened to the oft-repeated injunction not to walk at dusk
+in the western turret. This warning came across him now, but his mind
+was far otherwise engrossed, too much so indeed for him even to give
+more than a casual glance to the rude portraits which hung on either
+side the gallery.
+
+He mistrusted the Earl of Ross, and there came a fear upon his noble
+spirit that, in permitting the departure of the queen and her
+attendants, he might be liable to the censure of his sovereign, that he
+was failing in his trust; yet how was he to act, how put a restraint
+upon his charge? Had he indeed believed that the defence of the castle
+would be successful, that he should be enabled to force the besiegers
+to raise the siege, he might perhaps have felt justified in restraining
+the queen--but he did not feel this. He had observed there were many
+discontented and seditious spirits in the castle, not indeed in the
+three hundred of his immediate followers; but what were they compared to
+the immense force now pouring over the country, and whose goal he knew
+was Kildrummie? The increase of inmates also, from the number of small
+villages which had emptied their inhabitants into his walls till he was
+compelled to prevent further ingress, must inevitably diminish his
+stores, and when once blockaded, to replenish them would be impossible.
+No personal fears, no weakness of purpose entered the high soul of Nigel
+Bruce amid these painful cogitations. He well knew no shade of dishonor
+_could_ fall on him; he thought not one moment of his own fate, although
+if the castle were taken he knew death awaited him, either by the
+besieger's sword or the hangman's cord, for he would make no condition;
+he thought only that this was well-nigh the last castle in his brother's
+keeping, which, if lost, would in the present depressed state of his
+affairs be indeed a fatal blow, and a still greater triumph to England.
+
+These thoughts naturally engrossed his mind to the exclusion of all
+imaginative whisperings, and therefore was it that he drew back the bolt
+of a door which closed the passage, without any of those peculiar
+feelings that at a less anxious time might have possessed him; for souls
+less gifted than that of Nigel Bruce can seldom enter a spot hallowed by
+tradition without the electric thrill which so strangely unites the
+present with the past.
+
+It was a chamber of moderate dimensions to which the oaken door admitted
+him, hung with coarse and faded tapestry, which, disturbed by the wind,
+disclosed an opening into another passage, through which he pursued his
+way. In the apartment on which the dark and narrow passage ended,
+however, his steps were irresistibly arrested. It was panelled with
+black-oak, of which the floor also was composed, giving the whole an
+aspect calculated to infect the most thoughtless spirit with gloom. Two
+high and very narrow windows, the small panes of which were quite
+incrusted with dust, were the only conductors of light, with the
+exception of a loophole--for it could scarcely be dignified by the name
+of casement--on the western side. Through this loophole the red light
+of a declining winter sun sent its rays, which were caught and stayed on
+what seemed at the distance an antique picture-frame. Wondering to
+perceive a picture out of its place in the gallery, Nigel hastily
+advanced towards it, pausing, however, on his way to examine, with some
+surprise, one of the planks in the floor, which, instead of the
+beautiful black polish which age had rather heightened than marred in
+the rest, was rough and white, with all the appearance of having been
+hewn and scraped by some sharp instrument.
+
+It is curious to mark how trifling a thing will sometimes connect,
+arrange, and render clear as day to the mind all that has before been
+vague, imperfect, and indistinct. It is like the touch of lightning on
+an electric chain, link after link starts up till we see the illumined
+whole. We have said Nigel had never heard the particulars of the
+tradition; but he looked on that misshapen plank, and in an instant a
+tale of blood and terror weaved itself in his mind; in that room the
+deed, whatever it was, had been done, and from that plank the sanguine
+evidence of murder had been with difficulty erased. A cold shuddering
+passed over him, and he turned instinctively away, and strode hastily to
+examine the frame which had attracted him. It did contain a picture--we
+should rather say a portrait--for it comprised but one figure, the
+half-length of a youthful warrior, clad in steel, save the
+beautifully-formed head, which was covered only by his own luxuriant
+raven curls. In a better light it could not have been placed,
+particularly in the evening; the rays, condensed and softened, seemed to
+gather up their power into one focus, and throw such an almost
+supernatural glow on the half face, give such an extraordinary
+appearance of life to the whole figure, that a casual visitant to that
+chamber might well fancy it was no picture but reality on which he
+gazed. But no such emotion was at work in the bosom of Nigel Bruce,
+though his first glance upon that face occasioned an almost convulsive
+start, and then a gaze of such intense, such almost fearful interest,
+that he stood as if fascinated by some overpowering spell. His features,
+worked with internal emotions, flushed and paled alternately. It was no
+weak-minded terror which bound him there, no mood in which a step or
+sound could chill and startle, for so wrapt was he in his own strange
+dreams that he heard not a slow and measured step approach him; he did
+not even start when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and the melodious
+voice of the seer caused him to turn slowly around.
+
+"The warnings thou hast heard have no power on thee, young lord," he
+said, slightly smiling, "or I should not see thee here at this hour
+alone. Yet thou wert strangely wrapt."
+
+"Knowest thou aught of _him_, good father?" answered Nigel, in a voice
+that to his own ears sounded hoarse and unnatural, and turning his
+glance once again to the portrait. "My thoughts are busy with that face
+and yon tale-telling plank; there are wild, feverish, incongruous dreams
+within me, and I would have them solved. Thou of all others art best
+fitted to the task, for amid the records of the past, where thou hast
+loved to linger, thou hast surely found the tradition of this tower. I
+shame not to confess there is in my heart a deep yearning to learn the
+truth. Wherefore, when thy harp and song have so pleasantly whiled the
+evening hours, did not this tale find voice, good father?"
+
+"Alas! my son, 'tis too fraught with horror, too sad for gentle ears. A
+few stern, rugged words will best repeat it. I love not to linger on the
+theme; listen then now, and it shall be told thee."
+
+"In the reign of Malcolm the Second, the districts now called Aberdeen
+and Forfar were possessed, and had been so, so tradition saith, since
+Kenneth MacAlpine, by the Lords of Brus or Bris, a family originally
+from the North. They were largely and nobly connected, particularly with
+Norway and Gaul. It is generally supposed the first possessions in
+Scotland held in fief by the line of Bruce can be traced back only to
+the time of David I., in the person of Robert de Bruce, an Anglo-Norman
+baron, whose father came over to England with the Conqueror. The cause
+of this supposition my tale will presently explain.
+
+"Haco Brus or Bris was the Lord of Aberdeen in the reign of Malcolm the
+Second. He spent many years abroad; indeed, was supposed to have married
+and settled there, when, to the surprise of his vassals, he suddenly
+returned unmarried, and soon after uniting himself with a beautiful and
+accomplished girl, nearly related to the blood-royal of Scotland,
+settled quietly in this tower, which was the stronghold of his
+possessions. Years passed; the only child of the baron, a son, born in
+the first year of his marriage, grew up in strength and beauty, the idol
+not only of his mother, but of his father, a man stern and cold in
+seeming, even morose, but with passions fearful alike in their influence
+and extent. Your eye glances to that pictured face, he was not the
+baron's son of whom I speak. The affections, nay, the very passions of
+the baron were centered in this boy. It is supposed pride and ambition
+were their origin, for he looked, through his near connection with the
+sovereign, for further aggrandizement for himself. There were some who
+declared ambition was not the master-passion, that a deeper, sterner,
+fiercer emotion dwelt within. Whether they spoke thus from the sequel, I
+know not, but that sequel proved their truth.
+
+"There was a gathering of all the knightly and noble in King Malcolm's
+court, not perchance for trials at arms resembling the tournays of the
+present day, but very similar in their motive and bearing, though ruder
+and more dangerous. Tho wreath of glory and victory was ever given by
+the gentle hand of beauty. Bright eyes and lovely forms presided at the
+sports even as now, and the king and his highest nobles joined in the
+revels.
+
+"The wife of the Baron of Brus and his son, now a fine boy of thirteen,
+were of course amongst the royal guests. Though matron grace and
+dignified demeanor had taken the place of the blushing charms of early
+girlhood, the Lady Helen Brus was still very beautiful, and as the niece
+of the king and wife of such a distinguished baron, commanded and
+received universal homage. Among the combatants was a youthful knight,
+of an exterior and bearing so much more polished and graceful than the
+sons of the soil or their more northern visitors, that he was instantly
+recognized as coming from Gaul, then as now the most polished kingdom of
+the south. Delighted with his bravery, his modesty, and most chivalric
+bearing, the king treated him with most distinguished honor, invited him
+to his palace, spoke with him as friend with friend on the kingdoms of
+Normandy and France, to the former of which he was subject. There was a
+mystery, too, about the young knight, which heightened the interest he
+excited; he bore no device on his shield, no cognizance whatever to mark
+his name and birth and his countenance, beautiful as it was, often when
+in repose expressed sadness and care unusual to his years, for he was
+still very young, though in reply to the king's solicitations that he
+would choose one of Scotland's fairest maidens (her dower should be
+princely), and make the Scottish court his home, he had smilingly avowed
+that he was already a husband and father.
+
+"The notice of the king, of course, inspired the nobles with similar
+feelings of hospitality. Attention and kindness were lavished on the
+stranger from all, and nothing was talked of but the nameless knight.
+The Lord of Brus, who had been absent on a mission to a distant court
+during the continuance of the martial games, was on his return presented
+by the king himself to the young warrior. It is said that both were so
+much moved by this meeting, that all present were mystified still more.
+The baron, with that deep subtlety for which he was remarkable,
+recovered himself the first, and accounted for his emotion to the
+satisfaction of his hearers, though not apparently to that of the
+stranger, who, though his cheek was blanched, still kept his bright
+searching eyes upon him, till the baron's quailed 'neath his gaze. The
+hundred tongues of rumor chose to speak of relationship, that there was
+a likeness between them, yet I know not how that could be. There is no
+impress of the fiendish passion at work in the baron's soul on those
+bright, beautiful features."
+
+"Ha! Is it of him you speak?" involuntarily escaped from Nigel, as the
+old man for a moment paused; "of him? Methought yon portrait was of an
+ancestor of Bruce, or wherefore is it here?"
+
+"Be patient, good my son. My narrative wanders, for my lips shrink from
+its tale. That the baron and the knight met, not in warlike joust but in
+peaceful converse, and at the request of the latter, is known, but on
+what passed in that interview even tradition is silent, it can only be
+imagined by the sequel; they appeared, however, less reserved than at
+first. The baron treated him with the same distinction as his
+fellow-nobles, and the stranger's manner towards him was even more
+respectful than the mere difference of age appeared to demand. Important
+business with the Lord of Brus was alleged as the cause of his accepting
+that nobleman's invitation to the tower of Kildrummie, in preference to
+others earlier given and more eagerly enforced. They departed together,
+the knight accompanied but by two of his followers, and the baron
+leaving the greater number of his in attendance on his wife and child,
+who, for some frivolous reason, he left with the court. It was a strange
+thing for him to do, men said, as he had never before been known to lose
+sight of his boy even for a day. For some days all seemed peace and
+hospitality within the tower. The stranger was too noble himself, and
+too kindly disposed towards all his fellow-creatures, to suspect aught
+of treachery, or he might have remarked the retainers of the baron were
+changed; that ruder forms and darker visages than at first were
+gathering around him. How the baron might have intended to make use of
+them--almost all robbers and murderers by trade--cannot be known, though
+it may be suspected. In this room the last interview between them took
+place, and here, on this silent witness of the deed, the hand of the
+father was bathed in the blood of the son!"
+
+"God in heaven!" burst from Nigel's parched lips, as he sprang up. "The
+son--how could that be? how known?"
+
+"Fearfully, most fearfully!" shudderingly answered the old man; "through
+the dying ravings of the maniac Lord of Brus himself. Had not heaven, in
+its all-seeing justice, thus revealed it, the crime would ever have
+remained concealed. His bandit hirelings were at hand to remove and
+bury, many fathoms deep in moat and earth, all traces of the deed. One
+of the unfortunate knight's followers was supposed to have shared the
+fate of his master, and to the other, who escaped almost miraculously,
+you owe the preservation of your royal line.
+
+"But there was one witness of the deed neither time nor the most cunning
+art could efface. The blood lay in a pool on the oaken floor, and the
+voice of tradition whispers that day after day it was supernaturally
+renewed; that vain were the efforts to absorb it, it ever seemed moist
+and red; and that to remove the plank and re-floor the apartment was
+attempted again and again in vain. However this may be, it is evident
+that _erasing it_ was attended with extreme difficulty; that the blood
+had penetrated well-nigh through the immense thickness of the wood."
+
+Nigel stooped down over the crumbling fragment; years, aye, centuries
+had rolled away, yet there it still stood, arrested it seemed even in
+its decay, not permitted to crumble into dust, but to remain an
+everlasting monument of crime and its retribution. After a brief pause
+Nigel resumed his seat, and pushing the hair from his brow, which was
+damp with some untold emotion, signed to the old man to proceed.
+
+"That the stranger warrior returned not to Malcolm's court, and had
+failed in his promises to various friends, was a matter of
+disappointment, and for a time, of conjecture to the king and his court.
+That his followers, in obedience, it was said, to their master's signet,
+set off instantly to join him either in England or Normandy, for both of
+which places they had received directions, satisfied the greater number.
+If others suspected foul play, it was speedily hushed up; for the baron
+was too powerful, too closely related to the throne, and justice then
+too weak in Scotland to permit accusation or hope for conviction. Time
+passed, and the only change observable in the baron was, that he became
+more gloomy, more abstracted, wrapt up, as it were, in one dark
+remembrance, one all-engrossing thought. Towards his wife he was
+changed--harsh, cold, bitterly sarcastic; as if her caresses had turned
+to gall. Her gentle spirit sunk beneath the withering blight, and he was
+heard to laugh, the mocking laugh of a fiend, as he followed her to the
+grave; her child, indeed, he still idolized, but it was a fearful
+affection, and a just heaven permitted not its continuance. The child,
+to whom many had looked as likely to ascend the Scottish throne, from
+the failure of all direct heirs, the beautiful and innocent child of a
+most guilty father, faded like a lovely flower before him, so softly, so
+gradually, that there came no suspicion of death till the cold hand was
+on his heart, and he lay lifeless before him who had plunged his soul in
+deadliest crime through that child to aggrandize himself. Then was it
+that remorse, torturing before, took the form of partial madness, and
+there was not one who had power to restrain, or guide, or soothe.
+
+"Then it was the fearful tale was told, freezing the blood, not so much
+with the wild madness of the tone, but that the words were too
+collected, too stamped with truth, to admit of aught like doubt. The
+couch of the baron was, at his own command, placed here, where we now
+stand, covering the spot where his first-born fell, and that portrait,
+obtained from Normandy, hung where it now is, ever in his sight. The
+dark tale which those wild ravings revealed was simply this:
+
+"He had married, as was suspected, during his wanderings, but soon tired
+of the yoke, more particularly as his wife possessed a spirit proud and
+haughty as his own, and all efforts to mould her to his will were
+useless, he plunged anew into his reckless career. He had never loved
+his wife, marrying her simply because it suited his convenience, and
+brought him increase of wealth and station; and her ill-disguised
+abhorrence of many of his actions, her beautiful adherence to virtue,
+however tempted, occasioned all former feelings to concentrate in hatred
+the most deadly. More than one attempt to rid himself of her by poison
+she had discovered and frustrated, and at last removed herself and her
+child, under a feigned name, to Normandy, and ably eluded all pursuit
+and inquiry.
+
+"The baron's search continued some time, in the hope of silencing her
+forever, as he feared she might prove a dangerous enemy, but failing in
+his wishes, he travelled some time over different countries, returned at
+length to Scotland, and acted as we have seen. The young knight had been
+informed of his birthright by his mother, at her death, which took place
+two years before he made his appearance in Scotland; that she had
+concealed from him the fearful character of his father, being unable so
+completely to divest herself of all feeling towards the father of her
+child, as to make him an object of aversion to his son. She had long
+told him his real name, and urged him to demand from his father an
+acknowledgment of his being heir to the proud barony of the Bruce. His
+likeness to herself was so strong, that she knew it must carry
+conviction to his father; but to make his identity still more certain,
+she furnished him with certain jewels and papers, none but herself could
+produce. She had done this in the presence of two faithful witnesses,
+the father and brother of her son's betrothed bride, high lords of
+Normandy, the former of which made it a condition annexed to his consent
+to the marriage, that as soon as possible afterwards he should urge and
+claim his rights. Sir Walter, of course, willingly complied; they were
+married by the name of Brus, and their child so baptized. A war, which
+retained Sir Walter in arms with his sovereign, prevented his seeking
+Scotland till his boy was a year old, and then for his sake, far more
+than for his own, the young father determined on asserting his
+birthright, his child should not be nameless, as he had been; but to
+spare his unknown parent all public mortification, he joined the martial
+games without any cognizance or bearing on his shield.
+
+"Terrible were the ravings in which the baron alluded to the interview
+he had had with his murdered child; the angelic mildness and generosity
+of the youthful warrior; that, amid all his firmness never to depart
+from his claim--as it was not alone himself but his child he would
+irreparably injure--he never wavered in his respectful deference to his
+parent. He quitted the court in the belief that the baron sought
+Kildrummie to collect the necessary papers for substantiating his claim;
+but ere he died, it appeared his eyes were opened. The fierce passions
+of the baron had been too long restrained in the last interview; they
+burst even his politic control, and he had flung the papers received
+from, the hand of his too-confiding son on the blazing hearth, and with
+dreadful oaths swore that if he would not instantly retract his claim,
+and bind himself by the most sacred promise never to breathe the foul
+tale again, death should be its silent keeper. He would not bring his
+own head low, and avow that he had dishonored a scion of the
+blood-royal.
+
+"Appalled far more at the dark, fiendish passions he beheld than the
+threat held out to himself, Sir Walter stood silent a while, and then
+mildly demanded to be heard; that if so much public mortification to his
+parent would attend the pursuance of his claims at the present time, he
+would consent to forego them, on condition of his father's solemnly
+promising on his deathbed to reveal the truth, and do him tardy justice
+then, but forego them altogether he would not, were his life the
+forfeit. The calm firmness of his tone, it is supposed, lashed his
+father into greater madness, and thus the dark deed was done.
+
+"That the baron several times endeavored to possess himself of the
+infant child of Sir Walter, also came to light in his dying moments;
+that he had determined to exterminate root and branch, fearful he should
+still possess some clue to his birth; he had frantically avowed, but in
+his last hour, he would have given all his amassed treasure, his
+greatness, his power, but for one little moment of assurance that his
+grandson lived. He left him all his possessions, his lordship, his name,
+but as there were none came forth to claim, they of necessity passed to
+the crown."
+
+"But the child, the son of Sir Walter--if from him our line descends, he
+must have lived to manhood--why did not he demand his rights?"
+
+"He lived, aye, and had a goodly progeny; but the fearful tale of his
+father's fate related to him again and again by the faithful Edric, who
+had fled from his master's murdered corse to watch over the safety of
+that master's child, and warn all who had the charge of him of the fiend
+in human shape who would probably seek the boy's life as he had his
+father's, caused him to shun the idea of his Scottish possessions with a
+loathing horror which he could not conquer; they were associated with
+the loss of both his parents, for his father's murder killed his devoted
+mother. He was contented to feel himself Norman in possessions as well
+as in name. He received lands and honors from the Dukes of Normandy, and
+at the advanced age of seventy and five, accompanied Duke William to
+England. The third generation from him obtained anew Scottish
+possessions, and gradually Kildrummie and its feudal tenures returned to
+its original lords; but the tower had been altered and enlarged, and
+except the tradition of these chambers, the fearful fate of the second
+of the line has faded from the minds of his descendants, unless casually
+or supernaturally recalled."
+
+"Ha! supernaturally, sayest thou?" interrupted Nigel, in a tone so
+peculiar it almost startled his companion. "Are there those who assert
+they have seen his semblance--good, gifted, beautiful as thou hast
+described him? why not at once deem him the guardian spirit of our
+house?"
+
+"And there are those who deem him so, young lord," answered the seer.
+"It is said that until the Lords of Bruce again obtained possession of
+these lands, in the visions of the night the form of the murdered
+warrior, clad as in yon portrait, save with the addition of a scarf
+across his breast bearing the crest and cognizance of the Bruce,
+appeared once in his lifetime to each lineal descendant. Such
+visitations are said to have ceased, and he is now only seen by those
+destined like himself to an early and bloody death, cut off in the prime
+of manhood, nobleness, and joy."
+
+"And where--sleeping or waking?" demanded the young nobleman, in a low,
+deep tone, laying his hand on the minstrel's arm, and looking fixedly on
+his now strangely agitated face.
+
+"Sleeping or waking? it hath been both," he answered, and his voice
+faltered. "If it be in the front of the war, amid the press, the crush,
+the glory of the battle, he hath come, circled with bright forms and
+brighter dreams, to the sleeping warrior on the eve of his last fight;
+if"--and his voice grew lower and huskier yet--"if by the red hand of
+the foe, by the captive's chain and headsman's axe, as the noble
+Wallace, there have been those who say--I vouch not for its truth--he
+hath been seen in the vigils of the night on the eve of knighthood, when
+the young, aspiring warrior hath watched and prayed beside his arms.
+Boy! boy! why dost thou look upon me thus?"
+
+"Because thine eye hath read my doom," he said, in a firm, sweet tone;
+"and if there be aught of truth in thy tale, thou knowest, feelest I
+have seen him. God of mercy, the captive's chain, the headsman's axe!
+Yet 'tis Thy will, and for my country--let it come."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+
+"Thou art idle, maiden; wherefore not gather thy robes and other gear
+together, as thy companions? Knowest thou not in twenty-four hours we
+shall be, heaven willing, safely sheltered under the holy wing of St.
+Duthac?" was Queen Margaret's address to Agnes, about a week after the
+conversation we have recorded. There were many signs of confusion and
+tokens of removal in her scanty train, but the maiden of Buchan stood
+apart, offering assistance when needed, but making no arrangements for
+herself.
+
+"I seek not such holy keeping, may it please you, madam," she replied.
+"I do not quit this castle."
+
+"How!" exclaimed Margaret. "Art thou mad?"
+
+"In what, royal madam?"
+
+"Or hath love blinded thee, girl? Knowest thou not Hereford and
+Lancaster are advancing as rapidly as their iron-clad force permits, and
+in less than seven days the castle must be besieged in form?"
+
+"I know it, madam."
+
+"And thou wilt brave it, maiden?--dare a danger that may be avoided? Is
+thy life of so little worth, or if not thy life, thy liberty?"
+
+"When a life is wrapt up in one--when there is none on earth save that
+one to whom that life is of any worth, wherefore should I seek safety
+save by his side? Royal madam, I am not mad nor blind; but desolate as
+I am,--nay, were I not 'twould be the same--I covet to share Sir Nigel's
+fate; the blow that strikes him shall lay me at his side, be it in
+prison or in death. My safety is with him; and were the danger ten times
+as great as that which threatens now, I'd share it with him still."
+
+"Nay, thou art but a loving fool, Agnes. Be advised, seek safety in the
+sanctuary; peril cannot reach us there."
+
+"Save by the treachery of the dark-browed earl who grants that shelter.
+Nay, pardon me, madam; thou lovest not to list that theme, believing him
+as honorable and faithful as thyself. God grant he prove so! If," she
+added, with a faint smile, "if it be such mad folly to cling to a
+beloved one in danger as in joy, in adversity as in triumph, forgive me,
+royal lady, but thy maidens have learned that tale of thee."
+
+"And would to God I could teach them thus again!" exclaimed the queen,
+tears coursing down her cheeks. "Oh, Agnes, Agnes, were Robert here, not
+death itself should part us. For my child's sake, for his, I go hence
+for safety. Could my resting, nay, my death benefit him, Agnes, I would
+meet it, weak as thou deemest me."
+
+"Nay, nay, I doubt it not, my queen," answered Agnes, soothingly, "It is
+best thou shouldst find some place of repose till this struggle be past.
+If it end in victory, it will be joy to hail thee once again within its
+walls; if otherwise, better thy safety should be cared for."
+
+"But for thee, my child, is it not unmaidenly for thee to linger here?"
+
+"It would be, royal madam," and a bright vivid flush glowed on her pale
+cheeks, "but for the protection of the Lady Seaton, who will not leave
+her husband."
+
+"I may not blame her, after mine own words," said the queen,
+sorrowfully; "yet she is one I could have wished beside me. Ha! that
+trumpet. Merciful heaven! is it the foe?" and trembling with alarm, she
+dispatched attendant after attendant to know the cause.
+
+The English force was known to be so near that many a warrior-heart beat
+quicker at any unusual blast, and it was not marvel the queen's terrors
+should very often affect her attendants. Agnes alone, amid the maiden
+train, ever retained a calm self-possession; strange in one who, till
+the last eventful year, had seemed such a very child. Her mother
+trembled lest the turmoils and confusion of her country should ever
+approach her or those she loved; how might she, timid, nay; often
+fearful, weak, and yielding, as the flower on the heath, how might she
+encounter storm, and grief, and care? Had her mother's eye been on her
+now, and could have followed her in yet deeper trials, that mother
+scarce had known her child.
+
+She it was whose coolness enabled her easily to recognize and explain
+the trumpet's blast. It was an officer with an escort from the Lord of
+Ross, informing the queen that, from late intelligence respecting the
+movements of the English, he deemed it better they should not defer
+their departure from the castle another night.
+
+On the receipt of this message all was increased hurry and confusion in
+the apartments of the queen. The advice was to be followed on the
+instant, and ere sunset the litters and mules, and other accommodation
+for the travellers, waited their pleasure in the outer court.
+
+It was with a mien of princely dignity, a countenance grave and
+thoughtful, with which the youthful seneschal attended the travellers to
+the great gate of the castle. In after years the expression of his
+features flashed again and again upon those who looked upon him them.
+Calmly he bade his sister-in-law farewell, and bade her, should she be
+the first to see his brother, tell him that it was at her own free will
+and pleasure she thus departed; that neither advice nor persuasion on
+his part had been used; she had of her own will released him from his
+sacred charge; and if ill came of it, to free his memory from blame.
+
+"Trust me, Nigel; oh, surely you may trust me! You will not part from me
+in anger at my wilfulness?" entreated Margaret, as clinging to his arm,
+she retained him a few minutes ere he placed her in the litter.
+
+"In anger, my sweet sister, nay, thou wrongest me!" he said, a bright
+smile dispersing a moment the pensive cast of his features. "In sorrow,
+perchance, for I love not him to whose care thou hast committed thyself;
+yet if ill await this castle, and thou wert with me, 'twould enhance its
+bitterness. No, tis better thou shouldst go; though I would it were not
+to the Lord of Ross."
+
+"And wherefore?" demanded the deep stern voice of the officer beside
+him.
+
+"Because I doubt him, Archibald Macfarlane," sternly replied the young
+nobleman, fixing his flashing eyes upon him; "and thou mayst so inform
+him an thou wilt. An I do him wrong, let him deliver the Queen of
+Scotland and her attendants in safety to King Robert, in the forthcoming
+spring, and Nigel Bruce will crave forgiveness for the wrong that he
+hath done him; nay, let his conduct give my doubts the lie, and I will
+even thank him, sir."
+
+Turning on his heel, he conducted the queen to her litter, and bade a
+graceful farewell to all her fair companions, bidding good angels speed
+them on their way. The heavy gates were thrown back, the portcullis
+raised and the drawbridge lowered, and amid a parting cheer from the
+men-at-arms drawn up in the court in military homage to their queen, the
+cavalcade departed, attended only by the men of Ross, for the number of
+the garrison was too limited to admit of their attendance anywhere, save
+within and on the walls.
+
+With folded arms and an anxious brow, Sir Nigel stood beside the gate,
+marking the progress of the train; a gentle voice aroused him. It
+playfully said, "Come to the highest turret, Nigel, there thou wilt
+trace their path as long as light remains." He started, for Agnes was at
+his side. He drew her arm within his own, briefly gave the command to
+close the gate and make all secure, and turned with her in the direction
+of the keep.
+
+"Have I done right," he said, as, when they had reached a more retired
+path, he folded his arm caressingly around her, and drew her closer to
+him, "to list thy pleadings, dearest, to grant thy boon? oh, if _they_
+go to safety, why did I listen to thee and permit thee to remain?"
+
+"Nay, there is equal safety within these walls, Nigel. Be assured, thine
+Agnes hath neither regret nor doubt when thou art by her side," she
+answered, still playfully. "I love not the sanctuaries they go to seek;
+the stout hearts and trusty blades of warriors like thee and thine, my
+Nigel, are better and truer safeguards."
+
+"Alas! Agnes, I fear me not in cases such as these. I am not wont to be
+desponding, but from the small number of true men which garrison this
+castle, I care not to acknowledge I had loved better to meet my foe on
+open ground. Here I can scarce know friend from foe; traitors may be
+around me, nay, in my very confidence, and I know it not."
+
+"Art thou not infected with Queen Margaret's suspicions, Nigel? Why
+ponder on such uneasy dreams?"
+
+"Because, my best love, I am a better adept in the perusal of men's
+countenances and manners than many, and there are signs of lowering
+discontent and gloomy cowardice, arguing ill for unity of measures, on
+which our safety greatly rests. Yet my fancies may be wrong, and at all
+hazards my duty shall be done. The issue is in the hands of a higher
+power; we cannot do wrong in committing ourselves to Him, for thou
+knowest He giveth not the battle to the strong, and right and justice we
+have on Scotland's side."
+
+Agnes looked on his face, and she saw, though he spoke cheerfully, his
+thoughts echoed not his words. She would not express her own anxiety,
+but led him gently to explain to her his plan of defence, and prepare
+her for all she might have to encounter.
+
+Five days passed, and all within and without the walls remained the
+same; the sixth was the Sabbath, and the greater part of the officers
+and garrison were assembled in the chapel, where divine service was
+regularly read by the Abbot of Scone, whom we should perhaps before have
+mentioned as having, at the king's especial request, accompanied the
+queen and her attendants to Kildrummie. It was a solemn yet stirring
+sight, that little edifice, filled as it was with steel-clad warriors
+and rude and dusky forms, now bending in one prayer before their God.
+The proud, the lowly, the faithless, and the true, the honorable and the
+base, the warrior, whose whole soul burned and throbbed but for his
+country and his king, the coward, whose only thought was how he could
+obtain life for himself and save the dread of war by the surrender of
+the castle--one and all knelt there, the workings of those diverse
+hearts known but to Him before whom they bent. Strangely and mournfully
+did that little group of delicate females gleam forth amidst the darker
+and harsher forms around, as a knot of fragile flowers blooming alone,
+and unsheltered amidst some rude old forest trees, safe in their own
+lowliness from the approaching tempest, but liable to be overwhelmed in
+the fall of their companions, whom yet they would not leave. As calmly
+as in his own abbey the venerable abbot read the holy service, and
+administered the rites of religion to all who sought. It was in the deep
+silence of individual prayer which preceded the chanting of the
+conclusion of the service that a shrill, peculiar blast of a trumpet was
+heard. On the instant it was recognized as the bugle of the warder
+stationed on the centre turret of the keep, as the blast which told the
+foe was at length in sight. Once, twice, thrice it sounded, at irregular
+intervals, even as Nigel had commanded; the notes were caught up by the
+warders on the walls, and repeated again and again. A sudden cry of "The
+foe!" broke from the soldiers scattered round, and again all was
+silence. There had been a movement, almost a confusion in some parts of
+the church, but the officers and those who had followed them from the
+mountains neither looted up nor stirred. The imperative gesture of the
+abbot commanded and retained order and silence, the service proceeded;
+there might have been some faltering in the tones of the choir, but the
+swelling notes of the organ concealed the deficiency.
+
+The eye of Agnes voluntarily sought her betrothed. His head was still
+bent down in earnest prayer, but she had not looked long before she saw
+him raise it, and lift up his clasped hands in the evident passionate
+fervor of his prayer. So beautiful, so gloriously beautiful was that
+countenance thus breathing prayer, so little seemed that soul of earth,
+that tears started to the eyes of Agnes, and the paleness of strong
+emotion over-spread the cheek, aye, and the quivering lip, which the war
+and death-speaking trumpet had had no power to disturb.
+
+"Let me abide by him, merciful Father, in weal or in woe; oh, part us
+not!" she prayed again and yet again, and the bright smile which now
+encircled his lips--for he had caught her glance--seemed an answer to
+her prayer.
+
+It was a beautiful, though perhaps to many of the inmates of Kildrummie
+a terrible sight, which from the roof of the turret now presented itself
+to their view. The English force lay before them, presenting many a
+solid phalanx of steel, many a glancing wood of spears. Nor were these
+all; the various engines used in sieges at this time, battering-rams,
+and others, whose technical names are unfortunately lost to us, but used
+to fling stones of immense weight to an almost incredible distance;
+arbalists, and the incomparable archer, who carried as many lives as
+arrows in his belt; wagons, heavily laden, with all things necessary
+for a close and numerous encampment--all these could be plainly
+distinguished in rapid advance towards the castle, marking their path
+through the country by the smoke of the hamlets they had burned. Many
+and eager voices resounded in various parts of the castle; numbers had
+thronged to the tower, with their own eyes to mark the approach of the
+enemy, and to report all they had seen to their companions below,
+triumphantly or despondingly, according to the temper of their minds.
+Sir Nigel Bruce and Sir Christopher Seaton, with others of the superior
+officers, stood a little apart, conversing eagerly and animatedly, and
+finally separating, with an eager grasp of the hand, to perform the
+duties intrusted to each.
+
+"Ha! Christine, and thou, fair maiden," exclaimed Sir Christopher,
+gayly, as on turning he encountered his wife and Agnes arm-in-arm. "By
+mine honor, this is bravely done; ye will not wait in your tiring-bower
+till your knights seek ye, but come for information yourselves. Well,
+'tis a goodly company, is't not? as gallant a show as ever mustered, by
+my troth. Those English warriors tacitly do us honor, and proclaim our
+worth by the numbers of gallant men they bring against us. We shall
+return the compliment some day, and pay them similar homage."
+
+His wife smiled at his jest, and even felt reassured, for it was not the
+jest of a mind ill at ease, it was the same bluff, soldier spirit she
+had always loved.
+
+"And, Nigel, what thinkest thou?"
+
+"Think, dearest?" he said, answering far more the appealing look of
+Agnes than her words; "think? that we shall do well, aye, nobly well;
+they muster not half the force they led me to expect. The very sight of
+them has braced me with new spirit, and put to ignominious flight the
+doubts and dreams I told thee had tormented me."
+
+Movement and bustle now pervaded every part of the castle, but all was
+conducted with an order and military skill that spoke well for the
+officers to whom it was intrusted. The walls were manned; pickaxes and
+levers, for the purposes of hurling down stones on the besiegers,
+collected and arranged on the walls; arms polished, and so arranged that
+the hand might grasp them at a minute's warning, were brought from the
+armory to every court and tower; the granaries and storehouses were
+visited, and placed under trustworthy guards. A band of picked men,
+under an experienced officer, threw themselves into the barbacan,
+determined to defend it to the last. Sir Nigel and Sir Christopher
+visited every part of the outworks, displaying the most unceasing care,
+encouraged the doubting, roused the timid, and cheered and inspired the
+boldest with new confidence, new hope; but one feeling appeared to
+predominate--liberty and Scotland seemed the watchword of one and all.
+
+Onward, like a mighty river, rolled the English force; nearer and
+nearer, till the middle of the second day saw them encamped within a
+quarter of a mile from the palisades and outworks raised on either side
+of the barbacan. Obtaining easy possession of the river--for Sir Nigel,
+aware of the great disparity of numbers, had not even attempted its
+defence--they formed three distinct bodies round the walls, the
+strongest and noblest setting down before the barbacan, as the principal
+point of attack. Numerous as they had appeared in the distance, well
+provided with all that could forward their success, it was not till
+closer seen all their strength could be discovered; but there was no
+change in the hopes and gallant feelings of the Scottish officers and
+their men-at-arms, though, could hearts have been read, the timidity,
+the doubts, the anxious wishes to make favorable peace with the English
+had in some of the original garrison alarmingly increased.
+
+Before, however, any recourse was made to arms, an English herald,
+properly supported, demanded and obtained admission within the gates, on
+a mission from the Earls of Hereford and Lancaster, to Sir Christopher
+Seaton, Sir Nigel Bruce, and others of command. They were summoned to
+deliver up the castle and themselves to their liege lord and sovereign,
+King Edward; to submit to his mercy, and grace should be shown to them,
+and safe conduct granted to all those who, taking refuge within the
+walls and adopting a position of defence, proclaimed themselves rebels
+and abettors of rebellion; that they should have freedom to return to
+their homes uninjured, not only in their persons but in their
+belongings; and this should be on the instant the gates were thrown
+open, and the banner of England had taken the place of that of Scotland
+now floating from their keep.
+
+"Tell thy master, thou smooth-tongued knave," burst angrily from the
+lips of Sir Christopher Seaton, as he half rose from his seat and
+clenched his mailed hand at the speaker, and then hastily checking
+himself, added, in a lower tone, "Answer him, Nigel; thou hast eloquence
+at thy command, I have none, save at my sword's point, and my temper is
+somewhat too hot to list such words, courteous though they may be."
+
+"Tell your master, sir herald," continued Nigel, rising as his colleague
+flung himself back on his seat, and though his voice was sternly calm,
+his manner was still courteous, "tell them they may spare themselves the
+trouble, and their followers the danger, of all further negotiation. We
+are Scottish men and Scottish subjects, and consequently to all the
+offers of England we are as if we heard not. Neither rebels nor abettors
+of rebels, we neither acknowledge the necessity of submitting ourselves
+to a tyrant's mercy, nor desire the advantage of his offered grace.
+Return, sir herald; we scorn the conditions proposed. We are here for
+Scotland and for Scotland's king, and for them we know both how to live
+and how to die."
+
+His words were echoed by all around him, and there was a sharp clang of
+steel, as if each man half drew his eager sword, which spoke yet truer
+than mere words. Dark brows and features stern were bent upon the herald
+as he left their presence, and animated council followed his departure.
+
+No new movement followed the return of the herald. For some days no
+decisive operation was observable in the English force; and when they
+did attack the outworks, it was as if more to pass the time than with
+any serious intent. It was a period of fearful suspense to the besieged.
+Their storehouses were scarcely sufficiently provided to hold out for
+any great length of time, and they almost imagined that to reduce them
+to extremities by famine was the intention of the besiegers. The
+greatest danger, if encountered hand to hand in the _melee_, was
+welcome, but the very idea of a slow, lingering fate, with the enemy
+before them, mocking their misery, was terrible to the bravest. A daring
+sally into the very thickest of the enemy's camp, headed by Nigel and
+his own immediate followers, carrying all before them, and when by
+numbers compelled to retreat, bearing both booty and prisoners with
+them, roused the English from their confident supposition that the
+besieged would soon be obliged to capitulate, and urged them into
+action. The ire of the haughty English blazed up at what seemed such
+daring insolence in their petty foe. Decisive measures were resorted to
+on the instant, and increased bustle appeared to pervade both besiegers
+and besieged.
+
+"Pity thou art already a knight, Nigel!" bluffly exclaimed Seaton,
+springing into his saddle by torchlight the following morning, as with a
+gallant band he was about dashing over the drawbridge, to second the
+defenders of the barbacan and palisades. "How shall we reward thee, my
+boy? Thou hast brought the foe to bay. Hark! they are there before me,"
+and he spurred on to the very centre of the _melee_.
+
+Sir Nigel was not long after him. The enemy was driven back with fearful
+loss. Scaling-ladders were thrown down; the archers on the walls, better
+accustomed to their ground, marking their foes by the torches they
+carried, but concealed themselves by the darkness, dealt destruction
+with as unerring hand as their more famous English brethren. Shouts and
+cries rose on either side; the English bore back before the sweeping
+stroke of Nigel Bruce as before the scythe of death. For the brief space
+of an hour the strife lasted, and still victory was on the side of the
+Scots--glorious victory, purchased with scarce the loss of ten men. The
+English fled back to their camp, leaving many wounded and dead on the
+field, and some prisoners in the hands of the Scots. Ineffectual efforts
+were made to harass the Scots, as with a daring coolness seldom
+equalled, they repaired the outworks, and planted fresh palisades to
+supply those which had fallen in the strife, in the very face of the
+English, many of them coolly detaching the arrows which, shot at too
+great distance, could not penetrate the thick lining of their buff
+coats, and scornfully flinging them back. Several sharp skirmishes took
+place that day, both under the walls and at a little distance from them;
+but in all the Scots were victorious, and when night fell all was joy
+and triumph in the castle; shame, confusion, and fury in the English
+camp.
+
+For several days this continued. If at any time the English, by
+superiority of numbers, were victorious, they were sure to be taken by
+surprise by an impetuous sally from the besieged, and beaten back with
+loss, and so sudden and concealed were the movements of Nigel and
+Seaton, that though the besiegers lay closer and closer round the
+castle, the moment of their setting forth on their daring expeditions
+could never be discovered.
+
+"Said I not we should do well, right well, sweet Agnes," exclaimed
+Nigel, one night, on his return from an unusually successful sally, "and
+are not my words true? Hast thou looked forth on the field to-day, and
+seen how gloriously it went? Oh, to resign this castle to my brother's
+hands unscathed, even as he intrusted it; to hold it for him, threatened
+as it is!"
+
+He smiled gayly as he spoke, for the consciousness of power was upon
+him--power to _will_ and _do_, to win and to retain--that most blessed
+consciousness, whether it bless a hero's breast or poet's soul, a
+maiden's heart or scholar's dream, this checkered world can know.
+
+"I did look forth, my Nigel, for I could not rest; yet ask me not to
+tell thee how the battle went," she added, with a faint flush, as she
+looked up in his noble face, beaming as it was with every feeling dear
+to the heart that loved, "for I traced but the course of one charger,
+saw but the waving of one plume."
+
+"And thou didst not fear the besiegers' arrows, my beloved? Didst stand
+in the shelter I contrived? Thou must not risk danger, dearest; better
+not list the urgings of thy noble spirit than be aught exposed."
+
+"There was no danger, Nigel, at least there seemed none," she said. "I
+felt no fear, for I looked on thee."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+
+Had the gallant defenders of Kildrummie Castle been conscious that the
+at first dilatory and then uncertain measures of their foes originated
+in the fact that the Earls of Hereford and Lancaster were not themselves
+yet on the field, and that they had with them a vast addition to their
+forces, they would not perhaps have rested so securely on the hopes
+which their unexpected success very naturally engendered. Attack on one
+side they knew they could resist; their only dread had been that, from
+the numbers of the English, the angle towers, each of which covered a
+postern, might be attacked at once, and thus discover the real weakness
+of their forces. The obstinate struggle for the barbacan, the strongest
+point of the castle, had been welcomed with joy by the Scotch, for there
+they could overlook every movement of the besiegers. Some wonder it did
+cause that such renowned knights as the earls were known to be, should
+not endeavor to throw them off their guard by a division of attack; but
+this wonder could not take from the triumph of success.
+
+It was from no want of observation the absence of the two earls remained
+undiscovered by the besieged. Engaged on a secret expedition, whose
+object will be seen in the sequel, they had commanded the message
+demanding surrender to be given in their names, their pavilions to be
+pitched in sight of the castle as if they were already there, their
+banners to wave above them, esquires and pages to be in attendance, and
+their war-cries to be shouted, as was the custom when they led on in
+person. The numerous knights, clothed in bright armor from head to heel
+ever traversing the field, assisted the illusion, and the Scotch never
+once suspected the truth.
+
+Imagining a very brief struggle would deliver the castle into their
+hands, even if its garrison were mad enough to refuse compliance with
+King Edward's terms, the earls had not hurried themselves on their
+expedition, and a fortnight after the siege had begun, were reposing
+themselves very cavalierly in the stronghold of an Anglo-Scottish baron,
+some thirty miles southward of the scene of action.
+
+It was the hour of supper, a rude repast of venison, interspersed with
+horn and silver flagons filled with the strong liquors of the day, and
+served up in a rude hall, of which the low round arches in the roof, the
+massive walls without buttresses, and windows running small outside, but
+spreading as to become much larger within, all denoted the Saxon
+architecture unsoftened by any of the Norman improvements.
+
+The earls and their host, with some attendant knights, sat as usual
+round the dais or raised part of the hall, their table distinguished it
+may be by some gold as well as silver vessels, and a greater variety of
+liquor, particularly hypocras and claret of the day, the one formed of
+wine and honey, the other of wine and spices; by the sinnel and wastel
+cakes, but certainly not by the superior refinement of the more solid
+food. The huge silver saltcellar alone divided the table of the baron
+from that of his dependants, yet the distinction of sitting above and
+below the salt was as great as the division between the master and
+servant of the present day; the jest, the loud laugh seasoned the
+viands placed before them, and the hearty draught from the welcome
+flagon. Nor was the baron's own table much quieter; remarks on the state
+of the country, speculations as to the hiding-place of King Robert, and
+when they should receive tidings of the surrender of Kildrummie, formed
+topics of conversation alternately with discussions on the excellence of
+the wines, the flavor of the venison, the difference between English and
+Scottish cookery, and such like matters, important in the days of our
+ancestors as in our own.
+
+"You have ridden long enough to-day, good my lords, to make a hearty
+charge on your suppers; a long journey and a tough battle, commend me to
+them for helps to the appetite," said the Scottish baron, joyously
+inviting them by his own example to eat on and spare not.
+
+"Commend me to the latter, an ye will," answered Hereford, on whose brow
+a cloud of something like distaste had spread; "but by mine honor, I
+love not the business of the last week. I have brought it to a close,
+however, and praise the saints for it."
+
+"Bah! thou art over-squeamish, Hereford. Edward would give us the second
+best jewel in his chaplet for the rich prize we have sent him," resumed
+Lancaster.
+
+"Reserving the first, of course, for the traitor Bruce himself,"
+interposed their host. "Ah! such a captive were in truth worth an
+earldom."
+
+"Then, by my troth, the traitor's wife is worth a barony," returned
+Lancaster, laughing; "and her fair bevy of attendants, amongst whom are
+the wives, daughters, and sisters of many a rebel, thinkest thou not we
+shall be high in Edward's favor for them, too? I tell thee we might have
+fought many a good fight, and not have done him such good service."
+
+"It may be, it may be," answered Hereford, impatiently, "had it been at
+the sword's point, had they been prisoners by force of arms, I would
+have joyed too, and felt it was good service; but such rank treachery,
+decoyed, entrapped by that foul prince of lies, the Lord of Ross--faugh!
+I could have rammed his treachery back into his throat."
+
+"And done the king, perchance, good service too," rejoined Lancaster,
+still excessively amused, "for I have no faith in a traitor, however he
+may serve us a while; yet thou art not over-wise, good friend, to let
+such trifles chafe thee thus. Trust me, Edward will think more of the
+captives than the capture."
+
+"There was a time he would not," answered the earl, mournfully; "a time,
+when Edward would have held it foul scorn to war with women, and worse
+than scorn to obtain their persons by treachery, as now."
+
+"Aye, but he has changed, and we must change too, would we please him,"
+said the baron; "such notions might have done in former days, but they
+are too high-flown for the present time, my good lord. I marvel they
+should have lingered so long with thee."
+
+A frown gathered on Hereford's broad and noble brow, but remembering the
+forbearance due to his host, he checked an angry reply. "The king _has_
+changed," he said, "darkly and painfully changed; ambition has warped
+the noblest, knightliest heart which ever beat for chivalry."
+
+"Hush, ere thou speakest treason, Sir Earl; give me not the pain of
+draining another flagon of this sparkling hypocras to gain strength for
+thine arrest, good friend," exclaimed Lancaster, laying the flat of his
+sword on the earl's shoulder.
+
+Hereford half smiled. "Thou art too happy in thy light-hearted mirth for
+me to say aught that would so disturb it," he said; "yet I say, and will
+say again, would to heaven, I had been before the gates of Kildrummie,
+and left to thee all the honor and glory, an thou wilt, of this
+capture."
+
+"Honor and glory, thou bitter piece of satire!" rejoined Lancaster,
+holding up a large golden flagon, to hide his face from the earl.
+"Unhappy me, were this all the glory I could win. I will wipe away the
+stain, if stain there be, at Kildrummie, an it be not surrendered ere we
+reach it."
+
+"The stain is with the base traitor Ross, not with thee or me," answered
+Hereford; "'tis that I abhor the nature of such expeditions, that I
+loathe, aye, loathe communication with such as he, and that--if it can
+be--that worse traitor Buchan, that makes me rejoice I have naught
+before me now but as fair a field as a siege may be. Would to God, this
+devastating and most cruel war were over, I do say! on a fair field it
+may be borne, but not to war with women and children, as has been my
+fate."
+
+"Aye, by the way, this is not the first fair prize thou hast sent to
+Edward; the Countess of Buchan was a rare jewel for our coveting
+monarch--somewhat more than possession, there was room for vengeance
+there. Bore she her captivity more queenly than the sobbing and weeping
+Margaret?"
+
+The question was reiterated by most of the knights around the dais, but
+Hereford evidently shrunk from the inquiry.
+
+"Speak not of it, I charge ye," he said. "There is no room for jesting
+on grief as hers; majestic and glorious she was, but if the reported
+tale be true, her every thought, her every feeling was, as I even then
+imagined, swallowed up in one tearless and stern but all-engrossing
+anguish."
+
+"The reported tale! meanest thou the fate of her son?" asked one of the
+knights.
+
+"If it be true!" resumed another; "believest thou, my lord, there is
+aught of hope to prove it false?"
+
+"More likely to be true than false," added Lancaster; "I can believe any
+thing of that dark scowling villain Buchan--even the murder of his
+child."
+
+"I believe it _not_," answered Hereford; "bad as that man is, hard in
+heart as in temper, he has too much policy to act thus, even if he had
+no feelings of nature rising to prevent it. No, no; I would wager the
+ruby brooch in my helmet that boy lives, and his father will make use of
+him to forward his own interests yet."
+
+"But why then forge this tale?" demanded their host; "how may that serve
+his purpose?"
+
+"Easily enough, with regard to the vengeance we all know he vowed to
+wreak on his unhappy wife. What deeper misery could he inflict upon her
+than the belief her boy was murdered? and as for its effect on Edward,
+trust a Comyn to make his own way clear."
+
+"But what do with the boy meanwhile?"
+
+"Keep him under lock and key; chained up, may be, as a dog in a kennel,
+till he has broken his high spirit, and moulds him to the tool he
+wills," answered Hereford, "or at least till his mother is out of his
+path."
+
+"Ha! thinkest thou the king will demand such sweeping vengeance? He
+surely will not sentence a woman to death."
+
+"Had I thought so, had I only dreamed so," replied Hereford, with almost
+startling sternness, "as there is a God above us, I would have risked
+the charge of treason and refused to give her up! But no, my lords, no;
+changed as Edward is, he would not, he dared not use his power thus. I
+meant but imprisonment, when I said out of the boy's path--more he will
+not do; but even such I love not. Bold as it was to crown the rebel
+Bruce, the deed sprung from a noble heart, and noble deeds should meet
+with noble judgment."
+
+A bugle sounded twice or thrice sharply without, and occasioning some
+bustle at the lower part of the ball, interrupted for a brief space the
+converse of the lords. A few minutes after, the seneschal, attended by
+two or three higher servants, returned, marshalling in due form two
+young men in the garb of esquires, followed by some fifteen or twenty
+men-at-arms.
+
+"Ha! Fitz-Ernest and Hugo; well met, and ye bring us good tidings from
+Kildrummie," exclaimed both the English earls at once, as cap in hand
+the esquires slowly walked up the hall, and did obeisance to their
+masters.
+
+"Yet your steps are somewhat laggard, as they bring us news of victory.
+By my troth, were it not utterly impossible, I could deem ye had been
+worsted in the strife," continued the impatient Lancaster, while the
+cooler and more sagacious Hereford scanned the countenances of the
+esquires in silence. "Yet and ye come not to tell of victory, why have
+ye come at all?"
+
+"To beseech your lordship's speedy return, to the camp," replied
+Fitz-Ernest, after a moment's hesitation, his cheek still flushed from
+his master's words. "There is division of purpose and action in the
+camp, and an ye not return and head the attack your noble selves, I fear
+me there is little hope of victory."
+
+"Peace, fool! is there such skill and wisdom needed? Division in purpose
+and action! Quarrelling, methinks, had better be turned against the
+enemy than against yourselves. Hugo, do thou speak; in plain terms,
+wherefore come ye?"
+
+"In plain terms, then, good my lord, as yet we have had the worst of
+it," answered the esquire, bluntly. "The Scotch fight like very devils,
+attacking us instead of waiting for our attack, penetrating into the
+very centre of our camp, one knows not how or whence, bearing off
+prisoners and booty in our very teeth."
+
+"Prisoners--booty--worsted! Thou durst not tell me so!" exclaimed
+Lancaster, furiously, as he started up and half drew his sword.
+
+"Peace, peace, I pray thee, good friend, peace," continued Hereford,
+laying his hand on Lancaster's shoulder, with a force which compelled
+him to resume his seat. "Let us at least hear and understand their
+mission. Speak out, Hugo, and briefly--what has befallen?"
+
+In a few straightforward words his esquire gave all the information
+which was needed, interrupted only now and then by a brief interrogation
+from Hereford, and some impatient starts and muttering from his
+colleague. The success of the Scots, described in a former page, had
+continued, despite the action of the mangonels and other engines which
+the massive walls appeared to hold in defiance. So watchful and skilful
+were the besieged, that the greatest havoc had been made amongst the men
+employed in working the engines, and not yet had even the palisades and
+barbacan been successfully stormed.
+
+"Have they tried any weaker point?" Hereford asked, and the answer was,
+that it was on this very matter division had spread amongst the knights,
+some insisting on carrying the barbacan as the most important point, and
+others advising and declaring their only hope of success lay in a
+divided attack on two of the weaker sides at once.
+
+"The fools, the sorry fools!" burst again from Lancaster. "They deserve
+to be worsted for their inordinate pride and folly; all wanted to lead,
+and none would follow. Give you good e'en, my lord," he added, turning
+hastily to his host; "I'll to the courtyard and muster forth my men.
+Fitz-Ernest, thou shalt speak on as we go," and drawing his furred
+mantle around him, he strode rapidly yet haughtily from the hall.
+Hereford only waited to learn all from Hugo, to hold a brief
+consultation with some of his attendant knights, and he too, despite the
+entreaties of his host to tarry with him at least till morning, left the
+banquet to don his armor.
+
+"Silence and speed carry all before them, my good lord," he said,
+courteously. "In such a case, though I fear no eventual evil, they must
+not be neglected. I would change the mode of attack on these Scotch, ere
+they are even aware their foes are reinforced."
+
+"Eventual evil, of a truth, there need not be, my lord," interposed his
+esquire, "even should no force of arms prevail. I have heard there are
+some within the walls who need but a golden bribe to do the work for
+us."
+
+"Peace!" said the nobleman, sternly. "I loathe the very word
+betray--spoken or intended. Shame, shame on thee to speak it, and yet
+more shame to imagine it needed! Art thou of Norman birth, and deemest a
+handful of Scotch like these will bid us raise the siege and tamely
+depart?--yet better so than gained by treachery."
+
+Hugo and the Scottish baron alike shrunk back from the reproving look of
+Hereford, and both silently followed him to the courtyard. Already it
+was a scene of bustling animation: trumpets were sounding and drums
+rolling; torches flashing through the darkness on the mailed coats of
+the knights and on gleaming weapons; and the heavy tramp of near two
+hundred horse, hastily accoutred and led from the stable, mingled with
+the hoarse winds of winter, howling tempestuously around. The reserve
+which Hereford had retained to guard the prisoners so treacherously
+delivered over to him, was composed of the noblest amidst his army,
+almost all mounted chevaliers; and, therefore, though he might not add
+much actual force to the besiegers, the military skill and experience
+which that little troop included argued ill for the besieged. Some of
+the heaviest engines he had kept back also, particularly a tower some
+four or five stories high, so constructed that it could be rolled to the
+walls, and its inmates ascend unscathed by the weapons of their
+defenders. Not imagining it would be needed, he had not sent it on with
+the main body, but now he commanded twelve of the strongest horses to be
+yoked to it, and on went the unwieldy engine, rumbling and staggering on
+its ill-formed wheels. Lancaster, whose impatience no advice could ever
+control, dashed on with the first troop, leaving his cooler comrade to
+look to the yoking of the engines and the marshalling the men, and with
+his own immediate attendants bringing up the rear, a task for which
+Hereford's self-command as well fitted him as his daring gallantry to
+head the foremost charge.
+
+"Ye will have a rough journey, my good lord; yet an ye deem it best,
+farewell and heaven speed ye," was the parting greeting of the baron, as
+he stood beside the impatient charger of the earl.
+
+"The rougher the better," was that nobleman's reply; "the noise of the
+wind will conceal our movements better than a calmer night. Farewell,
+and thanks--a soldier's thanks, my lord, poor yet honest--for thy right
+noble welcome."
+
+He bent his head courteously, set spurs to his steed, and dashed over
+the drawbridge as the last of his men disappeared through the outer
+gate. The Scottish nobleman looked after him with many mingled feelings.
+
+"As noble a warrior as ever breathed," he muttered; "it were honor to
+serve under him, yet an he wants me not I will not join him. I love not
+the Bruce, yet uncalled, unneeded, I will not raise sword against my
+countrymen," and with slow, and equal steps he returned to the hall.
+
+Hereford was correct in his surmises. The pitchy darkness of a winter
+night would scarcely have sufficed to hide the movements attendant on
+the sudden arrival of a large body of men in the English camp, had not
+the hoarse artillery of the wind, moaning, sweeping, and then rushing
+o'er the hills with a crashing sound like thunder, completely smothered
+every other sound, and if at intervals of quiet unusual sounds did
+attract the ears of those eager watchers on the Scottish walls, the
+utter impossibility of kindling torches or fires in either camp
+frustrated every effort of discovery. Hoarser and wilder grew the
+whirlwind with the waning hours, till even the steel-clad men-at-arms
+stationed on the walls moved before it, and were compelled to crouch
+down till its violence had passed. Favored by the elements, Hereford
+proceeded to execute his measures, heedless alike of the joyful surprise
+his sudden appearance occasioned, and of the tale of division and
+discord which Hugo and Fitz-Ernest had reported as destroying the unity
+of the camp. Briefly and sternly refusing audience to each who pressed
+forward, eager to exculpate himself at the expense of his companions, he
+desired his esquire to proclaim a general amnesty to all who allowed
+themselves to have been in error, and would henceforth implicitly obey
+his commands; he returned to his pavilion, with the Earl of Lancaster,
+summoning around him the veterans of the army, and a brief consultation
+was held. They informed him the greatest mischief had been occasioned by
+the injuries done to the engines, which had been brought to play against
+the walls. Stones of immense weight had been hurled upon them,
+materially injuring their works, and attended with such fatal slaughter
+to the men who worked them, that even the bravest shrunk back appalled;
+that the advice of the senior officers had been to hold back until these
+engines were repaired, merely keeping strict guard against unexpected
+sallies on the part of the Scotch, as this would not only give them time
+to recruit their strength, but in all probability throw the besieged off
+their guard. Not above half of the army, however, agreed with this
+counsel; the younger and less wary spurned it as cowardice and folly,
+and rushing on to the attack, ill-formed and ill-conducted, had ever
+been beaten back with immense loss; defeat, however, instead of teaching
+prudence, lashed them into greater fury, which sometimes turned upon
+each other.
+
+Hereford listened calmly, yet with deep attention, now and then indeed
+turning his expressive eyes towards his colleague, as if entreating him
+to observe that the mischief which had befallen them proceeded greatly
+from impetuosity and imprudence, and beseeching his forbearance. Nor was
+Lancaster regardless of this silent appeal; conscious of his equality
+with Hereford in bravery and nobleness, he disdained not to acknowledge
+his inferiority to him in that greater coolness, which in a siege is so
+much needed, and grasping his hand with generous fervor, bade him speak,
+advise, command, and he would find no one in the camp more ready to be
+counselled and to obey than Lancaster. To tear down those rebel colors
+and raise those of England in their stead, was all he asked.
+
+"And fear not that task shall be other than thine own, my gallant
+friend," was Hereford's instant reply, his features kindling at
+Lancaster's words more than they had done yet; and then again quickly
+resuming his calm unimpassioned exterior, he inquired if the mangonels
+and other engines were again fit for use. There were several that could
+instantly be put in action was the reply. Had the numbers of fighting
+men within the castle been ascertained? They had, a veteran answered,
+from a prisoner, who had appeared so willing to give information, that
+his captors imagined there were very many malcontents within the walls.
+Of stalwart fighting men there were scarcely more than three hundred;
+others there were, of whose number was the prisoner, who fought because
+their companions' swords would else have been at their throats, but that
+they would be glad enough to be made prisoners, to escape the horrors of
+the siege.
+
+"I am sorry for it," was the earl's sole rejoinder, "there will be less
+glory in the conquest."
+
+"And this Sir Nigel Bruce, whoe'er he be, hath to combat against
+fearful odds," remarked Lancaster; "and these Scotch-men, by my troth,
+seem touched by the hoof of the arch-deceiver--treachery from the earl
+to the peasant. Hast noticed how this scion of the Bruce bears
+himself?--right gallantly, 'tis said."
+
+"As a very devil, my lord," impetuously answered a knight; "in the walls
+or out of them, there's no standing before him. He sweeps down his foes,
+line after line, as cards blown before the wind; he is at the head of
+every charge, the last of each retreat. But yesternight there were those
+who marked him covering the retreat of his men absolutely alone; his
+sword struck down two at every sweep, till his passage was cleared; he
+darted on--the drawbridge trembled in its grooves--for he had given the
+command to raise it, despite his own danger--his charger, mad as
+himself, sprang forward, and like a lightning flash, both disappeared
+within the portcullis as the bridge uprose."
+
+"Gallantly done!" exclaimed Lancaster, who had listened to this recital
+almost breathlessly. "By St. George, a foe worthy to meet and struggle
+with! But who is he--what is he?"
+
+"Knowest thou not?" said Hereford, surprised; "the brother, youngest
+brother I have heard, of this same daring Earl of Carrick who has so
+troubled our sovereign."
+
+"Nigel, the brother of Robert! What, the scribe, the poet, the dreamer
+of Edward's court? a poor youth, with naught but his beauty to recommend
+him. By all good angels, this metamorphosis soundeth strangely! art sure
+'tis the same, the very same?"
+
+"I have heard so," was Hereford's quiet reply, and continuing his more
+important queries with the veterans around, while Lancaster, his gayer
+spirit roused by this account of Nigel, demanded every minute particular
+concerning him, that he might seek him hand to hand.
+
+"Steel armor inlaid with silver--blue scarf across his breast,
+embroidered with his cognizance in gold--blue plume, which no English
+sword hath ever soiled--humph! that's reserved for me--charger white as
+the snow on the ground--sits his steed as man and horse were one. Well,
+gloriously well, there will be no lack of glory here!" he said,
+joyously, as one by one he slowly enumerated the symbols by which he
+might recognize his foe. So expeditiously had Hereford conducted his
+well-arranged plans, that when his council was over, it still wanted two
+hours to dawn, and these Hereford commanded the men who had accompanied
+him to pass in repose.
+
+But he himself partook not of this repose, passing the remainder of the
+darkness in carefully reviewing the forces which were still fresh and
+prepared for the onset, in examining the nature of the engines, and
+finally, still aided by the noise of the howling winds, marshalled them
+in formidable array in very front of the barbacan, the heavy mist thrown
+onward by the blasts effectually concealing their near approach. To
+Lancaster the command of this party was intrusted; Hereford reserving to
+himself the desirable yet delicate task of surveying the ground,
+confident that the attack on the barbacan would demand the whole
+strength and attention of the besieged, and thus effectually cover his
+movements.
+
+His plan succeeded. A fearful shout, seconded by a tremendous discharge
+of huge stones, some of which rattled against the massive walls in vain,
+others flying across the moat and crushing some of the men on the inner
+wall, were the first terrific sounds which unexpectedly greeted the
+aroused attention of the Scotch. The armor of their foes flashing
+through the mist, the furious charge of the knights up to the very gates
+of the barbacan, seemingly in sterner and more compact array than of
+late had been their wont, the immense body which followed them,
+appearing in that dim light more numerous than reality, struck a
+momentary chill on the Scottish garrison; but the unwonted emotion was
+speedily dissipated by the instant and unhesitating sally of Sir
+Christopher Seaton and his brave companions. The impetuosity of their
+charge, the suddenness of their appearance, despite their great
+disparity of numbers, caused the English a moment to bear back, and kept
+them in full play until Nigel and his men-at-arms, rushing over the
+lowered drawbridge, joined in the strife. A brief, very brief interval
+of fighting convinced both the Scottish leaders that a master-spirit now
+headed their foes; that they were struggling at infinitely greater odds
+than before; that unity of purpose, greater sagacity, and military skill
+were now at work against them, they scarce knew wherefore, for they
+recognized the same war-cry, the same banners; there were the same
+gallant show of knights, for in the desperate _melee_ it was scarcely
+possible to distinguish the noble form of Lancaster from his fellows,
+although marking the azure plume, which even then waved high above all
+others, though round it the work of death ever waxed hottest; the
+efforts of the English earl were all bent to meet its gallant wearer
+hand to hand, but the press of war still held them apart, though both
+seemed in every part of the field. It was a desperate struggle man to
+man; the clash of swords became one strange continuous mass of sound,
+instead of the fearful distinctness which had marked their work before.
+Shouts and cries mingled fearfully with the sharper clang, the heavy
+fall of man and horse, the creaking of the engines, the wild shrieks of
+the victims within the walls mangled by the stones, or from the
+survivors who witnessed their fall--all formed a din as terrific to
+hear, as dreadful to behold. With even more than their wonted bravery
+the Scotch fought, but with less success. The charge of the English was
+no longer the impetuous fury of a few hot-headed young men, more eager
+to _despite_ their cooler advisers, than gain any permanent good for
+themselves. Now, as one man fell another stepped forward in his place,
+and though the slaughter might have been equal, nay, greater on the side
+of the besiegers than the besieged, by one it was scarcely felt, by the
+other the death of each man was even as the loss of a host. Still, still
+they struggled on, the English obtaining possession of the palisades,
+though the immense strength of the barbacan itself, defended as it was
+by the strenuous efforts of the Scotch, still resisted all attack:
+bravely, nobly, the besieged retreated within their walls, pellmell
+their foes dashed after them, and terrific was the combat on the
+drawbridge, which groaned and creaked beneath the heavy tramp of man and
+horse. Many, wrestling in the fierceness of mortal strife, fell together
+in the moat, and encumbered with heavy armor, sunk in each other's arms,
+in the grim clasp of death.
+
+Then it was Lancaster met hand to hand the gallant foe he sought,
+covering the retreat of his men, who were bearing Sir Christopher
+Seaton, desperately wounded, to the castle. Sir Nigel stood well-nigh
+alone on the bridge; his bright armor, his foaming charger bore evident
+marks of the fray, but still he rode his steed firmly and unbent, his
+plume yet waved untouched by the foeman's sword. Nearer and nearer
+pressed forward the English earl, signing to his men to secure without
+wounding his gallant foe; round him they closely gathered, but Nigel
+evinced no sign either of trepidation or anger, fearlessly, gallantly,
+he returned the earl's impetuous charge, backing his steed slowly as he
+did so, and keeping his full front to his foe. On, on pressed Lancaster,
+even to the postern; a bound, a shout, and scarcely was he aware that
+his sword had ceased to cross with Nigel's, before he was startled by
+the heavy fall of the portcullis, effectually dividing them, and utterly
+frustrating further pursuit. A cry of rage, of disappointment broke from
+the English, as they were compelled to turn and rejoin their friends.
+
+The strife still continued within and without the barbacan, and ended
+without much advantage on either side. The palisades and outward
+barriers had indeed fallen into the hands of the English, which was the
+first serious loss yet sustained by the besieged; from the barbacan they
+had gallantly and successfully driven their foe, but that trifling
+success was so counterbalanced by the serious loss of life amid the
+garrison which it included, that both Nigel and Sir Christopher felt the
+next attack must deliver it into the hands of the besiegers. Their loss
+of men was in reality scarcely a third of the number which had fallen
+among the English, yet to them that loss was of infinitely more
+consequence than to the foe. Bitter and painful emotions filled the
+noble spirit of Nigel, as he gazed on the diminished number of his men,
+and met the ill-suppressed groans and lamentations of those who had, at
+the first alarm of the English, sought shelter and protection in the
+castle; their ill-suppressed entreaties that he would struggle no longer
+against such odds grated harshly and ominously on his ear; but sternly
+he turned from them to the men-at-arms, and in their steadfast bravery
+and joyous acclamations found some degree of hope.
+
+Yet ere the day closed the besieged felt too truly their dreams of
+triumph, of final success, little short of a miracle would realize.
+Their fancy that some new and mightier spirit of generalship was at work
+within the English camp was confirmed. Two distinct bodies were observed
+at work on the eastern and southern sides of the mount, the one
+evidently employed in turning aside the bed of the river, which on that
+side flowed instead of the moat beneath the wall, the other in
+endeavoring to fill up the moat by a causeway, so as to admit of an
+easy access to the outer wall. The progress they had made in their work
+the first day, while the attention of the Scotch had been confined to
+the attack on the barbacan, was all-sufficient evidence of their intent;
+and with bitter sorrow Sir Nigel and his brother-in-law felt that their
+only means of any efficient defence lay in resigning the long-contested
+barbacan to the besiegers. An important point it certainly was, but
+still to retain it the walls overlooking the more silent efforts of the
+English must be left comparatively unguarded, and they might obtain an
+almost uninterrupted and scarce-contested passage within the walls,
+while the whole strength and attention of the besieged were employed, as
+had already been the case, on a point that they had scarce a hope
+eventually to retain. With deep and bitter sorrow the alternative was
+proposed and carried in a hurried council of war, and so well acted
+upon, that, despite the extreme watchfulness of the English, men,
+treasure, arms, and artillery, all that the strong towers contained,
+were conveyed at dead of night over the drawbridge into the castle, and
+the following morning, Lancaster, in utter astonishment, took possession
+of the deserted fort.
+
+Perhaps to both parties this resolution was alike a disappointment and
+restraint. The English felt there was no glory in their prize, they had
+not obtained possession through their own prowess and skill; and now
+that the siege had become so much closer, and this point of
+communication was entirely stopped, the hand-to-hand combat, the
+glorious _melee_, the press of war, which to both parties had been an
+excitement, and little more than warlike recreation, had of course
+entirely ceased, but Hereford heeded not the disappointment of his men;
+his plans were progressing as he had desired, even though his workmen
+were greatly harassed by the continued discharge of arrows and immense
+stones from the walls.
+
+The desertion of the barbacan was an all-convincing proof of the very
+small number of the garrison; and though the immense thickness and
+solidity of the walls bespoke time, patience, and control, the English
+earl never wavered from his purpose, and by his firmness, his personal
+gallantry, his readily-bestowed approbation on all who demanded it, he
+contrived to keep his more impatient followers steadily to their task;
+while Nigel, to prevent the spirits of his men from sinking, would
+frequently lead them forth at night, and by a sudden attack annoy and
+often cut off many of the men stationed within the barbacan. The
+drawbridge was the precarious ground of many a midnight strife, till the
+daring gallantry of Nigel Bruce became the theme of every tongue; a
+gallantry equalled only by the consummate skill which he displayed, in
+retreating within his entrenchments frequently without the loss of a
+single man either as killed or wounded. Often would Sir Christopher
+Seaton, whose wounds still bound him a most unwilling prisoner to his
+couch, entreat him to avoid such rash exposures of his life, but Nigel
+only answered him with a smile and an assurance he bore a charmed life,
+which the sword of the foe could not touch.
+
+The siege had now lasted six weeks, and the position of both parties
+continued much as we have seen, save that the bed of the river had now
+begun to appear, promising a free passage to the English on the eastern
+side, and on the south a broad causeway had stretched itself over the
+moat, on which the towers for defending the ascent of the walls,
+mangonels and other engines, were already safely bestowed, and all
+promised fair to the besiegers, whose numerous forces scarcely appeared
+to have suffered any diminution, although in reality some hundreds had
+fallen; while on the side of the besieged, although the walls were still
+most gallantly manned, and the first efforts of the English to scale the
+walls had been rendered ineffectual by huge stones hurled down upon
+them, still a look of greater care was observable on the brows of both
+officers and men; and provisions had now begun to be doled out by weight
+and measure, for though the granaries still possessed stores sufficient
+for some weeks longer, the apparent determination of the English to
+permit no relaxation in their close attack, demanded increase of caution
+on the part of the besieged.
+
+About this time an event occurred, which, though comparatively trifling
+in itself, when the lives of so many were concerned, was fraught in
+effect with fatal consequences to all the inmates of Kildrummie. The
+conversation of the next chapter, however, will better explain it, and
+to it we refer our readers.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+
+In a circular apartment of the lower floor in Kildrummie keep, its stone
+floor but ill covered with rushes, and the walls hung with the darkest
+and rudest arras, Sir Christopher Seaton reclined on a rough couch, in
+earnest converse with his brother-in-law, Nigel. Lady Seaton was also
+within the chamber, at some little distance from the knights, engaged in
+preparing lint and healing ointments, with the aid of an attendant, for
+the wounded, and ready at the first call to rise and attend them, as she
+had done unremittingly during the continuance of the siege. The
+countenances of both warriors were slightly changed from the last time
+we beheld them. The severity of his wounds had shed a cast almost of age
+on the noble features of Seaton, but care and deep regret had mingled
+with that pallor; and perhaps on the face of Nigel, which three short
+weeks before had beamed forth such radiant hope, the change was more
+painful. He had escaped with but slight flesh wounds, but disappointment
+and anxiety were now vividly impressed on his features; the smooth brow
+would unconsciously wrinkle in deep and unexpressed thought; the lip, to
+which love, joy, and hope alone had once seemed natural, now often
+compressed, and his eye flashed, till his whole countenance seemed
+stern, not with the sternness of a tyrannical, changed and chafing
+mood--no, 'twas the sternness most fearful to behold in youth, of
+thought, deep, bitter, whelming thought; and sterner even than it had
+been yet was the expression on his features as he spoke this day with
+Seaton.
+
+"He must die," were the words which broke a long and anxious pause, and
+fell in deep yet emphatic tones from the lips of Seaton; "yes, die!
+Perchance the example may best arrest the spreading contagion of
+treachery around us."
+
+"I know not, I fear not; yet as thou sayest he must die," replied Nigel,
+speaking as in deep thought; "would that the noble enemy, who thus
+scorned to benefit by the offered treason, had done on him the work of
+death himself. I love not the necessity nor the deed."
+
+"Yet it must be, Nigel. Is there aught else save death, the death of a
+traitor, which can sufficiently chastise a crime like this? Well was it
+the knave craved speech of Hereford himself. I marvel whether the
+majesty of England had resisted a like temptation."
+
+"Seaton, he would not," answered the young man. "I knew him, aye,
+studied him in his own court, and though I doubt not there was a time
+when chivalry was strongest in the breast of Edward, it was before
+ambition's fatal poison had corroded his heart. Now he would deem all
+things honorable in the art of war, aye, even the delivery of a castle
+through the treachery of a knave."
+
+"And he hath more in yon host to think with him than with the noble
+Hereford," resumed Sir Christopher; "yet this is but idle parley, and
+concerneth but little our present task. In what temper do our men
+receive the tidings of this foul treason?"
+
+"Our own brave fellows call aloud for vengeance on the traitor; nay, had
+I not rescued him from their hands, they would have torn him limb from
+limb in their rage. But there are others, Seaton--alas! the more
+numerous body now--and they speak not, but with moody brows and gloomy
+mutterings prowl up and down the courts."
+
+"Aye, the coward hearts," answered Seaton, "their good wishes went with
+him, and but low-breathed curses follow our efforts for their freedom.
+Yes, it must be, if it be but as a warning unto others. See to it,
+Nigel; an hour before the set of sun he dies."
+
+A brief pause followed his words, whose low sternness of tone betrayed
+far more than the syllables themselves. Both warriors remained a while
+plunged in moody thought, which Seaton was the first to break.
+
+"And how went the last attack and defence?" he asked; "they told me,
+bravely."
+
+"Aye, so bravely, that could we but reinforce our fighting men, aided as
+we are by impenetrable walls, we might dream still of conquest; they
+have gained little as yet, despite their nearer approach. Hand to hand
+we have indeed struggled on the walls, and hurled back our foremost foes
+in their own intrenchments. Our huge fragments of rocks have dealt
+destruction on one of their towers, crushing all who manned it beneath
+the ruins."
+
+"And I lie here when such brave work is going on beside me, even as a
+bedridden monk or coward layman, when my whole soul is in the fight,"
+said the knight, bitterly, and half springing from his couch. "When will
+these open wounds--to the foul fiend with them and those who gave
+them!--when will they let me mount and ride again as best befits a
+warrior? Better slain at once than lie here a burden, not a help--taking
+from those whose gallant efforts need it more the food we may not have
+for long. I will not thus be chained; I'll to the action, be my life the
+forfeit!"
+
+He sprung up, and for a moment stood upon his feet, but with a low groan
+of pain instantly fell back, the dew of weakness gathering on his brow.
+Lady Seaton was at his side on the instant to bathe his temples and his
+hands, yet without one reproachful word, for she knew the anguish it was
+to his brave heart to lie thus disabled, when every loyal hand was
+needed for his country.
+
+"Nigel, I would that I might join thee. Remember, 'tis no mean game we
+play; we hold not out as marauding chieftains against a lawful king; we
+struggle not in defence of petty rights, of doubtful privileges. 'Tis
+for Scotland, for King Robert still we strive. Did this castle hold out,
+aye, compel the foe to raise the siege, much, much would be done for
+Scotland. Others would do as we have done; many, whose strongholds rest
+in English hands, would rise and expel the foe. Had we but
+reinforcements of men and stores, all might still be well."
+
+"Aye," answered Nigel, bitterly, "but with all Scotland crushed 'neath
+English chains, her king and his bold patriots fugitives and exiles,
+ourselves the only Scottish force in arms, the only Scottish castle
+which resists the tyrant, how may this be, whence may come increase of
+force, of store? Seaton Seaton, thine are bright dreams--would that they
+were real."
+
+"Wouldst thou then give up at once, and strive no more? It cannot be."
+
+"Never!" answered his companion, passionately. "Ere English feet shall
+cross these courts and English colors wave above these towers, the blood
+of the defenders must flow beneath their steps. They gain not a yard of
+earth save at the bright sword's point; not a rood of grass unstained by
+Scottish blood. Give up! not till my arm can wield no sword, my voice no
+more shout 'Forward for the Bruce!'"
+
+"Then we will hope on, dream on, Nigel, and despair not," replied
+Seaton, in the same earnest tone. "We know not yet what may be, and,
+improbable as it seems now, succors may yet arrive. How long doth last
+the truce?"
+
+"For eighteen hours, two of which have passed."
+
+"Didst thou demand it?"
+
+"No," replied Nigel. "It was proffered by the earl, as needed for a
+strict examination of the traitor Evan Roy, and accepted in the spirit
+with which it was offered."
+
+"Thou didst well; and the foul traitor--where hast thou lodged him?"
+
+"In the western turret, strongly guarded. I would not seek thy counsel
+until I had examined and knew the truth."
+
+"And thine own judgment?"
+
+"Was as thine. It is an ill necessity, yet it must be."
+
+"Didst pronounce his sentence?"
+
+Nigel answered in the affirmative.
+
+"And how was it received?"
+
+"In the same sullen silence on the part of the criminal as he had borne
+during his examination. Methought a low murmur of discontent escaped
+from some within the hall, but it was drowned in the shout of
+approbation from the men-at-arms, and the execrations they lavished on
+the traitor as they bore him away, so I heeded it not."
+
+"But thou wilt heed it," said a sweet voice beside him, and Agnes, who
+had just entered the chamber, laid her hand on his arm and looked
+beseechingly in his face. "Dearest Nigel, I come a pleader."
+
+"And for whom, my beloved?" he asked, his countenance changing into its
+own soft beautiful expression as he gazed on her, "What can mine Agnes
+ask that Nigel may not grant?"
+
+"Nay, I am no pleader for myself," she said; "I come on the part of a
+wretched wife and aged mother, beseeching the gift of life."
+
+"And for a traitor, Agnes?"
+
+"I think of him but as a husband and son, dearest Nigel," she said, more
+timidly, for his voice was stern. "They tell me he is condemned to
+death, and his wretched wife and mother besought my influence with thee;
+and indeed it needed little entreaty, for when death is so busy around
+us, when in this fearful war we see the best and bravest of our friends
+fall victims every day, oh, I would beseech you to spare life when it
+may be. Dearest, dearest Nigel, have mercy on this wretched man; traitor
+as he is, oh, do not take his life--do not let thy lips sentence him to
+death. Wilt thou not be merciful?"
+
+"If the death of one man will preserve the lives of many, how may that
+one be spared?" said Sir Nigel, folding the sweet pleader closer to him,
+though his features spoke no relaxation of his purpose. "Sweet Agnes, do
+not ask this, give me not the bitter pain of refusing aught to thee.
+Thou knowest not all the mischief and misery which pardon to a traitor
+such as this will do; thou listenest only to thy kind heart and the sad
+pleadings of those who love this man. Now listen to me, beloved, and
+judge thyself. Did I believe a pardon would bring back the traitor to a
+sense of duty, to a consciousness of his great crime--did I believe
+giving life to him would deter others from the same guilt, I should
+scarce wait even for thy sweet pleading to give him both liberty and
+life; but I know him better than thou, mine Agnes. He is one of those
+dark, discontented, rebellious spirits, that never rest in stirring up
+others to be like them; who would employ even the life I gave him to my
+own destruction, and that of the brave and faithful soldiers with me."
+
+"But send him hence, dearest Nigel," still entreated Agnes. "Give him
+life, but send him from the castle; will not this remove the danger of
+his influence with others?"
+
+"And give him field and scope to betray us yet again, sweet one. It were
+indeed scorning the honorable counsel of Hereford to act thus; for trust
+me, Agnes, there are not many amid our foes would resist temptation as
+he hath done."
+
+"Yet would not keeping him close prisoner serve thee as well as death,
+Nigel? Bethink thee, would it not spare the ill of taking life?"
+
+"Dearest, no," he answered. "There are many, alas! too many within these
+walls who need an example of terror to keep them to their duty. They
+will see that treachery avails not with the noble Hereford, and that,
+discovered by me, it hath no escape from death. If this man be, as I
+imagine, in league with other contentious spirits--for he could scarce
+hope to betray the castle into the hands of the English without some aid
+within--his fate may strike such terror into other traitor hearts that
+their designs will be abandoned. Trust me, dearest, I do not do this
+deed of justice without deep regret; I grieve for the necessity even as
+the deed, and yet it must be; and bitter as it is to refuse thee aught,
+indeed I cannot grant thy boon."
+
+"Yet hear me once more, Nigel. Simple and ignorant as I am, I cannot
+answer such arguments as thine; yet may it not be that this deed of
+justice, even while it strikes terror, may also excite the desire for
+revenge, and situated as we are were it not better to avoid all such
+bitterness, such heart-burnings amongst the people?"
+
+"We must brave it, dearest," answered Nigel, firmly, "The direct line of
+justice and of duty may not be turned aside for such fears as these."
+
+"Nor do I think they have foundation," continued Sir Christopher Seaton.
+"Thou hast pleaded well and kindly, gentle maiden, yet gladly as we
+would do aught to pleasure thee, this that thou hast asked, alas! must
+not be. The crime itself demands punishment, and even could we pardon
+that, duty to our country, our king, ourselves, calls loudly for his
+death, lest his foul treachery should spread."
+
+The eyes of the maiden filled with tears.
+
+"Then my last hope is over," she said, sadly. "I looked to thy
+influence, Sir Christopher, to plead for me, even if mine own
+supplications should fail; and thou judgest even as Nigel, not as my
+heart could wish."
+
+"We judge as men and soldiers, gentle maiden; as men who, charged with a
+most solemn responsibility, dare listen to naught save the voice of
+justice, however loudly mercy pleads."
+
+"And didst thou think, mine Agnes, if thy pleading was of no avail, the
+entreaty of others could move me?" whispered Nigel, in a voice which,
+though tender, was reproachful. "Dearest and best, oh, thou knowest not
+the pang it is to refuse thee even this, and to feel my words have
+filled those eyes with tears. Say thou wilt not deem me cruel, abiding
+by justice when there is room for mercy?"
+
+"I know thee better than to judge thee thus," answered Agnes, tearfully;
+"the voice of duty must have spoken loudly to urge thee to this
+decision, and I may not dispute it; yet would that death could be
+averted. There was madness in that woman's eyes," and she shuddered as
+she spoke.
+
+"Of whom speakest thou, love?" Nigel asked, and Seaton looked the
+question.
+
+"Of his wife," she replied. "She came to me distracted, and used such
+dreadful words, menaces and threats they seemed; but his mother, more
+composed, assured me they meant nothing, they were but the ravings of
+distress, and yet I fear to look on her again without his pardon."
+
+"And thou shalt not, my beloved; these are not scenes and words for such
+as thee. Rest here with Christine and good Sir Christopher; to tend and
+cheer a wounded knight is a fitter task for thee, sweet one, than thus
+to plead a traitor's cause."
+
+Pressing his lips upon her brow as he spoke, he placed her gently on a
+settle by Sir Christopher; then crossing the apartment, he paused a
+moment to whisper to Lady Seaton.
+
+"Look to her, my dear sister; she has been terrified, though she would
+conceal it. Let her not leave thee till this fatal duty is
+accomplished."
+
+Lady Seaton assured him of her compliance, and he left the apartment.
+
+He had scarcely quitted the postern before he himself encountered Jean
+Roy, a woman who, even in her mildest moments, evinced very little
+appearance of sanity, and who now, from her furious and distracting
+gestures, seemed wrought up to no ordinary pitch of madness. She kept
+hovering round him, uttering menaces and entreaties in one and the same
+breath, declaring one moment that her husband was no traitor, and had
+only done what every true-hearted Scotsman ought to do, if he would save
+himself and those he loved from destruction; the next, piteously
+acknowledging his crime, and wildly beseeching mercy. For a while Nigel
+endeavored, calmly and soothingly, to reason with her, but it was of no
+avail: louder and fiercer became her curses and imprecations; beseeching
+heaven to hurl down all its maledictions upon him and the woman he
+loved, and refuse him mercy when he most needed it. Perceiving her
+violence becoming more and more outrageous, Nigel placed her in charge
+of two of his men-at-arms, desiring them to treat her kindly, but not to
+lose sight of her, and keep her as far as possible from the scene about
+to be enacted. She was dragged away, struggling furiously, and Nigel
+felt his heart sink heavier within him. It was not that he wavered in
+his opinion, that he believed, situated as he was, it was better to
+spare the traitor's life than excite to a flame the already aroused and
+angered populace. He thought indeed terror might do much; but whether it
+was the entreating words of Agnes, or the state of the unhappy Jean,
+there had come upon him a dim sense of impending ill; an impression that
+the act of justice about to be performed would bring matters to a
+crisis, and the ruin of the garrison be consummated, ere he was aware it
+had begun. The shadow of the future appeared to have enfolded him, but
+still he wavered not. The hours sped: his preparations were completed,
+and at the time appointed by Seaton, with as much of awful solemnity as
+circumstances would admit, the soul of the traitor was launched into
+eternity. Men, women, and children had gathered round the temporary
+scaffold; every one within the castle, save the maimed and wounded,
+thronged to that centre court, and cheers and shouts, and groans and
+curses, mingled strangely on the air.
+
+Clad in complete steel, but bareheaded, Sir Nigel Bruce had witnessed
+the act of justice his voice had pronounced, and, after a brief pause,
+he stood forward on the scaffold, and in a deep, rich voice addressed
+the multitude ere they separated. Eloquently, forcibly, he spoke of the
+guilt, the foul guilt of treachery, now when Scotland demanded all men
+to join together hand and heart as one--now when the foe was at their
+gates; when, if united, they might yet bid defiance to the tyrant, who,
+if they were defeated, would hold them slaves. He addressed them as
+Scottish men and freemen, as soldiers, husbands, and fathers, as
+children of the brave, who welcomed death with joy, rather than life in
+slavery and degradation; and when his words elicited a shout of
+exultation and applause from the greater number, he turned his eye on
+the group of malcontents, and sternly and terribly bade them beware of a
+fate similar to that which they had just witnessed; for the gallant Earl
+of Hereford, he said, would deal with all Scottish traitors as with Evan
+Roy, and once known as traitors within the castle walls, he need not
+speak their doom, for they had witnessed it; and then changing his tone,
+frankly and beseechingly he conjured them to awake from the dull,
+sluggish sleep of indifference and fear, to put forth their energies as
+men, as warriors; their country, their king, their families, called on
+them, and would they not hear? He bade them arise, awake to their duty,
+and all that had been should never be recalled. He spoke with a brief
+yet mighty eloquence that seemed to carry conviction with it. Many a
+stern face and darkened brow relaxed, and there was hope in many a
+patriot breast as that group dispersed, and all was once more martial
+bustle on the walls.
+
+"Well and wisely hast thou spoken, my son," said the aged Abbot of
+Scone, who had attended the criminal's last moments, and now, with
+Nigel, sought the keep. "Thy words have moved those rebellious spirits,
+have calmed the rising tempest even as oil flung on the troubled waves;
+thine eloquence was even as an angel voice 'mid muttering fiends. Yet
+thou art still sad, still anxious. My son, this should not be."
+
+"It _must_ be, father," answered the young man. "I have looked beyond
+that oily surface and see naught save darker storms and fiercer
+tempests; those spirits need somewhat more than a mere voice. Father,
+reproach me not as mistrusting the gracious heaven in whose keeping lie
+our earthly fates. I know the battle is not to the strong, 'tis with the
+united, the faithful, and those men are neither. My words have stirred
+them for the moment, as a pebble flung 'mid the troubled waters--a few
+brief instants and all trace is passed, we see naught but the blackened
+wave. But speak not of these things; my trust is higher than earth, and
+let man work his will."
+
+Another week passed, and the fierce struggle continued, alternating
+success, one day with the besiegers, the next with the besieged. The
+scene of action was now principally on 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 was alone in an upper chamber of the keep, looking out from the
+narrow casement on a scene of hill and vale, and water, which, though
+still wintry from the total absence of leaf and flower, was yet calm and
+beautiful in the declining sun, and undisturbed by the fearful scenes
+and sounds which met the glance and ear on every other side, seemed even
+as a paradise of peace. It had been one of those mild, soft days of
+February, still more rare in Scotland than in England, and on the heart
+and sinking frame of Agnes its influence had fallen, till, almost
+unconsciously, she wept. The step of Nigel caused her hastily to dash
+these tears aside, and as he stood by her and silently folded his arm
+around her, she looked up in his face with a smile. He sought to return
+it, but the sight of such emotion, trifling as it was, caused his heart
+to sink with indescribable fear; his lip quivered, as utterly to prevent
+the words he sought to speak, and as he clasped her to his bosom and
+bent his head on hers, a low yet instantly suppressed moan burst from
+him.
+
+"Nigel, dearest Nigel, what has chanced? Oh, speak to me!" she
+exclaimed, clasping his hand in both hers, and gazing wildly in his
+face. "Thou art wounded or ill, or wearied unto death. Oh, let me undo
+this heavy armor, dearest; seek but a brief interval of rest. Speak to
+me, I know thou art not well."
+
+"It is but folly, my beloved, a momentary pang that weakness caused.
+Indeed, thy fears are causeless; I am well, quite well," he answered,
+struggling with himself, and subduing with an effort his emotion. "Mine
+own Agnes, thou wilt not doubt me; look not upon me so tearfully, 'tis
+passed, 'tis over now."
+
+"And thou wilt not tell me that which caused it, Nigel? Hast thou aught
+of suffering which thou fearest to tell thine Agnes? Oh! do not fear it;
+weak, childlike as I am, my soul will find strength for it."
+
+"And thou shalt know all, all in a brief while," he said, her sweet
+pleading voice rendering the task of calmness more difficult. "Yet tell
+me first thy thoughts, my love. Methought thy gaze was on yon peaceful
+landscape as I entered, and yet thine eyes were dimmed with tears."
+
+"And yet I know not wherefore," she replied, "save the yearnings for
+peace were stronger, deeper than they should be, and I pictured a cot
+where love might dwell in yon calm valley, and wished that this fierce
+strife was o'er."
+
+"'Tis in truth no scene for thee, mine own. I know, I feel thou pinest
+for freedom, for the fresh, pure, stainless air of the mountain, the
+valley's holy calm; thine ear is sick with the fell sounds that burst
+upon it; thine eye must turn in loathing from this fierce strife. Agnes,
+mine own Agnes, is it not so? would it not be happiness, aye, heaven's
+own bliss, to seek some peaceful home far, far away from this?"
+
+He spoke hurriedly and more passionately than was his wont, but Agnes
+only answered--
+
+"With thee, Nigel, it were bliss indeed."
+
+"With me," he said; "and couldst thou not be happy were I not at thy
+side? Listen to me, beloved," and his voice became as solemnly earnest
+as it had previously been hurried. "I sought thee, armed I thought with
+fortitude sufficient for the task; sought thee, to beseech, implore thee
+to seek safety and peace for a brief while apart from me, till these
+fearful scenes are passed. Start not, and oh, do not look upon me thus.
+I know all that strength of nerve, of soul, which bids thee care not for
+the dangers round thee. I know that where I am thy loving spirit feels
+no fear; but oh, Agnes, for my sake, if not for thine own, consent to
+fly ere it be too late; consent to seek safety far from this fatal
+tower. Let me not feel that on thee, on thee, far dearer than my life,
+destruction, and misery, and suffering in a thousand fearful shapes may
+fall. Let me but feel thee safe, far from this terrible scene, and then,
+come what will, it can have no pang."
+
+"And thee," murmured the startled girl, on whose ear the words of Nigel
+had fallen as with scarce half their meaning, "thee, wouldst thou bid me
+leave thee, to strive on, suffer on, and oh, merciful heaven! perchance
+fall _alone_? Nigel, Nigel, how may this be? are we not one, only one,
+and how may I dwell in safety without thee--how mayest thou suffer
+without me?"
+
+"Dearest and best!" he answered, passionately, "oh, that we were indeed
+one; that the voice of heaven had bound us one, long, long ere this! and
+yet--no, no, 'tis better thus," and again he struggled with emotion, and
+spoke calmly. "Agnes, beloved, precious as thou art in these hours of
+anxiety, dear, dearer than ever, in thy clinging, changeless love, yet
+tempt me not selfishly to retain thee by my side, when liberty, and
+life, and joy await thee beyond these fated walls. Thy path is secured;
+all that can assist, can accelerate thy flight waits but thy approval.
+The dress of a minstrel boy is procured, and will completely conceal and
+guard thee through the English camp. Our faithful friend, the minstrel
+seer, will be thy guide, and lead thee to a home of peace and safety,
+until my brother's happier fortune dawns; he will guard and love thee
+for thine own and for my sake. Speak to me, beloved; thou knowest this
+good old man, and I so trust him that I have no fear for thee. Oh, do
+not pause, and ere this truce be over let me, let me feel that thou art
+safe and free, and may in time be happy."
+
+"In time," she repeated slowly, as if to herself, and then, rousing
+herself from that stupor of emotion, looked up with a countenance on
+which a sudden glow had spread. "And why hast thou so suddenly resolved
+on this?" she asked, calmly; "why shouldst thou fear for me more now
+than hitherto, dearest Nigel? Hath not the danger always been the same,
+and yet thou ne'er hast breathed of parting? are not thy hopes the
+same--what hath chanced unknown to me, that thou speakest and lookest
+thus? tell me, ere thou urgest more."
+
+"I will tell thee what I fear, my love," he answered, reassured by her
+firmness; "much that is seen not, guessed not by my comrades. They were
+satisfied that my appeal had had its effect, and the execution of Evan
+Roy was attended with no disturbance, no ill will amongst those supposed
+to be of his party--nay, that terror did its work, and all ideas of
+treachery which might have been before encouraged were dismissed. I,
+too, believed this, Agnes, for a while; but a few brief hours were
+sufficient to prove the utter fallacy of the dream. Some secret
+conspiracy is, I am convinced, carrying on within these very walls. I
+know and feel this, and yet so cautious, so secret are their movements,
+whatever they may be, that I cannot guard against them. There are, as
+thou knowest, fewer true fighting men amongst us than any other class,
+and these are needed to man the walls and guard against the foe without;
+they may not be spared to watch as spies their comrades--nay, I dare not
+even breathe such thoughts, lest their bold hearts should faint and
+fail, and they too demand surrender ere evil come upon us from within.
+What will be that evil I know not, and therefore cannot guard against
+it. I dare not employ these men upon the walls, I dare not bring them
+out against the foe, for so bitterly do I mistrust them, I should fear
+even then they would betray us. I only know that evil awaits us, and
+therefore, my beloved, I do beseech thee, tarry not till it be upon us;
+depart while thy path is free."
+
+"Yet if they sought safety and peace, if they tire of this warfare," she
+replied, disregarding his last words, "wherefore not depart to-day, when
+egress was permitted; bethink thee, dearest Nigel, is not this proof thy
+fears are ill founded, and that no further ill hangs over us than that
+which threatens from without?"
+
+"Alas! no," he said, "it but confirms my suspicions; I obtained this
+safe conduct expressly to nullify or confirm them. Had they departed as
+I wished, all would have been well; but they linger, and I can feel
+their plans are maturing, and therefore they will not depart. Oh,
+Agnes," he continued, bitterly, "my very soul is crushed beneath this
+weight of unexpressed anxiety and care. Had I but to contend with our
+English foe, but to fight a good and honorable fight, to struggle on,
+conscious that to the last gasp the brave inmates of this fortress would
+follow me, and Edward would find naught on which to wreak his vengeance
+but the dead bodies of his foes, my task were easy as 'twere glorious;
+but to be conscious of secret brooding evil each morn that rises, each
+night that falls, to dread what yet I know not, to see, perchance, my
+brave fellows whelmed, chained, through a base treachery impossible to
+guard against--oh! Agnes, 'tis this I fear."
+
+"Yet have they not seemed more willing, more active in their assigned
+tasks since the execution of their comrade," continued Agnes, with all a
+woman's gentle artifice, still seeking to impart hope, even when she
+felt that none remained; "may it not be that, in reality, they repent
+them of former traitorous designs, and remain behind to aid thee to the
+last? Thou sayest that palpable proof of this brooding evil thou canst
+not find, then do not heed its voice. Let no fear of me, of my safety,
+add its pang; mine own Nigel, indeed I fear them not."
+
+"I know that all I urge will naught avail with thee, beloved," he
+answered, somewhat less agitated. "I know thy gentle love is all too
+deep, too pure, too strong, to share my fears for thee, and oh, I bless
+thee, bless thee for the sweet solace of that faithful love! yet, yet, I
+may not listen to thy wishes. All that thou sayest is but confirmation
+of the brooding evil; they are active, willing, but to hide their dark
+designs. Yet even were there not this evil to dread, no dream of
+treachery, still, still, I would send thee hence, sweet one. Famine and
+blood, and chains, and death--oh, no, no! thou must not stay for these."
+
+"And whither wouldst thou send me, Nigel, and for what?" she asked,
+still calmly, though her quivering lip denoted that self-possession was
+fast failing. "Why?"
+
+"Whither? to safety, freedom, peace, my best beloved!" he answered,
+fervently; "for what? that happier, brighter days may beam for thee,
+that thou mayest live to bless and be a blessing; dearest, best, cling
+not to a withered stem, thou mayest be happy yet."
+
+"And wilt thou join me, if I seek this home of safety, Nigel?" she laid
+her hand on his arm, and fixed her eyes unflinchingly upon his face. He
+could not meet that glance, a cold shudder passed over his frame ere he
+could reply.
+
+"Mine own Agnes," and even then he paused, for his quivering lip could
+not give utterance to his thoughts, and a minute rolled in that deep
+stillness, and still those anxious eyes moved not from his face. At
+length voice returned, and it was sad yet deeply solemn, "Our lives rest
+not in our own hands," he said; "and who when they part may look to meet
+again? Beloved, if life be spared, canst doubt that I will join thee?
+yet, situated as I am, governor of a castle about to fall, a patriot,
+and a Bruce, brother to the noble spirit who wears our country's crown,
+and has dared to fling down defiance to a tyrant, Agnes, mine own Agnes,
+how may I dream of life? I would send thee hence ere that fatal moment
+come; I would spare thee this deep woe. I would bid thee live, beloved,
+live till years had shed sweet peace upon thy heart, and thou wert happy
+once again."
+
+There was a moment's pause; the features of Agnes had become convulsed
+with agony as Nigel spoke, and her hands had closed with fearful
+pressure on his arm, but his last words, spoken in his own rich,
+thrilling voice, called back the stagnant blood.
+
+"No, no; I will not leave thee!" she sobbed forth, as from the sudden
+failing of strength in every limb she sunk kneeling at his feet. "Nigel,
+Nigel, I will not leave thee; in life or in death I will abide by thee.
+Force me not from thee; seek not to tempt me by the tale of safety,
+freedom, peace; thou knowest not the depth, the might of woman's love,
+if thou thinkest things like these can weigh aught with her, even if
+chains and death stood frowningly beside. I will not leave thee; whom
+have I beside thee, for whom else wouldst thou call on me to live?
+Alone, alone, utterly alone, save _thee_! Wilt thou bid me hence, and
+leave thee to meet thy fate alone--thee, to whom my mother gave
+me--thee, without whom my very life is naught? Nigel, oh, despise me not
+for these wild words, unmaidenly as they sound; oh, let me speak them,
+or my heart will break!"
+
+"Despise thee for these blessed words!" Nigel answered, passionately, as
+he raised her from the ground, and clasped her to his heart. "Oh, thou
+knowest not the bliss they give; yet, yet would I speak of parting,
+implore thee still to leave me, aye, though in that parting my very
+heart-strings snap. Agnes, how may I bear to see thee in the power of
+the foe, perchance insulted, persecuted, tortured with the ribald
+admiration of the rude crowd, and feel I have no power to save thee, no
+claim to bind thee to my side. What are the mere chains of love in such
+an hour, abiding by me, as thou mightst, till our last hope is over, and
+English colors wave above this fortress--then, dearest, oh, must we not,
+shall we not be rudely parted?"
+
+"No, no! Who shall dare to part us?" she said, as she clung sobbing to
+his breast. "Who shall dare to do this thing, and say I may not tend
+thee, follow thee, even until death?"
+
+"Who? our captors, dearest. Thinkest thou they will heed thy tender
+love, thine anguish? will they have hearts for aught save for thy
+loveliness, sweet one? Think, think of terrors like to this, and oh,
+still wilt thou refuse to fly?"
+
+"But thy sister, the Lady Seaton, Nigel, doth she not stay, doth she not
+brave these perils?" asked Agnes, shuddering at her lover's words, yet
+clinging to him still. "If she escapes such evil, why, oh, why may not
+I?"
+
+"She is Seaton's wife, sweet one, bound to him by the voice of heaven,
+by the holiest of ties; the noble knights who head our foes will protect
+her in all honorable keeping; but for thee, Agnes, even if the ills I
+dread be as naught, there is yet one I have dared not name, lest it
+should pain thee, yet one that is most probable as 'tis most fearful;
+thou canst not hide thy name, and as a daughter of Buchan, oh, will they
+not give thee to a father's keeping?"
+
+"The murderer of my brother--my mother's jailer! Oh, Nigel, Nigel, to
+look on him were more than death!" she wildly exclaimed. "Yet, yet once
+known as Agnes of Buchan, this will, this must be; but leave thee now,
+leave thee to a tyrant's doom, if indeed, indeed thou fallest in his
+hands--leave thee, when faithful love and woman's tenderness are more
+than ever needed--leave thee for a fear like this, no, no, I will not.
+Nigel, I will rest with thee. Speak not, answer not; give us one short
+moment, and then--oh, all the ills may be averted by one brief word--and
+I, oh, can I speak it?" She paused in fearful agitation, and every limb
+shook as if she must have fallen; the blood rushed up to cheek, and
+brow, and neck, as, fixing her beautiful eyes on Nigel's face, she said,
+in a low yet thrilling voice, "Let the voice of heaven hallow the vows
+we have so often spoken, Nigel. Give me a right, a sacred right to bear
+thy name, to be thine own, at the altar's foot, by the holy abbot's
+blessing. Let us pledge our troth, and then let what will come, no man
+can part us. I am thine, only thine!"
+
+Without waiting for a reply, she buried her face in his bosom, and Nigel
+could feel her heart throb as if 'twould burst its bounds, her frame
+quiver as if the torrent of blood, checked and stayed to give strength
+for the effort, now rushed back with such overwhelming force through its
+varied channels as to threaten life itself.
+
+"Agnes, my own noble, self-devoted love! oh, how may I answer thee?" he
+cried, tears of strong emotion coursing down his cheek--tears, and the
+warrior felt no shame. "How have I been deserving of love like this--how
+may I repay it? how bless thee for such words? Mine own, mine own! this
+would indeed guard thee from the most dreaded ills; yet how may I link
+that self-devoted heart to one whose thread of life is well-nigh spun?
+how may I make thee mine, when a few brief weeks of misery and horror
+must part us, and on earth, forever?"
+
+"No, no; thou knowest not all a wife may do, my Nigel," she said, as she
+raised her head from his bosom, and faintly smiled, though her frame
+still shook; "how she may plead even with a tyrant, and find mercy; or
+if this fail, how she may open iron gates and break through bonds, till
+freedom may be found. Oh, no, we shall not wed to part, beloved; but
+live and yet be happy, doubt it not; and then, oh, then forget the words
+that joined us, made us one, had birth from other lips than thine;--thou
+wilt forget, forgive this, Nigel?"
+
+"Forget--forgive! that to thy pure, unselfish soul I owe the bliss which
+e'en at this hour I feel," he answered, passionately kissing the
+beautiful brow upturned to his; "forget words that have proved--had I
+needed proof--how purely, nobly, faithfully I am beloved; how utterly,
+how wholly thou hast forgotten all of self for me! No, no! were thy
+words proved true, might I indeed live blessed with thee the life
+allotted man, each year, each month I would recall this hour, and bless
+thee for its love. But oh, it may not be!" and his voice so suddenly
+lost its impassioned fervor, that the breast of Agnes filled with new
+alarm. "Dearest, best! thou must not dream of life, of happiness with
+me. I may not mock thee with such blessed, but, alas! delusive hopes; my
+doom hath gone forth, revealed when I knew it not, confirmed by that
+visioned seer but few short weeks ago. Agnes, my noble Agnes, wherefore
+shouldst thou wed with death? I know that I must die!"
+
+The solemn earnestness of his words chased the still lingering glow from
+the lips and cheek of the maiden, and a cold shiver passed through her
+frame, but still she clung to him, and said--
+
+"It matters not; my maiden love, my maiden troth is pledged to thee--in
+life or in death I am thine alone. I will not leave thee," she said,
+firmly and calmly. "Nigel, if it be indeed as thou sayest, that
+affliction, and--and all thou hast spoken, must befall thee, the more
+need is there for the sustaining and the soothing comfort of a woman's
+love. Fear not for me, weak as I may have seemed, there is yet a spirit
+in me worthy of thy love. I will not unman thee for all thou mayest
+encounter. No, even if I follow thee to--to death, it shall be as a
+Bruce's wife. Ask not how I will contrive to abide by thee undiscovered,
+when, if it must be, the foe is triumphant; it will take time, and we
+have none to lose. Thou hast promised to forget all I have urged, all,
+save my love for thee; then, oh, fear me not, doubt me not, thine Agnes
+will not fail thee!"
+
+Nigel gazed at her almost with surprise; she was no longer the gentle
+timid being who but a few minutes since had clung weeping to his bosom
+as a child. She was indeed very pale, and on her features was the
+stillness of marble; but she stood erect and unfaltering in her innocent
+loveliness, sustained by that mighty spirit which dwelt within. An
+emotion of deep reverence took possession of that warrior heart, and
+unable to resist the impulse, he bent his knee before her.
+
+"Then let it be so," he said, solemnly, but oh, how fervently. "I will
+not torture mine own heart and thine by conjuring thee to fly; and now,
+here, at thy feet, Agnes, noble, generous being, let me swear solemnly,
+sacredly swear, that should life be preserved to me longer than I now
+dream of, should I indeed be spared to lavish on thee all a husband's
+love and care, never, never shalt thou have cause to regret this day! to
+mourn thy faithful love was shown as it hath been--to weep the hour
+that, in the midst of danger, and darkness, and woe, hath joined our
+earthly fates, and made us one. And now," he continued, rising and
+folding her once more in his arms, "wilt thou meet me at the altar ere
+the truce concludes? 'tis but a brief while, a very brief while, my
+love; yet if it can be, I know thou wilt not shrink."
+
+"I will not," she answered. "The hour thou namest I will meet thee. Lady
+Seaton," she added, slightly faltering, and the vivid blush rose to her
+temples, "I would see her, speak with her; yet--"
+
+"She shall come to thee, mine own, prepared to love and hail thee
+sister, as she hath long done. She will not blame thee dearest; she
+loves, hath loved too faithfully herself. Fear not, I will leave naught
+for thee to tell that can bid that cheek glow as it doth now. She, too,
+will bless thee for thy love."
+
+He imprinted a fervent kiss on her cheek, and hastily left her. Agnes
+remained standing as he had left her for several minutes, her hands
+tightly clasped, her whole soul speaking in her beautiful features, and
+then she sunk on her knees before a rudely-carved image of the Virgin
+and child, and prayed long and fervently. She did not weep, her spirit
+had been too painfully excited for such relief, but so wrapt was she in
+devotion, she knew not that Lady Seaton, with a countenance beaming in
+admiration and love, stood beside her, till she spoke.
+
+"Rouse thee, my gentle one," she said, tenderly, as she twined her arm
+caressingly around her; "I may not let thee linger longer even here, for
+time passes only too quickly, and I shall have but little time to attire
+my beautiful bride for the altar. Nigel hath been telling such a tale of
+woman's love, that my good lord hath vowed, despite his weakness and his
+wounds, none else shall lead thee to the altar, and give thee to my
+brother, save himself. I knew that not even Nigel's influence would bid
+thee leave us, dearest," she continued, as Agnes hid her face in her
+bosom, "but I dreamed not such a spirit dwelt within this childlike
+heart, sweet one; thy lot must surely be for joy!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+
+It was something past the hour of nine, when Agnes, leaning on the arm
+of Sir Christopher Seaton, and followed by Lady Seaton and two young
+girls, their attendants, entered the church, and walked, with an
+unfaltering step and firm though modest mien, up to the altar, beside
+which Nigel already stood. She was robed entirely in white, without the
+smallest ornament save the emerald clasp which secured, and the
+beautiful pearl embroidery which adorned her girdle. Her mantle was of
+white silk, its little hood thrown back, disclosing a rich lining of the
+white fox fur. Lady Seaton had simply arranged her hair in its own
+beautiful curls, and not a flower or gem peeped through them; a silver
+bodkin secured the veil, which was just sufficiently transparent to
+permit her betrothed to look upon her features, and feel that, pale and
+still as they were, they evinced no change in her generous purpose. He,
+too, was pale, for he felt those rites yet more impressively holy than
+he had deemed them, even when his dreams had pictured them peculiarly
+and solemnly holy; for he looked not to a continuance of life and
+happiness, he felt not that ceremony set its seal upon joy, and bound
+it, as far as mortality might hope, forever on their hearts. He was
+conscious only of the deep unutterable fulness of that gentle being's
+love, of the bright, beautiful lustre with which it shone upon his path.
+The emotion of his young and ardent breast was perhaps almost too holy,
+too condensed, to be termed joy; but it was one so powerful, so blessed,
+that all of earth and earthly care was lost before it. The fears and
+doubts which he had so lately felt, for the time completely faded from
+his memory. That there were foes without and yet darker foes within he
+might have known perhaps, but at that moment they did not occupy a
+fleeting thought. He had changed his dress for one of richness suited to
+his rank, and though at the advice of his friends he still retained the
+breastplate and some other parts of his armor, his doublet of azure
+velvet, cut and slashed with white satin, and his long, flowing mantle
+lined with sable, and so richly decorated with silver stars that its
+color could scarcely be distinguished, removed all appearance of a
+martial costume, and well became the graceful figure they adorned; two
+of the oldest knights and four other officers, all gayly attired as the
+hurry of the moment would permit, had at his own request attended him to
+the altar.
+
+Much surprise this sudden intention had indeed caused, but it was an
+excitement, a change from the dull routine of the siege, and
+consequently welcomed with joy, many indeed believing Sir Nigel had
+requested the truce for the purpose. Sir Christopher, too, though pale
+and gaunt, and compelled to use the support of a cane in walking, was
+observed to look upon his youthful charge with all his former hilarity
+of mien, chastened by a kindly tenderness, which seemed indeed that of
+the father whom he personated; and Lady Seaton had donned a richer garb
+than was her wont, and stood encouragingly beside the bride. About
+twenty men-at-arms, their armor and weapons hastily burnished, that no
+unseemly soil should mar the peaceful nature of the ceremony by
+recalling thoughts of war, were ranged on either side. The church was
+lighted, dimly in the nave and aisles, but softly and somewhat with a
+holy radiance where the youthful couple knelt, from the large waxen
+tapers burning in their silver stands upon the altar.
+
+The Abbot of Scone was at his post, attended by the domestic chaplain of
+Kildrummie; there was a strange mixture of admiration and anxiety on the
+old man's face, but Agnes saw it not; she saw nothing save him at whose
+side she knelt.
+
+Nigel, even in the agitation of mind in which he had quitted Agnes--an
+agitation scarcely conquered in hastily informing his sister and her
+husband of all that had passed between them, and imploring their
+countenance and aid--yet made it his first care strictly to make the
+round of the walls, to notice all that might be passing within the
+courts, and see that the men-at-arms were at their posts. In consequence
+of the truce, for the conclusion of which it still wanted some little
+time, there were fewer men on the walls than usual, their commanders
+having desired them to take advantage of this brief cessation of
+hostilities and seek refreshment and rest. A trumpet was to sound at the
+hour of ten, half an hour before the truce concluded, to summon them
+again to their posts. The men most acute in penetration, most firm and
+steady in purpose, Nigel selected as sentries along the walls; the post
+of each being one of the round towers we have mentioned, the remaining
+spaces were consequently clear. Night had already fallen, and anxiously
+observing the movements on the walls; endeavoring to discover whether
+the various little groups of men and women in the ballium meant any
+thing more than usual, Sir Nigel did not notice various piles or stacks
+of straw and wood which were raised against the wall in many parts where
+the shadows lay darkest, and some also against the other granaries which
+were contained in low, wooden buildings projecting from the wall.
+Neither he nor his friends, nor even the men-at-arms, noticed them, or
+if they did, imagined them in the darkness to be but the stones and
+other weights generally collected there, and used to supply the engines
+on the wails.
+
+With the exception of the sentries and the men employed by Nigel, all
+the garrison had assembled in the hall of the keep for their evening
+meal, the recollection of whose frugality they determined to banish by
+the jest and song; there were in consequence none about the courts, and
+therefore that dark forms were continually hovering about beneath the
+deep shadows of the walls, increasing the size of the stacks, remained
+wholly undiscovered.
+
+Agnes had entered the church by a covered passage, which united the keep
+to its inner wall, and thence by a gallery through the wall itself,
+dimly lighted by loopholes, to the edifice, whose southern side was
+formed by this same wall. It was therefore, though in reality situated
+within the ballium or outer court, nearer by many hundred yards to the
+dwelling of the baron than to the castle walls, its granaries, towers,
+etc. This outward ballium indeed was a very large space, giving the
+appearance of a closely-built village or town, from the number of low
+wooden and thatched-roofed dwellings, which on either side of the large
+open space before the great gate were congregated together. This account
+may, we fear at such a moment, seem somewhat out of place, but events in
+the sequel compel us to be thus particular. A space about half a mile
+square surrounded the church, and this position, when visited, by Sir
+Nigel at nine o'clock, was quiet and deserted; indeed there was very
+much less confusion and other evidences of disquiet within the dwellings
+than was now usual, and this circumstance perhaps heightened the calm
+which, as we have said, had settled on Sir Nigel's mind.
+
+There was silence within that little sacred edifice, the silence of
+emotion; for not one could gaze upon that young fair girl, could think
+of that devoted spirit, which at such a time preferred to unite her fate
+with a beloved one than seek safety and freedom in flight, without being
+conscious of a strange swelling of the heart and unwonted moisture in
+the eye; and there was that in the expression of the beautiful features
+of Nigel Bruce none could remark unmoved. He was so young, so gifted, so
+strangely uniting the gift of the sage, the poet, with the glorious
+achievements of the most perfect knight, that he had bound himself alike
+to every heart, however varied their dispositions, however opposite
+their tastes; and there was not one, from the holy Abbot of Scone to the
+lowest and rudest of the men-at-arms, who would not willingly, aye,
+joyfully have laid down life for his, have gladly accepted chains to
+give him freedom.
+
+The deep, sonorous voice of the abbot audibly faltered as he commenced
+the sacred service, and looked on the fair beings kneeling, in the
+beauty and freshness of their youth, before him. Accustomed, however, to
+control every human emotion, he speedily recovered himself, and
+uninterruptedly the ceremony continued. Modestly, yet with a voice that
+never faltered, Agnes made the required responses; and so deep was the
+stillness that reigned around not a word was lost, but, sweetly and
+clearly as a silver clarion, it sunk on every ear and thrilled to every
+heart; to his who knelt beside her, as if each tone revealed yet more
+the devoted love which led her there. Towards the conclusion of the
+service, and just as every one within the church knelt in general
+prayer, a faint, yet suffocating odor, borne on what appeared a light
+mist, was distinguished, and occasioned some slight surprise; by the
+group around the altar, however, it was unnoticed; and the men-at-arms,
+on looking towards the narrow windows and perceiving nothing but the
+intense darkness of the night, hushed the rising exclamation, and
+continued in devotion. Two of the knights, too, were observed to glance
+somewhat uneasily around, still nothing was perceivable but the light
+wreaths of vapor penetrating through the northern aisle, and dissolving
+ere long the arches of the roof. Almost unconsciously they listened, and
+became aware of some sounds in the distance, but so faint and
+indefinable as to permit them to rest in the belief that it must be the
+men-at-arms hurrying from the keep to the walls, although they were
+certain the trumpet had not yet sounded. Determined not to heed such
+vague sounds, they looked again to the altar. The abbot had laid a
+trembling hand on either low-bent head, and was emphatically pronouncing
+his blessing on their vows, calling on heaven in its mercy to bless and
+keep them, and spare them to each other for a long and happy life; or if
+it must be that a union commenced in danger should end in sorrow, to
+keep them still, and fit them for a union in eternity. His words were
+few but earnest, and for the first time the lip of Agnes was observed to
+quiver--they were ONE. Agnes was clasped to the heart of her
+husband; she heard him call her his own--his wife--that man should never
+part them more. The voice of congratulation woke around her, but ere
+either could gaze around to look their thanks, or clasp the eagerly
+proffered hand, a cry of alarm, of horror, ran though the building. A
+red, lurid light, impossible to be mistaken, illumined every window, as
+from a fearful conflagration without; darkness had fled before it. On
+all sides it was light--light the most horrible, the most awful, though
+perchance the most fascinating the eye can behold; fearful shouts and
+cries, and the rush of many feet, mingled with the now easily
+distinguished roar of the devouring element, burst confusedly on the
+ear. A minute sufficed to fling open the door of the church for knights
+and men-at-arms to rush forth in one indiscriminate mass. Sir
+Christopher would have followed them, utterly regardless of his
+inability, had not his wife clung to him imploringly, and effectually
+restrained him. The abbot, grasping the silver crosier by his side, with
+a swift, yet still majestic stride, made his way through the church, and
+vanished by the widely opened door. Agnes and Sir Nigel stood
+comparatively alone; not a cry, not a word passed her lips; every
+feature was wrapped in one absorbing look upon her husband. He had
+clasped his hands convulsively together, his brow was knit, his lip
+compressed, his eye fixed and rigid, though it gazed on vacancy.
+
+"It hath fallen, it hath fallen!" he muttered. "Fool, fool that I was
+never to dream of this! Friends, followers, all I hold most dear,
+swallowed up in this fell swoop! God of mercy, how may it be born! And
+thou, thou," he added, in increased agony, roused from that stupor by
+the wild shouts of "Sir Nigel, Sir Nigel! where is he? why does he tarry
+in such an hour?" that rung shrilly on the air. "Agnes, mine own, it is
+not too late even now to fly. Ha! son of Dermid, in good tune thou art
+here; save her, in mercy save her! I know not when, or how, or where we
+may meet again; I may not tarry here." He clasped her in his arms,
+imprinted an impassioned kiss on her now death-like cheek, placed her at
+once in the arms of the seer (who, robed as a minstrel, had stood
+concealed behind a projecting pillar during the ceremony, and now
+approached), and darted wildly from the church. What a scene met his
+gaze! All the buildings within the ballium, with the sole exception of
+the church, were in one vivid blaze of fire; the old dry wood and thatch
+of which they were composed, kindling with a mere spark. The wind blew
+the flames in the direction of the principal wall, which was already
+ignited from the heaps of combustibles that had been raised within for
+the purpose; although it was likely that, from its extreme thickness and
+strength, the fire had there done but partial evil, had not the
+conflagration within the court spread faster and nearer every moment,
+and from the blazing rafters and large masses of thatch caught by the
+wind and hurled on the very wall, done greater and more irreparable
+mischief than the combustibles themselves. Up, up, seeming to the very
+heavens, the lurid flames ascended, blazing and roaring, and lighting
+the whole scene as with the glare of day. Fantastic wreaths of red fire
+danced in the air against the pitchy blackness of the heavens, rising
+and falling in such graceful, yet terrible shapes, that the very eye
+felt riveted in admiration, while the heart quailed with horror.
+Backwards and forwards gleamed the forms of men in the dusky glare; and
+oaths and cries, and the clang of swords, and the shrieks of women,
+terrified by the destruction they had not a little assisted to
+ignite--the sudden rush of horses bursting from their stables, and
+flying here and there, scared by the unusual sight and horrid
+sounds--the hissing streams of water which, thrown from huge buckets on
+the flames, seemed but to excite them to greater fury instead of
+lessening their devouring way--the crackling of straw and wood, as of
+the roar of a hundred furnaces--these were the varied sounds and sights
+that burst upon the eye and ear of Nigel, as, richly attired as he was,
+his drawn sword in his hand, his fair hair thrown back from his
+uncovered brow and head, he stood in the very centre of the scene. One
+glance sufficed to perceive that the rage of the men-at-arms was turned
+on their treacherous countrymen; that the work of war raged even
+then--the swords of Scotsmen were raised against each other. Even women
+fell in that fierce slaughter, for the demon of revenge was at work, and
+sought but blood. In vain the holy abbot, heedless that one sudden gust
+and his flowing garments must inevitably catch fire, uplifted his
+crosier, and called on them to forbear. In vain the officers rushed
+amidst the infuriated men, bidding them keep their weapons and their
+lives for the foe, who in such a moment would assuredly be upon them; in
+vain they commanded, exhorted, implored; but on a sudden, the voice of
+Sir Nigel Bruce was heard above the tumult, loud, stern, commanding. His
+form was seen hurrying from group to group, turning back with his own
+sword the weapons of his men, giving life even to those who had wrought
+this woe; and there was a sudden hush, a sudden pause.
+
+"Peace, peace!" he cried. "Would ye all share the madness of these men?
+They have hurled down destruction, let them reap it; let them live to
+thrive and fatten in their chains; let them feel the yoke they pine for.
+For us, my friends and fellow-soldiers, let us not meet our glorious
+fate with the blood of Scotsmen on our swords. We have striven for our
+country; we have striven gloriously, faithfully, and now we have but to
+die for her. Ha! do I speak in vain? Again--back, coward! wouldst thou
+slay a woman?" and, with a sudden bound, he stood beside one of the
+soldiers, who was in the act of plunging his dagger in the breast of a
+kneeling and struggling female. One moment sufficed to wrench the dagger
+from his grasp, and release the woman from his hold.
+
+"It is ill done, your lordship; it is the fiend, the arch-fiend that has
+planned it all," loudly exclaimed the man. "She has been heard to mutter
+threats of vengeance, and blood and fire against thee, and all belonging
+to thee. Let her not go free, my lord; thou mayest repent it still."
+
+"Repent giving a woman life?--bah! Thou art a fool, though a faithful
+one," answered Sir Nigel; but even he started as he recognized the
+features of Jean Roy. She gave him no time to restrain her, however;
+for, sliding from his hold, she bounded several paces from him, singing,
+as she did so, "Repent, ye shall repent! Where is thy buxom bride? Jean
+Roy will see to her safety. A bonny courtship ye shall have!" Tossing up
+her arms wildly, she vanished as she spoke; seeming in that light in
+very truth more like a fiend than woman. A chill sunk on the heart of
+Nigel, but, "No, no," he said, internally, as again he sought the spot
+where confusion and horror waxed thickest; "Dermid will care for Agnes,
+and guard her. I will not think of that mad woman's words." Yet even as
+he rushed onwards, giving directions, commands, lending his aid to every
+effort made for extinguishing the fire, a prayer for his wife was
+uttered in his heart.
+
+The fire continued its rapid progress, buttress after buttress, tower
+after tower caught on the walls, causing the conflagration to continue,
+even when, by the most strenuous efforts, it had been partially
+extinguished amongst the dwellings of the court. The wind blowing from
+the north fortunately preserved the keep, inner wall, and even the
+church, uninjured, save that the scorched and blackened sides of the
+latter gave evidence of the close vicinity of the flames, and how
+narrowly it had escaped. With saddened hearts, the noble defenders of
+Scotland's last remaining bulwark, beheld their impregnable wall, the
+scene of such dauntless valor, such unconquered struggles, against which
+the whole force of their mighty foes had been of no avail--that wall
+crumbling into dust and ashes in their very sight, opening a broad
+passage to the English foe. Yet still there was no evidence that to
+yield were preferable than to die; still, though well-nigh exhausted
+with their herculean efforts to quench the flames, there was no
+cessation, no pause, although the very height of the wall prevented
+success, for they had not the facilities afforded by the engines of the
+present day. Sir Nigel, his knights, nay, the venerable abbot himself,
+seconded every effort of the men. It seemed as if little more could add
+to the horror of the scene, and yet the shouts of "The granaries, the
+granaries--merciful heaven, all is consumed!" came with such appalling
+consciousness on every ear, that for a brief while, the stoutest arm
+hung powerless, the firmest spirit quailed. Famine stood suddenly before
+them as a gaunt, terrific spectre, whose cold hand it seemed had grasped
+their very hearts. Nobles and men, knights and soldiers, alike stood
+paralyzed, gazing at each other with a blank, dim, unutterable despair.
+The shrill blast of many trumpets, the roll of heavy drums, broke that
+deep stillness. "The foe! the foe!" was echoed round, fiercely, yet
+rejoicingly. "They are upon us--they brave the flames--well done! Now
+firm and steady; to your arms--stand close. Sound trumpets--the
+defiance, the Bruce and Scotland!" and sharply and clearly, as if but
+just arrayed for battle, as if naught had chanced to bend those gallant
+spirits to the earth, the Scottish clarions sent back their answering
+blast, and the men gathered in compact array around their gallant
+leader.
+
+"My horse--my horse!" shouted Nigel Bruce, as he sprung from rank to
+rank of the little phalanx, urging, commanding, entreating them to make
+one last stand, and fall as befitted Scottish patriots. The keep and
+inner ballium was still their own as a place of retreat, however short a
+period it might remain so. A brave defence, a glorious death would still
+do much for Scotland.
+
+Shouts, cheers, blessings on his name awoke in answer, as unfalteringly,
+as bravely as those of the advancing foes. Prancing, neighing, rearing,
+the superb charger was at length brought to the dauntless leader.
+
+"Not thus, my lord; in heaven's name, do not mount thus, unarmed,
+bareheaded as thou art!" exclaimed several voices, and two or three of
+his esquires crowded round him. "Retire but for a brief space within the
+church."
+
+"And turn my back upon my foes, Hubert; not for worlds! No, no; bring me
+the greaves, gauntlets, and helmet here, if thou wilt, and an they give
+me time, I will arm me in their very teeth. Haste ye, my friends, if ye
+will have it so; for myself these garments would serve me well enough;"
+but ere he ceased to speak they had flown to obey, and returned ere a
+dozen more of the English had made their way across the crumbling wall.
+Coolly, composedly, Nigel threw aside his mantle and doublet, and
+permitted his esquires to assist in arming him, speaking at the same
+time in a tone so utterly unconcerned, that ere their task was finished,
+his coolness had extended unto them. He had allowed some few of the
+English to make an unmolested way; his own men were drawn up in close
+lines against the inner wall, so deep in shadow that they were at first
+unobserved by the English. He could perceive by the still, clear light
+of the flames, troop after troop of the besiegers were marching forward
+in the direction both of the causeway and the river; several were
+plunging in the moat, sword in hand, and attack threatened on every
+side. He waited no longer; springing on his charger, with a movement so
+sudden and unexpected, the helmet fell from his esquire's hand, and
+waving his sword above his undefended head, he shouted aloud his
+war-cry, and dashed on, followed by his men, to the spot where a large
+body of his foes already stood.
+
+Desperately they struggled, most gallantly they fought; man after man of
+the English fell before them. On, on they struggled; a path seemed
+cleared before them; the English were bearing back, despite their
+continued reinforcements from the troops, that so thronged the causeway
+it appeared but one mass of men. But other shouts rent the air. The
+besiegers now poured in on every side; wherever that gallant body turned
+they were met by English. On, on they came, fresh from some hours of
+repose, buoyed up by the certainty of conquest; unnumbered swords and
+spears, and coats of mail, gleaming in that lurid light; on came the
+fiery steeds, urged by the spur and rein, till through the very flames
+they bore their masters; on through the waters of the moat, up the
+scorching ruins, and with a sound as of thunder, clearing with a single
+bound all obstacles into the very court. It was a fearful sight; that
+little patriot band, hemmed in on every side, yet struggling to the
+last, clearing a free passage through men and horse, and glancing swords
+and closing multitudes, nearing the church, slowly, yet surely, forming
+in yet closer order as they advanced; there, there they stood, as a
+single bark amid the troubled waves, cleaving them asunder, but to close
+again in fatal fury on her track.
+
+In vain, amid that furious strife, did the Earl of Lancaster seek out
+the azure plume and golden helmet that marked the foe he still desired
+to meet; there was indeed a face, beautiful and glorious even in that
+moment, ever in the very thickest of the fight, alike the front, the
+centre, the rear-guard of his men; there was indeed that stately form,
+sitting his noble charger as if horse and man were one; and that
+unhelmed brow, that beautifully formed head, with its long curls
+streaming in the night wind, which towered unharmed, unbent, above his
+foes; and where that was, the last hope of his country had gathered. The
+open door of the church was gained, and there the Scottish patriots made
+a stand, defended in their rear by the building. A brief and desperate
+struggle partially cleared their foes, and ere those in the rear could
+press forward, the besieged had disappeared, and the heavy doors were
+closed. The sudden pause of astonishment amidst the assailants was
+speedily dispelled by the heavy blows of axes and hatchets, the sudden
+shout "To the wall! to the wall!" while several ran to plant
+scaling-ladders and mount the inner barrier, left unhappily unguarded
+from the diminished numbers of the Scotch; there, however, their
+progress was impeded, for the space which that wall inclosed being
+scarce half the size of the ballium, and the barrier itself uninjured,
+they were repulsed with loss from within. The church-doors meanwhile had
+given way, and permitted ingress to the assailants, but the door leading
+to the passage through the inner wall, and by which in reality the
+Scotch had effected their retreat, was carefully closed and barred
+within, and had so completely the same appearance as the wall of the
+church in which it stood, that the English gazed round them fairly
+puzzled and amazed.
+
+This movement, however, on the part of the besieged occasioned a brief
+cessation of hostilities on both sides. The flames had subsided, except
+here and there, where the passing wind fanned the red-hot embers anew
+into life, and caused a flickering radiance to pass athwart the pitchy
+darkness of the night, and over the bustling scene on either side the
+ruins.
+
+There was no moon, and Hereford imagined the hours of darkness might be
+better employed in active measures for resuming the attack by dawn than
+continuing it then. Much, very much had been gained: a very brief
+struggle more he knew must now decide it, and he hoped, though against
+his better judgment, that the garrison, would surrender without further
+loss of blood. Terms he could not propose, none at least that could
+prevail on the brave commanders to give up with life, and so great was
+the admiration Nigel's conduct had occasioned, that this true son of
+chivalry ardently wished he would eventually fall in combat rather than
+be consigned to the fearful fate which he knew would be inflicted on him
+by the commands of Edward. Commands to the troops without were forwarded
+by trusty esquires; the wounded conveyed to the camp, and their places
+supplied by fresh forces, who, with the joyous sound of trumpet and
+drum, marched over by torchlight into the ballium, so long the coveted
+object of their attack.
+
+Sir Nigel meanwhile had desired his exhausted men to lie down in their
+arms, ready to start up at the faintest appearance of renewed
+hostility, and utterly worn out, they most willingly obeyed. But the
+young knight himself neither shared nor sought for that repose; he stood
+against a buttress on the walls, leaning on a tall spear, and gazing at
+once upon his wearied followers, and keeping a strict watch on the
+movements of his foes. A tall form, clothed in complete armor, suddenly
+stood beside him; he started.
+
+"Seaton!" he said; "thou here, and in armor?"
+
+"Aye," answered the knight, his voice from very weakness sounding hollow
+in his helmet. "Aye, to make one last stand, and, if it may be, die as I
+have lived for Scotland. I have strength to strike one last blow, for
+last it will be--all is lost!"
+
+A low groan broke from Nigel's lips, but he made no further answer than
+the utterance of one word--"Agnes!"
+
+"Is safe, I trust," rejoined the knight. "The son of Dermid, in whose
+arms I last saw her, knoweth many a secret path and hidden passage, and
+can make his way wherever his will may lead."
+
+"How! thinkest thou he will preserve her, save her even now from the
+foe?"
+
+"Aye, perchance conceal her till the castle be dismantled. But what do
+they now? See, a herald and white flag," he added, abruptly, as by the
+light of several torches a trumpeter, banner-bearer, herald, and five
+men-at-arms were discerned approaching the walls.
+
+"What would ye? Halt, and answer," demanded Sir Nigel, recalled on the
+instant to his sterner duties, and advancing, spear in hand, to the
+utmost verge of the wall.
+
+"We demand speech of Sir Nigel Bruce and Sir Christopher Seaton,
+governors of this castle," was the brief reply.
+
+"Speak on, then, we are before ye, ready to list your say. What would
+your lords?"
+
+"Give ye not admittance within the wall?" inquired the herald; "'tis
+somewhat strange parleying without."
+
+"No!" answered Nigel, briefly and sternly; "speak on, and quickly. We
+doubt not the honor of the noble Earl of Hereford--it hath been too
+gloriously proved; but we are here to list your mission. What would ye?"
+
+"That ye surrender this fortress by to-morrow's dawn, and strive no
+longer with the destiny against you. Ye have neither men nor stores, and
+in all good and chivalric feeling, the noble Earls of Hereford and
+Lancaster call on ye to surrender without further loss of blood."
+
+"And if we do this?" demanded Nigel.
+
+"They promise all honorable treatment and lenient captivity to the
+leaders of the rebels, until the pleasure of his grace the king be
+known; protection to all females; liberty to those whose rank demands
+not their detention; and for the common soldiers, on the delivery of
+their arms and upper garments, and their taking a solemn oath that
+within seven days they will leave Scotland never to return, liberty and
+life shall be mercifully extended unto one and all."
+
+"And if we do _not_ this?"
+
+"Your blood be upon your own rebellious heads! Sacking and pillage must
+take their course."
+
+"Ye have heard," were the sole words that passed the lips of Nigel,
+turning to his men, who, roused by the first sound of the trumpet, had
+started from their slumbers, and falling in a semicircle round him and
+Sir Christopher, listened with intense eagerness to the herald's words.
+"Ye have heard. Speak, then--your answer; yours shall be ours."
+
+"Death! death! death!" was the universally reiterated shout. "We will
+struggle to the death. Our king and country shall not say we deserted
+them because we feared to die; or surrendered on terms of shame as
+these! No; let the foe come on! we will die, if we may not live, still
+patriots of Scotland! King Robert will avenge us! God save the Bruce!"
+
+Again, and yet again they bade God bless him; and startlingly and
+thrillingly was the united voice of that desperate, devoted band borne
+on the wings of night to the very furthest tents of their foes. Calmly
+Sir Nigel turned again to the herald.
+
+"Thou hast Scotland's answer," he said; "'tis in such men as these her
+glorious spirit lives! they will fall not unavenged. Commend us to your
+masters; we await them with the dawn," and, turning on his heel, he
+reassumed the posture of thought as if he had never been aroused.
+
+The dawn uprose, the attack was renewed with increased vigor, and
+defended with the same calm, determined spirit which had been ever
+shown; the patriots fell where they fought, leaving fearful traces of
+their desperate courage in the numbers of English that surrounded each.
+It was now before the principal entrance to the keep they made their
+final stand, and horrible was the loss of life, fierce and deadly the
+strife, ere that entrance was forced, and the shrieks of women and
+children within proclaimed the triumph of the foe. Then came a shout,
+loud ringing, joyous, echoed and re-echoed by the blast of the trumpets
+both within and without, and the proud banner of Scotland was hurled
+contemptuously to the earth, and the flag of England floated in its
+place. Many a dying eye, unclosed by those sudden sounds, looked on that
+emblem of defeat and moved not in life again; others sprung up to their
+feet with wild shrieks of defiance, and fell back, powerless, in death.
+
+Sir Christopher Seaton, whose exhausted frame could barely sustain the
+weight of his armor, had been taken in the first charge, fighting
+bravely, but falling from exhaustion to the earth. And where was
+Nigel?--hemmed in on all sides, yet seemingly unwounded, unconquered
+still, his face indeed was deadly pale, and there were moments when his
+strokes flagged as from an utter failing of strength; but if, on
+observing this, his foes pressed closer, strength appeared to return,
+and still, still he struggled on. He sought for death; he felt that he
+dared his destiny, but death shunned him; he strove with his destiny in
+vain. Not thus might he fall, the young, the generous, the gifted. On
+foot, his armor hacked and stained with blood, not yet had the word
+"yield" been shouted in his ear.
+
+"Back, back! leave me this glorious prize!" shouted Lancaster, spurring
+on his charger through the crowd, and leaping from him the instant he
+neared the spot where Nigel stood. "Take heed of my gallant horse, I
+need him not--I shall not need him now. Ha! bareheaded too; well, so
+shall it be with me--hand to hand, foot to foot. Turn, noble Nigel, we
+are well-nigh equals now, and none shall come between us." He hastily
+unclasped his helmet, threw it from his brow, and stood in the attitude
+of defence.
+
+One moment Sir Nigel paused; his closing foes had fallen from him at the
+words of their leader; he hesitated one brief instant as to whether
+indeed he should struggle more, or deliver up his sword to the generous
+earl, when the shout of triumph from the topmost turret, proclaiming the
+raising of the banner, fell upon his ear, and nerved him to the onset.
+
+"Noble and generous!" he exclaimed, as their swords crossed. "Might I
+choose my fate, I would fall by thy knightly sword."
+
+As stupefied with wonder at the skill, the extraordinary velocity and
+power of the combatants, the men-at-arms stood round, without making one
+movement to leave the spot; and fearful indeed was that deadly strife;
+equal they seemed in stature, in the use of their weapons, in every
+mystery of the sword; the eye ached with the rapid flashing of the
+blades, the ear tired of the sharp, unwavering clash, but still they
+quailed not, moved not from the spot where the combat had commenced.
+
+How long this fearful struggle would have continued, or who would
+finally be victor, was undecided still, when suddenly the wild mocking
+laugh of madness sounded in the very ear of Nigel, and a voice shouted
+aloud, "Fight on, my bonny lord; see, see, how I care for your winsome
+bride," and the maniac form of Jean Roy rushed by through the thickest
+ranks of the men, swift, swift as the lightning track. A veil of silver
+tissue floated from her shoulder, and she seemed to be bearing something
+in her arms, but what, the rapidity of her way precluded all discovery.
+The fierce soldiers shrunk away from her, as if appalled by her gaunt,
+spectral look, or too much scared by her sudden appearance to attempt
+detaining her. The eye of Nigel involuntarily turned from his foe to
+follow her; he recognized the veil, and fancy did the rest. He saw her
+near a part of the wall which was tottering beneath the engines of the
+English; there was a wild shriek in other tones than hers, the wall
+fell, burying the maniac in its ruins. A mist came over the senses of
+the young knight, strength suddenly fled his arm, he stepped back as to
+recover himself, but slipped and fell, the violence of the fall dashing
+his sword many yards in air. "I yield me true prisoner, rescue or no
+rescue," he said, in a tone so startling in its agony that the rudest
+heart beside him shrunk within itself appalled, and for a minute
+Lancaster checked the words upon his lips.
+
+"Nay, nay, yield not in such tone, my gallant foe!" he said, with eager
+courtesy, and with his own hand aiding him to rise. "Would that I were
+the majesty of England, I should deem myself debased did I hold such
+gallantry in durance. Of a truth, thou hast robbed me of my conquest,
+fair sir, for it was no skill of mine which brought thee to the ground.
+I may thank that shrieking mad woman, perchance, for the preservation
+of my laurels."
+
+"I give you thanks for your courtesy, my lord," replied Sir Nigel,
+striving to recover himself; "but I pray you pardon me, if I beseech you
+let that falling mass be cleared at once, and note if that unhappy woman
+breathes. Methought," he added, in stronger agitation, "she carried
+something in her arms."
+
+"She did," answered many voices; "some child or girl, who was
+struggling, though the head was muffled up as if to prevent all sounds."
+
+"See to it, and bring us news of what you find," said Lancaster,
+hastily, for the same ghastly expression passed over the countenance of
+his prisoner as had startled him at first. "Thou art not well, my good
+lord?" he continued kindly.
+
+"Nay, I am well, my lord; but I will go with you," replied the young
+knight, slowly, as if collecting strength ere he could speak. "I am
+wearied with the turmoil of the last twelve hours' fighting against fire
+and sword at once; I would fain see the noble Hereford, and with his
+permission rest me a brief while."
+
+Lancaster made no further comment, and the two knights, who but a few
+minutes before had been engaged in deadly strife, now made their way
+together through the heaps of the dying and the dead, through many a
+group of rude soldiery, who scowled on Nigel with no friendly eye, for
+they only recognized him as the destroyer of hundreds of their
+countrymen, not the chivalric champion who had won the enthusiastic
+admiration of their leaders, and soon found themselves in the
+castle-hall, in the presence of the Earl of Hereford, who was surrounded
+by his noblest officers, Sir Christopher and Lady Seaton, and some few
+other Scottish prisoners, most of whom were badly wounded. He advanced
+to meet Sir Nigel, courteously, though gravely.
+
+"It grieves me," he said, "to receive as a prisoner a knight of such
+high renown and such chivalric bearing as Sir Nigel Bruce; I would he
+had kept those rare qualities for the sovereign to whom they were
+naturally due, and who would have known how to have appreciated and
+honor them, rather than shed such lustre on so weak a cause."
+
+"Does your lordship regard the freedom of an oppressed country so weak
+a cause?" replied Nigel, the hot blood mounting to his cheek; "the
+rising in defence of a rightful king, in lieu of slavishly adhering to
+one, who, though so powerful, all good men, aye, even all good
+Englishmen, must look on, in his claims to Scotland, as an ambitious
+usurper. My lord, my lord, the spirit of Hereford spoke not in those
+words; but I forgive them, for I have much for which to proffer thanks
+unto the noble Hereford, much, that his knightly soul scorned treachery
+and gave us a fair field. Durance is but a melancholy prospect, yet an
+it must be I would not nobler captors."
+
+"Nor would I forfeit the esteem in which you hold me, gallant sir,"
+replied the earl, "and therefore do I pray you, command my services in
+aught that can pleasure you, and an it interfere not with my duty to my
+sovereign, I shall be proud to give them. Speak, I pray you."
+
+"Nay, I can ask naught which the Earl of Hereford hath not granted of
+himself," said Sir Nigel. "I would beseech you to extend protection to
+all the females of this unhappy castle; to part not my sister from her
+lord, for, as you see, his wounds and weakness call for woman's care; to
+grant the leech's aid to those who need it; and if there be some unhappy
+men of my faithful troop remaining, I would beseech you show mercy unto
+them, and let them go free--they can work no further ill to Edward; they
+can fight no more for Scotland, for she lieth chained; they have no head
+and therefore no means of resistance--I beseech you give them freedom
+unshackled by conditions."
+
+"It shall be, it shall be," replied Hereford, hastily, and evidently
+moved; "but for thyself, young sir, thyself, can we do naught for thee?"
+
+"Nothing," answered the young man, calmly. "I need little more on earth,
+for neither my youth, my birth, nor what it pleaseth thee to term my
+gallantry, will save me from the sweeping axe of Edward. I would beseech
+thee to let my death atone for all, and redeem my noble friends; but I
+ask it not, for I know in this thou hast no power; and yet, though I ask
+nothing now," he added, after a brief pause, and in a lower voice, as to
+be heard only by Hereford, "ere we march to England I may have a boon to
+crave--protection, liberty for a beloved one, whose fate as yet I know
+not." He spoke almost inarticulately, for again it seemed the horrid
+words and maniac laugh of Jean Roy resounded in his ears. There was
+that in the look and manner of the English earl inviting confidence: a
+moment the tortured young man longed to pour all into his ear, to
+conjure him to find Agnes, and give her to his arms; the next he
+refrained, for her words, "Ask not how I will contrive to abide by thee
+undiscovered by the foe," suddenly flashed on his memory, with the
+conviction that if she were indeed still in life, and he acknowledged
+her his wife, Hereford would feel himself compelled to keep her under
+restraint, as he did Lady Seaton and the wives of other noble Scotsmen.
+His lip trembled, but fortunately for the preservation of his composure,
+Hereford's attention was called from him by the eager entrance of
+several other officers, who all crowded round him, alike in
+congratulation, and waiting his commands, and perceiving he was
+agitated, the earl turned from him with a courteous bow. Eagerly he
+seized that moment to spring to the side of his sister, to whisper the
+impatient inquiry, "Agnes, where is Agnes?" To feel his heart a moment
+throb high, and then sink again by her reply, that she had not seen her
+since he had placed her in the arms of the seer; that in the fearful
+confusion which followed, she had looked for her in vain, examined all
+her accustomed haunts, but discovered no traces of her, save the silver
+tissue veil. There was, however, some hope in that; Jean Roy, misled by
+the glittering article, and seeing it perchance in the hands of another,
+might have been deceived in her prey. Nay, he welcomed the uncertainty
+of suspense; there was something so fearful, so horrible in the idea
+that his own faithful Agnes was among those blackened and mangled
+bodies, which Lancaster informed him had been discovered beneath the
+ruins, something so sickening, so revolting, he could not take advantage
+of the earl's offer to examine them himself, though, Lancaster added, it
+would not be of much use, for he challenged their dearest friends to
+recognize them. He could not believe such was her fate. Dermid had not
+been seen since the fatal conclusion of their marriage; he knew his
+fidelity, his interest in both Agnes and himself, and he could not, he
+would not believe the maniac had decoyed her from his care. But where
+was she?--where, in such a moment, could he have conveyed her?--what
+would be her final fate?--how would she rejoin him? were questions ever
+thronging on his heart and brain, struggling with doubts, with the
+horrible suspicion still clinging to that shriek which had sounded as
+the ruins fell. Darker and more forebodingly oppressive grew these
+conflicting thoughts, as day after day passed, and still she came not,
+nor were there any tidings of the seer.
+
+A very brief interval sufficed for the English earls to conclude their
+arrangements at Kildrummie, and prepare to march southward, Berwick
+being the frontier town to which the Scottish prisoners were usually
+conveyed. Their loss had been greater than at any other similar siege;
+more than a third of their large army had fallen, several others were
+wounded, and not much above a third remained who were fitted to continue
+in arms. It was a fearful proof of the desperate valor of the besieged,
+but both earls felt it would so exasperate their sovereign against the
+Scottish commanders, as to remove the slightest hope of mercy. The ruins
+were with some labor cleared away, the remains of the outer wall
+levelled with the earth, except the tower communicating with the
+drawbridge and barbacan, which could be easily repaired. The inner wall
+Hereford likewise commanded to be restored; the keep he turned into a
+hospital for the wounded, leaving with them a sufficient garrison to
+defend the castle, in case of renewed incursions of the Scottish
+patriots, a case, in the present state of the country, not very
+probable. True to his promise, these men-at-arms who survived, and whose
+wounds permitted their removal, Hereford set at liberty, not above ten
+in number; dispirited, heart-broken, he felt indeed there was no need to
+impose conditions on them. Those of the traitors who remained,
+endeavored by cringing humility, to gain the favor of the English; but
+finding themselves shunned and despised, for the commonest English
+soldier was of a nature too noble to bear with aught of treachery, they
+dispersed over the country, finding little in its miserable condition to
+impart enjoyment to the lives they had enacted so base a part to
+preserve. It may be well to state, ere we entirely leave the subject,
+that the execution of Evan Roy exciting every evil passion in their
+already rebellious hearts, had determined them to conspire for a signal
+revenge, the ravings of Jean Roy and the desperate counsels of her
+mother-in-law urging them to the catastrophe we have related; the murder
+of Nigel had been first planned, but dismissed as likely to be
+discovered and thwarted, and bring vengeance on their own heads instead
+of his. Before the execution of their comrade and head of the
+conspiracy, they had only been desirous of shunning the horrors of a
+prolonged siege; but afterwards, revenge became stronger than mere
+personal safety, and therefore was it they refused to take advantage of
+the safe conduct demanded by Nigel, and granted, as we have said.
+
+The Scottish prisoners were removed from the castle a few hours after
+its capitulation, and placed in honorable restraint, in separate
+pavilions. Lancaster, whose romantic admiration for his antagonist had
+not been in the least diminished by Sir Nigel's bearing in captivity and
+the lofty tone of the young knight's society and conversation, which he
+frequently courted, absolutely made him shrink from heading the force
+which was to conduct him a prisoner to England, for he well knew those
+very qualities, calling forth every spark of chivalry in his own bosom,
+would be only so many incitements to Edward for his instant execution.
+He therefore demanded that the superintending the works of the garrison
+and keeping a strict watch upon the movements of the adjoining country
+should devolve on him, and Hereford, as the older and wiser, should
+conduct his prisoners to the border, and report the events of the siege
+to his sovereign. His colleague acceded, and the eighth day from the
+triumph of the besiegers was fixed on to commence their march.
+
+It was on the evening of the seventh day that the Earl of Hereford, then
+engaged in earnest council with Lancaster, on subjects relating to their
+military charge, was informed that an old man and a boy so earnestly
+entreated speech with him, that they had even moved the iron heart of
+Hugo de l'Orme, the earl's esquire, who himself craved audience for
+them.
+
+"They must bear some marvellous charm about them, an they have worked
+upon thee, De l'Orme," said his master, smiling. "In good sooth, let
+them enter."
+
+Yet there was nothing very striking in their appearance when they came.
+The old man indeed was of a tall, almost majestic figure, and it was
+only the snowy whiteness of his hair and flowing beard that betrayed his
+age, for his eye was still bright, his form unbent. He was attired as a
+minstrel, his viol slung across his breast, a garb which obtained for
+its possessor free entrance alike into camp and castle, hall and bower,
+to all parties, to all lands, friendly or hostile, as it might be. His
+companion was a slight boy, seemingly little more than thirteen or
+fourteen, with small, exquisitely delicate features; his complexion
+either dark or sunburnt; his eyes were bent down, and their long, very
+dark lashes rested on his cheek, but when raised, their beautiful blue
+seemed so little in accordance with the brunette skin, that the sun
+might be deemed more at fault than Nature; his hair, of the darkest
+brown, clustered closely round his throat in short thick curls; his garb
+was that of a page, but more rude than the general habiliments of those
+usually petted members of noble establishments, and favored both
+Hereford and Lancaster's belief that he was either the son or grandson
+of his companion.
+
+"Ye are welcome, fair sirs," was the elder earl's kindly salutation,
+when his esquire had retired. "Who and what are ye, and what crave ye
+with me?"
+
+"We are Scotsmen, an it so please you, noble lords," replied the old
+man; "followers and retainers of the house of Bruce, more particularly
+of him so lately fallen into your power."
+
+"Then, by mine honor, my good friends, ye had done wiser to benefit by
+the liberty I promised and gave to those of his followers who escaped
+this devastating siege. Wherefore are ye here?"
+
+"In the name of this poor child, to beseech a boon, my noble lord; for
+me, my calling permitteth my going where I list, unquestioned,
+unrestrained, and if I ask permission to abide with ye, Scotsman and
+follower of the Bruce as I am, I know ye will not say me nay."
+
+"I would not, an ye besought such a boon, old man," answered the earl;
+"yet I would advise thee to tempt not thy fate, for even thy minstrel
+garb, an thou braggest of thy service to the Bruce, I cannot promise to
+be thy safeguard in Edward's court, whither I give ye notice I wend my
+way to-morrow's dawn. For this child, what wouldst thou--hath he no
+voice, no power of his own to speak?"
+
+The aged minstrel looked at his charge, whose eyes were still bent on
+the floor; the heaving of his doublet denoted some internal emotion, but
+ere the old man could answer for him, he had made a few hasty steps
+forward, and bent his knee before Hereford.
+
+"'Tis a simple boon I crave, my lord," he said, in a voice so peculiarly
+sweet, that it seemed to impart new beauty to his features; "a very
+simple boon, yet my lips tremble to ask it, for thou mayest deem it more
+weighty than it seemeth to me, and thou alone canst grant it."
+
+"Speak it, fair child, whate'er it be," replied the earl, reassuringly,
+and laying his hand caressingly on the boy's head. "Thou art, methinks,
+over young to crave a boon we may not grant; too young, although a
+Scotsman, for Hereford to treat thee aught but kindly. What wouldst
+thou?"
+
+"Permission to tend on my young lord, Sir Nigel Bruce," answered the
+boy, more firmly, and for the first time fixing the full gaze of his
+beautiful eyes on the earl's face. "Oh, my lord, what is there in that
+simple boon to bid thee knit thy brow as if it must not be?" he added,
+more agitated. "The noble Hereford cannot fear a child; or, if he
+doubted me, he cannot doubt the honor of his prisoner, an honor pure,
+unsullied as his own."
+
+"Thou speakest not as the child thou seemest," replied Hereford,
+musingly; "and yet I know not, misery makes sager of us long ere the
+rose of youth hath faded. For this, thy boon, I know not how it may be
+granted; it is not usual to permit other than English attendants on our
+Scottish prisoners. Since Sir Niel Campbell's escape through the agency
+of his Scottish attendant, it hath been most strictly prohibited."
+
+"Oh, do not, do not say me nay!" entreated the boy; "I ask but to share
+his imprisonment, to be with him, serve him, tend him. I ask no more
+liberty than is granted unto him; the rudest, coarsest fare, a little
+straw, or the bare ground beside his couch. I can do naught to give him
+freedom, and if I could, were there an open path before him--did I
+beseech him on my knees to fly--if he hath surrendered, as I have heard,
+to thee, rescue or no rescue, he would scorn my counsel, and abide thy
+prisoner still. Oh, no, no! I swear to thee I will do naught that can
+make thee regret thou hast granted an orphan's prayer."
+
+"And who art thou that pleadeth thus?" inquired the earl, moved alike by
+the thrilling sweetness of his voice and the earnestness of his manner.
+"Thou must have some wondrous interest in him to prefer imprisonment
+with him to all the joys which liberty can give."
+
+"And I have interest," answered the boy, fervently; "the interest of
+gratitude, and faithfulness, and love. An orphan, miserably an
+orphan--alone upon the wide earth--he hath protected, cherished, aye,
+and honored me with his confidence and love. He tended me in sorrow, and
+I would pour back into his noble heart all the love, the devotion he
+hath excited in mine. Little can I do, alas! naught but love and serve;
+yet, yet, I know he would not reject even this--he would let me love him
+still!"
+
+"Grant the poor boy his boon," whispered Lancaster, hurriedly; "of a
+truth he moveth even me."
+
+"Thine heart is of right true mettle, my child," said his colleague,
+even tenderly. "Yet bethink thee all thou must endure if I grant thy
+boon; not while with me, for there would be a foul blot upon my
+escutcheon did so noble a knight as Sir Nigel Bruce receive aught save
+respect and honor at my hands. But in this business I am but a tool, an
+agent; when once within the boundaries of Edward's court, Sir Nigel is
+no longer my prisoner; I must resign him to my sovereign; and then, I
+dare not give thee hope of gentle treatment either for thyself or him."
+
+"I will brave it," answered the boy, calmly; "danger, aye, death in his
+service, were preferable to my personal liberty, with the torture of the
+thought upon me, that I shrunk from his side when fidelity and love were
+most needed."
+
+"But that very faithfulness, that very love, my child, will make thy
+fate the harder; the scaffold and the axe, if not the cord," he added,
+in a low, stifled tone, "I fear me, will be his doom, despite his youth,
+his gallantry--all that would make _me_ save him. Thou turnest pale at
+the bare mention of such things, how couldst thou bear to witness them?"
+
+"Better than to think of them; to sit me down in idle safety and feel
+that he hath gone forth to this horrible doom, and I have done naught to
+soothe and tend him on his way," replied the boy, firmly, though his
+very lip blanched at Hereford's words. "But must these things be? Is
+Edward so inexorable?"
+
+"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, call on me to return,
+and be at rest within their caves. The love I bear to thee and him thou
+seekest hath yet a louder voice to bid me follow ye. I know not whither
+I shall go, yet an my vision telleth that thou needst my aid, I shall
+not be far from thee. Farewell, my child; and ye, true-hearted lords,
+the blessing of an aged man repay ye for the kindly deed this day that
+ye have done." He pressed the boy in his arms, reverentially saluted the
+earls, and passed from the tent as he spoke.
+
+A few words passed between the warriors, and then Lancaster desired the
+page to follow him. In silence they proceeded through the camp, avoiding
+the more bustling parts, where the soldiery were evidently busied in
+preparing for the morrow's march, and inclining towards the wooded bank
+of the river. The eye of the Earl of Lancaster had scarcely moved from
+the page during his interview with Hereford, though the boy, engrossed
+in his own feelings, had failed to remark it. He now glanced rapidly and
+searchingly round him, and perceiving the ground perfectly clear, not a
+soldier visible, he suddenly paused in his hasty stride, and laying his
+hand heavily on the boy's shoulder, said, in a deep, impressive voice,
+"I know not who or what thou art, but I love thy master, and know that
+he is ill at ease, not from captivity, but from uncertainty as to the
+fate of one beloved. If it be, as I suspect, in thy power entirely to
+remove this uneasiness, be cautioned, and whoever thou mayest be, let
+not one in this camp, from the noble Earl of Hereford himself to the
+lowest soldier, suspect thou art other than thou seemest--a faithful
+page. The rage of Edward is deadly, and all who bear the name of Bruce,
+be it male or female, will suffer from that wrath. Tell this to thy
+lord. I ask not his confidence nor thine, nay, I would refuse it were it
+offered--I would know no more than my own thoughts, but I honor him,
+aye, and from my very heart I honor thee! Hush! not a word in answer; my
+speech is rude, but my heart is true; and now a few steps more and we
+are there," and without waiting for reply he turned suddenly, and the
+page found himself in the very centre of the camp, near the entrance of
+a small pavilion, before which two sentinels were stationed, fully
+armed, and pacing up and down their stated posts; the pennon of Hereford
+floated from the centre staff, above the drapery, marking the tent and
+all its appurtenances peculiarly the earl's. The watchword was
+exchanged, and the sentinels lowered their arms on recognizing one of
+their leaders.
+
+"Let this boy have egress and ingress from and to this tent,
+unquestioned and unmolested," he said; "he has the Earl of Hereford's
+permission, nay, commands, to wait on Sir Nigel Bruce. His business
+lieth principally with him; but if he hath need to quit his side, he is
+to pass free. Report this to your comrades." The soldiers bowed in
+respectful acquiescence. "For thee, young man, this toy will give thee
+free passage where thou listeth, none shall molest thee; and now,
+farewell--God speed thee." He unclasped a ruby brooch, curiously set in
+antique gold, from his collar, and placed it in the boy's hand.
+
+"Dost thou not enter?" asked the page, in a voice that quivered, and the
+light of the torches falling full on his face disclosed to Lancaster a
+look of such voiceless gratitude, it haunted him for many a long day.
+
+"No," he said, half smiling, and in a lower voice; "hast thou forgotten
+thy cause was to be pleaded without witness? I have not, if thou hast. I
+will see thy noble master ere he depart, not now; thou wilt, I trust me,
+take him better comfort than I could."
+
+He lifted the hangings as he spoke, and the boy passed in, his heart
+beating well-nigh to suffocation as he did so. It was in a small
+compartment leading to the principal chamber of the tent he found
+himself at first, and Sir Nigel was not there. With a fleet, yet
+noiseless movement, he drew aside the massive curtain, let it fall again
+behind him, and stood unperceived in the presence of him he sought.
+
+The brow of Sir Nigel rested on his hand, his attitude was as one bowed
+and drooping 'neath despondency; the light of the taper fell full upon
+his head, bringing it out in beautiful profile. It was not his capture
+alone which had made him thus, the boy felt and knew; the complicated
+evils which attended his king and country in his imprisonment were yet
+not sufficient to crush that spirit to the earth. It was some other
+anxiety, some yet nearer woe; there had been many strange rumors afloat,
+both of Sir Nigel's bridal and the supposed fate of that bride, and the
+boy, though he knew them false, aye, and that the victim of Jean Roy was
+a young attendant of Agnes, who had been collecting together the
+trinkets of her mistress, to save them from the pillage which would
+attend the conquest of the English, and had been thus mistaken by the
+maniac--the boy, we say, though he knew this, had, instead of denying
+it, encouraged the report, and therefore was at no loss to discover his
+master's woe. He advanced, knelt down, and in a trembling, husky voice,
+addressed him. "My lord--Sir Nigel."
+
+The young knight started, and looked at the intruder, evidently without
+recognizing him. "What wouldst thou?" he said, in a tone somewhat stern.
+"Who art thou, thus boldly intruding on my privacy? Begone, I need thee
+not!"
+
+"The Earl of Hereford hath permitted me to tend thee, follow thee,"
+answered the page in the same subdued voice. "My gracious lord, do not
+thou refuse me."
+
+"Tend me--follow me! whither--to the scaffold? Seek some other master,
+my good boy. I know thee not, and can serve thee little, and need no
+earthly aid. An thou seekest noble service, go follow Hereford; he is a
+generous and knightly lord."
+
+"But I am Scotch, my lord, and would rather follow thee to death than
+Hereford to victory."
+
+"Poor child, poor child!" repeated Nigel, sadly. "I should know thee,
+methinks, an thou wouldst follow me so faithfully, and yet I do not.
+What claim have I upon thy love?"
+
+"Dost thou _not_ know me, Nigel?" The boy spoke in his own peculiarly
+sweet and most thrilling voice, and raising his head, fixed his full
+glance upon the knight.
+
+A wild cry burst from Nigel's lips, he sprang up, gazed once again, and
+in another moment the page and knight had sprung into each other's arms;
+the arms of the former were twined round the warrior's neck, and Sir
+Nigel had bent down his lordly head; burning tears and impassioned
+kisses were mingled on the soft cheek that leaned against his breast.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+
+The ancient town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, associated as it is with
+Scottish and English history from the time these two kingdoms had a
+name, presented a somewhat different aspect in the year 1307 to that of
+the present day. The key to both countries, it was ever a scene of
+struggle, unless the sister kingdoms chanced to be at peace, an event in
+the middle ages of rare occurrence, and whoever was its fortunate
+possessor was undeniably considered as the greater power. Since the
+death of Alexander it had been captured no less than three times by
+Edward in 1296, by Wallace the succeeding year, and recaptured by the
+English the following spring. To Edward, consequently, it now belonged,
+and many and fearful had been the sanguinary executions its walls had
+beheld. Its streets had been deluged with noble Scottish blood; its
+prisons filled with the nobles of Scotland; even high-minded women, who
+by their countenance and faithfulness had given a yet higher tone to
+patriotism and valor, were said to be there immured. It might have been
+termed not alone the key, but the dungeon and grave of Scotland; and
+many a noble spirit which had never quailed in the battle's front,
+shrunk back appalled as it neared those dismal walls.
+
+In the time of Edward, the fortifications, though merely consisting of a
+deep moat and wooden palisades, instead of the stone wall still
+remaining, inclosed a much larger space than the modern town. A
+magnificent castle, with its "mounts, rampiers, and flankers," its
+towers, walls, and courts, crowned an easy ascent overhanging the Tweed,
+and was at this period peopled by a powerful garrison, filled with
+immense stores, both of arms, artillery, and provisions, and many
+unhappy prisoners, who from their lonely turrets could look beyond the
+silver Tweed on their own beautiful land, their hearts burning with the
+vain desire to free her from her chains. Both square and round towers
+guarded the palisades and moat surrounding the town, which presented a
+goodly collection of churches, hospitals, dwelling-houses, stores, and
+monastic buildings; from all of which crowds were continually passing
+and repassing on their several ways, and forming altogether a motley
+assemblage of knights, nobles, men-at-arms, archers, the various orders
+of monks, the busy leech from the hospital, the peaceful burgher, the
+bustling storekeeper, and artisan, noble dames and pretty maidens--all
+in the picturesque costumes of the day, jostling one another,
+unconscious of the curious effect they each assisted to produce, and
+ever and anon came the trampling of fiery steeds. It was a rich,
+thriving, bustling town, always presenting curious scenes of activity,
+at present apparently under some excitement, which the gay knights and
+their followers tended not a little to increase.
+
+The popular excitement had, strange to say, been confined for an
+unusually long time to one subject. Orders had been received from King
+Edward for the erection of an extraordinary cage or tower, curiously
+worked in stone and iron, on the very highest turret of the castle,
+visible to every eye, of a circular form, with pyramidal points,
+supporting gilded balls, giving it the appearance, when completed, of a
+huge coronet or crown. It was barred and cross-barred with iron on all
+sides, effectually preventing egress from within, but exposing its
+inmate, whoever that might be, to every passer-by. The impatient king
+had commanded several of the artisans employed in its erection to be
+thrown into prison, because it was not completed fast enough to please
+him; but, despite his wrath and impatience, the work of fashioning the
+iron, wood, and stone, as he required, occasioned them to proceed but
+slowly, and it was now, three months after the royal order had been
+given, only just completed, and firmly fixed on the principal turret of
+the castle. Day after day the people flocked to gaze and marvel for whom
+it could be intended, and when it would be occupied; their thoughts only
+turned from it by the intelligence that the Earl of Hereford, with some
+Scottish prisoners of high rank, was within four-and-twenty hours' march
+of the town, and was there to deliver up his captives to the seneschal
+of the castle, the Earl of Berwick. At the same time rumors were afloat,
+that the prisoner for whom that cage had been erected was, under a
+strong guard, advancing from Carlisle, and likely to encounter Hereford
+at the castle gates.
+
+The popular excitement increased threefold; the whole town seemed under
+the influence of a restless fever, utterly preventing the continuance of
+their usual avocations, or permitting them to rest quiet in their
+houses. Crowds filled the streets, and pressed and fumed to obtain
+places by the great gates and open squares of the castle, through which
+both parties must pass. That wind, rain, and sunshine alternately ruled
+the day, was a matter of small importance; nor did it signify that
+English soldiers were returning victorious, with Scottish prisoners,
+being a thing now of most common occurrence. Before the day was over,
+however, they found anticipation for once had been less marvellous than
+reality, and stranger things were seen and heard than they had dreamed
+of.
+
+From sunrise till noon they waited and watched, and waxed impatient in
+vain. About that time trumpets and drums were heard from the south, and
+there was a general rush towards the bridge, and hearts beat high in
+expectancy of they knew not what, as a gallant band of English archers
+and men-at-arms, headed by some few knights, were discovered slowly and
+solemnly advancing from the Carlisle road. Where, and who was the
+prisoner? A person of some consequence, of dangerous influence it must
+be, else why had the king made such extraordinary provision for
+confinement? There were not wanting suggestions and guesses, and
+wondrous fancies; for as yet there was such a close guard in the centre
+of the cavalcade, that the very person of the prisoner could not be
+distinguished. Nay, there were some who ventured to hint and believe it
+might be the excommunicated Earl of Carrick himself. It was most likely,
+for whom else could the cage, so exactly like a crown, be intended? and
+there were many who vaunted the wise policy of Edward, at having hit on
+such an expedient for lowering his rival's pride. Others, indeed,
+declared the idea was all nonsense; it was not likely he would incur
+such expense, king as he was, merely to mortify a traitor he had sworn
+to put to death. The argument waxed loud and warm. Meanwhile the
+cavalcade had crossed the bridge, been received through the south gate,
+and in the same slow and solemn pomp proceeded through the town.
+
+"By all the saints, it is only a woman!" was the information shouted by
+an eager spectator, who had clambered above the heads of his fellows to
+obtain the first and most coveted view. His words were echoed in blank
+amazement.
+
+"Aye, clothed in white like a penitent, with her black hair streaming
+all over her shoulders, without any covering on her head at all, and
+nothing but a thin, torn sandal on her bare feet; and the knights look
+black as thunder, as if they like not the business they are engaged in."
+
+It was even so. There was an expression on the face of the officers
+impossible to be misunderstood; frowningly, darkly, they obeyed their
+sovereign's mandate, simply because they dared not disobey; but there
+was not one among them who would not rather have sought the most deadly
+front of battle than thus conduct a woman, aye, and a most noble one,
+unto her prison. The very men, rude, stern, as they mostly were, shared
+this feeling; they guarded her with lowered heads and knitted brows; and
+if either officer or man-at-arms had to address her, it was with an
+involuntary yet genuine movement and manner of respect that little
+accorded with their present relative position. The crowds looked first
+at the cavalcade and marvelled, then at the prisoner, and they did not
+marvel more.
+
+Clad as she was, in white, flowing garments, very similar to those worn
+by penitents, her head wholly undefended from cold or rain even by a
+veil; her long, luxuriant, jet-black hair, in which as yet, despite of
+care and woe, no silver thread had mingled, falling round her from her
+noble brow, which shone forth from its shade white as snow, and
+displaying that most perfect face, which anguish had only chiselled into
+paler, purer marble; it could not rob it of its beauty, that beauty
+which is the holy emanation of the soul, _that_ lingered still with
+power to awe the rudest heart, to bow the proudest in voluntary respect.
+
+The sovereign of England had commanded this solemn procession and its
+degrading accompaniments to humble, to crush to dust, the woman who had
+dared defy his power, but it was himself alone he humbled. As she walked
+there, surrounded by guards, by gazing hundreds, on foot, and but
+protected from the flinty ground by a thin sandal, her step was as firm
+and unfaltering, her attitude, her bearing as dignified, as calmly,
+imposingly majestic as when, in the midst of Scotland's patriots, she
+had placed the crown on the Bruce's head. Edward sought to debase her,
+but she was not debased; to compel her to regret the part that she had
+acted, but she gloried in it still; to acknowledge his power--but in all
+he failed.
+
+Calmly and majestically the Countess of Buchan proceeded on her way,
+neither looking to the right or left, nor evincing by the slightest
+variation of countenance her consciousness of the many hundreds gazing
+on, or that they annoyed or disturbed her; her spirit was wrapt in
+itself. We should assert falsehood did we say she did not suffer; she
+did, but it was a mother's agony heightened by a patriot's grief. She
+believed her son, who had been in truth the idol of her mourning heart,
+had indeed fallen. Her Agnes was not amongst the queen's train, of whose
+captivity she had been made aware, though not allowed speech with them.
+Where was _she_--what would be her fate? She only knew her as a lovely,
+fragile flower, liable to be crushed under the first storm; and pictured
+her, rudely severed from Nigel, perchance in the hands of some lawless
+spoiler, and heart-broken, dying. Shuddering with anguish, she thought
+not of her own fate--she thought but of her children, of her country;
+and if King Robert did enter these visions, it was simply as her
+sovereign, as one whose patriotism would yet achieve the liberty of
+Scotland; but there was a dimness even o'er that dream, for the figure
+of her noble boy was gone, naught but a blank--dull, shapeless--occupied
+that spot in the vision of the future, which once his light had filled.
+
+The castle-yard was at length gained, and a half and some change in the
+line of march ensued; the officers and men formed in a compact crescent,
+leaving the countess, a herald, trumpeters, and some of the highest
+knights, in front. So intense was the interest of the crowd at this
+moment, that they did not heed the rapid advance of a gallant body of
+horse and foot from the north, except to rail at the pressure they
+occasioned in forcing their way through. They gained the castle-yard at
+length, and there halted, and fell back in utter astonishment at the
+scene they witnessed.
+
+The herald had drawn a parchment from his belt, and made a step forward
+as if to speak. The knights, in sullen silence, leant upon their
+sheathed swords, without even glancing at their prisoner, who appeared
+far the most composed and dignified of all present, and, after a brief
+pause, words to this effect were distinguished by the crowd.
+
+"To our loyal and loving subjects of both North and South Britain,
+Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Wales, France, and
+Scotland, greeting. Whereas Isabella, born of Fife, and late of Buchan,
+which latter she hath, by foul dishonor and utter disregard of marriage
+vows, now forfeited, hath done traitorously and disloyally alike to her
+sovereign lord the king, and to her gracious lord and husband, John,
+Earl of Buchan, whom, for his fidelity, we hold in good favor. As she
+hath not struck by the sword, so she shall not perish by the sword; but
+for her lawless conspiracy, she shall be shut up in a stone and iron
+chamber, circular as the crown she gave, in this proclaiming to both
+countries her everlasting infamy. And this we do in mercy; for, whereas
+she deserveth death, we do remit the same, and give her time to repent
+her of her heinous crime.
+
+"Given at our palace of Carlisle, this twenty-third day of February, in
+the year of our Lord and Saviour, one thousand three hundred and seven.
+God save the King!"
+
+But the loyal ejaculation was not echoed, nay, the herald himself had
+read the proclamation, as if every word had been forced from him, and
+the eyes of every knight and soldier had been fixed upon the ground, as
+if shame rested on them rather than on their prisoner. A dead silence
+for a few minutes followed, broken only by some faint cries of "God save
+King Edward, and down with all traitors!" which seemed raised more to
+drown the groans which involuntarily burst forth, than as the echo of
+the heart. They dared not evince the faintest sign of disapproval, for
+they stood on precarious ground; a groan even might be punished by their
+irritable king as treachery; but there was one present who cared little
+for this charge. Scarcely had the words passed the herald's lips, before
+a young man, whose bare head and lack of all weapons would have
+proclaimed him one of the Earl of Hereford's prisoners, had not the
+attention of all been turned from him by the one engrossing object, now
+snatching a sword from a soldier near him, sprung from his horse, and
+violently attacking the herald, exclaimed, in a voice of thunder--
+
+"Liar and slave! thinkest thou there is none near to give the lie to thy
+foul slanders--none to defend the fair fame, the stainless honor of this
+much-abused lady? Dastard and coward, fit mouthpiece of a dishonored and
+blasphemous tyrant! go tell him, his prisoner--aye, Nigel Bruce--thrusts
+back his foul lies into his very teeth. Ha! coward and slave, wouldst
+thou shun me?"
+
+A scene of indescribable confusion now ensued. The herald, a man not
+much in love with war, stood cowering and trembling before his
+adversary, seeking to cover himself with his weapon, but, from his
+trembling hold, ineffectually. The stature of the youthful Scotsman
+appeared towering, as he stood over him with his uplifted sword,
+refusing to strike a defenceless man, but holding him with a gripe of
+iron; his cheek flushed crimson, his nostrils distended, for his soul
+was moved with a mightier, darker passion than had ever stirred its
+depths before. The soldiers of both parties, joined, too, by some from
+the castle--for a party headed by the Earl of Berwick himself had
+attended to give countenance to the proclamation--rushed forward, but
+involuntarily fell back, awed for the moment by the mighty spirit of one
+man; the knights, roused from their sullen posture, looked much as if
+they would, if they dared, have left the herald to his fate. Hereford
+and Berwick at the same instant spurred forward their steeds, the one
+exclaiming, "Madman, let go your hold--you are tempting your own fate!
+Nigel, for the love of heaven! for the sake of those that love you, be
+not so rash!" the other thundering forth, "Cut down the traitor, an he
+will not loose his hold. Forward, cowardly knaves! will ye hear your
+king insulted, and not revenge it?--forward, I say! fear ye a single
+man?"
+
+And numbers, spurred on by his words, dashed forward to obey him, but
+fearlessly Sir Nigel Bruce retained his hold with his left hand, and
+with his right grasped tighter his sword, and stood, with the fierce
+undaunted port of a lion lashed into fury, gazing on his foes; but ere
+he had crossed with the foremost weapons, a slight lad burst through the
+gathering crowd, and with a piercing shriek threw himself at his
+master's feet, and grasping his knees, seemed by his pleading looks, for
+his words were inaudible, imploring him to desist from his rashness. At
+the same moment another form pressed through the soldiers, her look, her
+mien compelling them involuntarily to open their ranks and give her
+passage. The sword of Nigel was in the act of falling on a second foe,
+the first lay at his feet, when his arm was caught in its descent, and
+Isabella of Buchan stood at his side.
+
+"Forbear!" she said, in those rich impressive tones that ever forced
+obedience. "Nigel Bruce, brother of my sovereign, friend of my son,
+forbear! strike not one blow for me. Mine honor needs no defence by
+those that love me; my country will acquit me; the words of England's
+monarch, angered at a woman's defiance of his power, affect me not!
+Noble Nigel, excite not further wrath against thyself by this vain
+struggle for my sake; put up thy sword, ere it is forced from thee. Let
+go thy hold; this man is but an instrument, why wreak thy wrath on him?
+Must I speak, implore in vain? Nay, then, I do command thee!"
+
+And those who gazed on her, as she drew that stately form to its full
+height, as they heard those accents of imperative command, scarce
+marvelled that Edward should dread her influence, woman as she was.
+Despite the increasing wrath on the Earl of Berwick's brow, the men
+waited to see the effect of these words. There was still an expression
+of ill-controlled passion on Nigel's features. He waited one moment when
+she ceased to speak, then slowly and deliberately shook the herald by
+the collar, and hurled him from his hold; snapped his sword in twain,
+and flinging it from him, folded his arms on his breast, and calmly
+uttering, "Pardon me, noble lady, mine honor were impugned had I
+suffered that dastardly villain to pass hence unpunished--let Edward act
+as he lists, it matters little now," waited with impenetrable resolve
+the rage he had provoked.
+
+"Nigel, Nigel, rash, impetuous boy, what hast thou done?" exclaimed the
+countess, losing all mien and accent of command in the terror with which
+she clung round him, as if to protect him from all ill, in the tone and
+look of maternal tenderness with which she addressed him. "Why, why must
+it be my ill fate to hurl down increase of misery and danger on all whom
+I love?"
+
+"Speak not so, noble lady, in mercy do not!" he whispered in reply;
+"keep that undaunted spirit shown but now, I can better bear it than
+this voice of anguish. And thou," he added, laying his hand on the
+shoulder of the boy, who still clung to his knees, as if fascinated
+there by speechless terror, and gazed alternately on him and the
+countess with eyes glazed almost in madness, "up, up; this is no place
+for thee. What can they do with me but slay--let them come on--better,
+far better than a scaffold!" but the boy moved not, Nigel spoke in vain.
+
+The fate he dared seemed indeed threatening. Wrought well-nigh to
+phrensy at this daring insult to his sovereign, in whose acts of cruelty
+and oppression he could far better sympathize than in his more knightly
+qualities, the Earl of Berwick loudly and fiercely called on his
+soldiers to advance and cut down the traitor, to bring the heaviest
+fetters and bear him to the lowest dungeon. The men, roused from their
+stupor of amaze, rushed on impetuously to obey him; their naked swords
+already gleamed round Nigel; the Countess of Buchan was torn from his
+side, her own especial guards closing darkly around her; but vainly did
+they seek to unclasp the convulsive grasp of the boy from Nigel, he
+neither shrieked nor spake, but he remained in that one posture, rigid
+as stone.
+
+"Fiends! monsters! would ye, dare ye touch a boy, a child as this!"
+shouted Nigel, struggling with herculean strength to free himself from
+the rude grasp of the soldiers, as he beheld the sharp steel pointed at
+the breast of the boy, to compel him to unloose his hold. "Villains,
+cowards! bear back and let me speak with him," and nerved to madness by
+the violence of his emotions, he suddenly wrenched himself away, the
+rapidity of the movement throwing one of the men to the earth, and bent
+over the boy; again they rushed forward, they closed upon him, they tore
+away the lad by force of numbers, and flung him senseless on the earth;
+they sought to bear away their prisoner, but at that moment Hereford,
+who had been parleying loudly and wrathfully with Berwick, spurred his
+charger in the very midst of them, and compelled them to bear back.
+
+"Back, back!" he exclaimed, making a path for himself with his drawn
+sword; "how dare ye thrust yourselves betwixt me and my lawful prisoner,
+captive of my sword and power? what right have ye to dare detain him?
+Let go your hold, none but the men whose prowess gained this gallant
+prize shall guard him till my sovereign's will be known. Back, back, I
+say!"
+
+"Traitor!" retorted Berwick, "he is no longer your prisoner. An insult
+offered to King Edward, in the loyal citadel of Berwick, in my very
+presence, his representative as I stand, shall meet with fit
+retribution. He hath insulted his sovereign by act and word, and I
+attach him of high treason and will enforce my charge. Forward, I say!"
+
+"And I say back!" shouted the Earl of Hereford; "I tell thee, proud
+earl, he is my prisoner, and mine alone. Thou mayest vaunt thy loyalty,
+thy representation of majesty, as thou listeth, mine hath been proved at
+the good sword's point, and Edward will deem me no traitor because I
+protect a captive, who hath surrendered himself a knight to a knight,
+rescue or no rescue, from this unseemly violence. I bandy no more words
+with such as thee; back! the first man that dares lay hold on him I
+chastise with my sword."
+
+"Thou shalt repent this!" muttered Berwick, with a suppressed yet
+terrible oath, but he dared proceed no further.
+
+A signal from their leader brought up all Hereford's men, who, in
+compact order and perfect silence, surrounded their prisoner. Sternly
+the earl called for a pair of handcuffs, and with his own hands fastened
+them on his captive. "It grieves me," he said, "to see a brave man thus
+manacled, but thine own mad act hath brought it on thyself. And now, my
+Lord of Berwick, an it please thee to proceed, we demand admission to
+thy citadel in King Edward's name. Bring up the other prisoners."
+
+Concealing his wrath with difficulty, the Earl of Berwick and his
+attendants dashed forward over the drawbridge into the castle at full
+speed, closing the gates and lowering the portcullis after them. After a
+brief space, the portcullis was again raised, the gates flung wide
+apart, and the men-at-arms were discerned lining either side, in all due
+form and homage to the officers of their sovereign. During the wrathful
+words passing between the two earls, the attention of the crowd had been
+given alternately to them and to the Countess of Buchan, who had utterly
+forgotten her own precarious situation in anxiety for Nigel, and in pity
+for the unfortunate child, who had been hurled by the soldiers close to
+the spot where she stood.
+
+"Do not leave him there, he will be trampled on," she said, imploringly,
+to the officers beside her. "He can do no harm, poor child, Scotch
+though he be. A little water, only bring me a little water, and he will
+speedily recover."
+
+All she desired was done, the boy was tenderly raised and brought within
+the circle of her guards, and laid on the ground at her feet. She knelt
+down beside him, chafed his cold hands within her own, and moistened his
+lips and brow with water. After a while his scattered senses returned,
+he started up in a sitting posture, and gazed in wild inquiry around
+him, uttering a few inarticulate words, and then saying aloud, "Sir
+Nigel, my lord, my--my--master, where is he? oh! let me go to him; why
+am I here?"
+
+"Thou shalt go to him, poor boy, as soon as thy strength returns; an
+they have let thee follow him from Scotland, surely they will not part
+ye now," said the countess soothingly, and her voice seemed to rouse the
+lad into more consciousness. He gazed long in her face, with an
+expression which at that time she could not define, but which startled
+and affected her, and she put her arm round him and kissed his brow. A
+convulsive almost agonized sob broke from the boy's breast, and caused
+his slight frame to shake as with an ague, then suddenly he knelt before
+her, and, in accents barely articulate, murmured--
+
+"Bless me, oh bless me!" while another word seemed struggling for
+utterance, but checked with an effort which caused it to die on his lips
+in indistinct murmurs.
+
+"Bless thee, poor child! from my very heart I do, if the blessing of one
+sorrowing and afflicted as myself can in aught avail thee. For thy
+faithfulness to thy master, I bless thee, for it speaketh well for thee,
+and that face would bid me love and bless thee for thyself, I know not
+wherefore. Good angels keep and bless thee, gentle boy, thou hast
+Isabella's prayers, and may they give thee peace."
+
+"Pray for me, aye, pray for me," repeated the boy, in the same murmured
+tones. He clasped her hands in both his, he pressed them again and again
+to his lips, repeated sobs burst from his laboring breast, and then he
+sprung up, darted away, and stood at Sir Nigel's side, just as the Earl
+of Hereford had commanded his men to wheel a little to the right, to
+permit the Countess of Buchan, her guards and officers, free passage
+over the drawbridge, and first entrance within the fortress.
+
+The brow of this noble son of chivalry darkened as, sitting motionless
+on his tall steed, his gaze rested on the noble woman whom it had
+originally been his painful charge to deliver over to his sovereign. He
+had not dreamed of a vengeance such as this. He could not have believed
+a change so dark as this had fallen on the character of a sovereign whom
+he still loved, still sought to admire and revere, and his spirit sunk
+'neath the sorrow this conviction caused. Almost involuntarily, as the
+procession slowly proceeded, and the countess passed within three paces
+of his horse's head, he bent his lordly brow in silent homage; she saw
+it and returned it, more effected by the unfeigned commiseration on that
+warrior's face, than at aught which had occurred to shame and humble her
+that morning.
+
+A brief pause took place in the movements of the officers and their
+prisoners, when they reached the great hall of the castle. For a brief
+minute Lady Seaton and the Countess of Buchan had met, had clasped
+hands, in sad, yet eager greeting. "My child, mine Agnes?" had been by
+the latter hurriedly whispered, and the answer, "Safe, I trust, safe,"
+just permitted to reach her ear, when roughly and fiercely the Earl of
+Berwick summoned the Lady of Buchan to proceed to the chamber appointed
+for her use. Those simple words had, however, removed a load of anxiety
+from her mind, for they appeared to confirm what she had sometimes
+permitted herself to hope, that Agnes had shared King Robert's exile,
+under the care of Lady Campbell; prevailed on to do so, perchance, by
+the entreaties of Nigel, who in all probability had deemed that course,
+though one of hardship, less perilous than remaining with him. She hoped
+indeed against her better judgment, for though she knew not the depth,
+the might of her daughter's feelings, she knew it must have been a
+terrible trial so to part, and she absolutely shuddered when she thought
+of the whelming blow it would be to that young heart when the fate of
+her betrothed was ascertained.
+
+Lady Seaton had spoken as she believed. No communication had been
+permitted between the prisoners on their way to England; indeed, from
+Sir Christopher's wounded and exhausted state, he had travelled more
+leisurely in a litter, always in the rear of the earl's detachment, and
+occupied by her close attendance upon him, his wife had scarcely been
+aware of the young page ever in attendance on her brother, or deemed
+him, if she did observe him, a retainer of Hereford's own. There was so
+much of fearful peril and misery hovering over her in her husband's
+fate, that it was not much wonder her thoughts lingered there more than
+on Agnes, and that she was contented to believe as she had spoken, that
+she at least was safe.
+
+Night fell on the town of Berwick. Silence and darkness had come on her
+brooding wings; the varied excitement of the day was now but a matter of
+wondering commune round the many blazing hearths, where the busy crowds
+of the morning had now gathered. Night came, with her closing pall, her
+softened memories, her sleeping visions, and sad waking dreams. She had
+come, alike to the mourned and mourner, the conqueror and his captive,
+the happy and the wretched. She had found the Earl of Berwick pacing up
+and down his stately chamber, his curtained couch unsought, devising
+schemes to lower the haughty pride of the gallant warrior whom he yet
+feared. She had looked softly within the room where that warrior lay,
+and found him, too, sleepless, but not from the same dark dreams. He
+grieved for his sovereign, for the fate of one noble spirit shrined in a
+woman's form, and restless and fevered, turned again and again within
+his mind how he might save from a yet darker doom the gallant youth his
+arms had conquered. And not alone on them did night look down. She sent
+her sweet, reviving influence, on the rays of a bright liquid star,
+through the narrow casement which gave light to the rude unfurnished
+chamber where Sir Nigel Bruce and his attendant lay. They had not torn
+that poor faithful child from his side. Hereford's last commands had
+been that they should not part them, and there they now lay; and sleep,
+balmy sleep had for them descended on the wings of night, hovering over
+that humble pallet of straw, when from the curtained couch of power, the
+downy bed of luxury, she fled. There they lay; but it was the boy who
+lay on the pallet of straw, his head pillowed by the arm of the knight,
+who sat on a wooden settle at his side. He had watched for a brief space
+those troubled slumbers, but as they grew calmer and calmer, he had
+pressed one light kiss on the soft yielding cheek, and then leant his
+head on his breast, and he too slept--even in sleep tending one beloved.
+
+And in the dark, close sleeping-chamber within the prison cage of the
+noble Countess of Buchan, night too looked pityingly. Sleep indeed was
+not there; it had come and gone, for in a troubled slumber a dream had
+come of Agnes, and she had woke to think upon her child, and pray for
+her; and as she prayed, she thought of her promise to the poor boy who
+had so strangely moved her. She could not trace how one thought had
+sprung from the other, nor why in the darkness his features so suddenly
+flashed before her; but so it was. His face seemed to gleam upon her
+with the same strange, indefinable expression which, even at the time,
+had startled her; and then a sudden flash appeared to illumine that
+darkness of bewilderment. She started up from her reclining posture; she
+pressed both hands on her throbbing eyeballs; a wild, sickening yearning
+took possession of her whole soul; and then she felt, in its full
+bitterness, she was a chained and guarded prisoner and the deep anguish
+of her spirit found vent in the convulsive cry--
+
+"Fool, fool that I was--my child! my child!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+
+Leaving the goodly town of Berwick and its busy citizens, its castle and
+its prisoners, for a brief space, we must now transport our readers to
+a pleasant chamber overlooking the Eden, in the castle of Carlisle, now
+a royal residence; a fact which, from its numerous noble inmates, its
+concourse of pages, esquires, guards, and various other retainers of a
+royal establishment, the constant ingress and egress of richly-attired
+courtiers, the somewhat bustling, yet deferential aspect of the scene, a
+very cursory glance would have been all-sufficient to prove.
+
+It had been with a full determination to set all obstacles, even disease
+itself, at defiance, King Edward, some months before, had quitted
+Winchester, and directed his march towards the North, vowing vengeance
+on the rebellious and disaffected Scots, and swearing death alone should
+prevent the complete and terrible extermination of the traitors. He had
+proceeded in this spirit to Carlisle, disregarding the threatening
+violence of disease, so sustained by the spirit of disappointed ambition
+within as scarcely to be conscious of an almost prostrating increase of
+weakness and exhaustion. He had determined to make a halt of some weeks
+at Carlisle, to wait the effect of the large armies he had sent forward
+to overrun Scotland, and to receive intelligence of the measures they
+had already taken. Here, then, disease, as if enraged that he should
+have borne up so long, that his spirit had mastered even her, convened
+the whole powers of suffering, and compelled him not alone to
+acknowledge, but to writhe beneath her sway. His whole frame was shaken;
+intolerable pains took possession of him, and though the virulence of
+the complaint was at length so far abated as to permit him a short
+continuance of life, he could never sit his horse again, or even hope to
+carry on in his own person his plans for the total reduction of
+Scotland. But as his frame weakened, as he became the victim of almost
+continual pain, all the darker and fiercer passions of his nature gained
+yet more fearful ascendency. The change had been some time gathering,
+but within the last twelve months its effects were such, that his
+noblest, most devoted knights, blind as their affection for his person
+rendered them, could scarce recognize in the bloodthirsty, ambitious
+tyrant they now beheld their gallant, generous, humane, and most
+chivalric sovereign, who had won golden opinions from all sorts and
+conditions of men; who had performed the duties of a son and husband so
+as to fix the eyes of all Europe on him in admiration; who had swayed
+the sceptre of his mighty kingdom with such a powerful and fearless
+hand, it had been long since England had acquired such weight in the
+scale of kingdoms. Wise, moderate, merciful even in strict justice as he
+had been, could it be that ambition had wrought such change; that
+disease had banished every feeling from his breast, save this one dark,
+fiend-like passion, for the furtherance of which, or in revenge of its
+disappointment, noble blood flowed like water--the brave, the good, the
+young, the old, the noble and his follower, alike fell before the axe or
+the cord of the executioner? Could it indeed be that Edward, once such a
+perfect, glorious scion of chivalry, had now shut up his heart against
+its every whisper, lest it should interfere with his brooding visions of
+revenge; forgot each feeling, lest he should involuntarily sympathize
+with the noble and knightly spirit of the patriots of Scotland, whom he
+had sworn to crush? Alas! it was even so; ruthless and tyrannical, the
+nobles he had once favored, once loved, now became odious to him, for
+their presence made him painfully conscious of the change within
+himself; and he now associated but with spirits dark, fierce, cruel as
+his own--men he would once have shunned, have banished from his court,
+as utterly unworthy of his favor.
+
+It was, then, in a royally-furnished chamber, pleasantly overlooking the
+river Eden and the adjoining country, that about a week after the events
+narrated in the preceding chapter, King Edward reclined. His couch was
+softly and luxuriously cushioned, and not a little art had been expended
+in the endeavor to lighten his sufferings, and enable him to rest at
+ease. The repeated contraction of his countenance, however, betrayed how
+impotent was even luxury when brought in contact with disease. The
+richly-furred and wadded crimson velvet robe could not conceal the
+attenuation of his once peculiarly fine and noble form; his great length
+of limb, which had gained him, and handed down to posterity, the
+inelegant surname of Longshanks, rendered his appearance yet more gaunt
+and meagre; while his features, which once, from the benignity and
+nobleness of his character, had been eminently handsome, now pale, thin,
+and pointed, seemed to express but the one passion of his soul--its
+gratification of revenge. His expansive brow was now contracted and
+stern, rendered more so perhaps by the lack of hair about the temples;
+he wore a black velvet cap, circled coronet-wise with large diamonds
+from which a white feather drooped to his shoulder. There was a slight,
+scarcely visible, sneer resting on his features that morning, called
+forth perhaps by his internal scorn of the noble with whom he had
+deigned a secret conference; but the Earl of Buchan had done him good
+service, had ably forwarded his revenge, and he would not therefore
+listen to that still voice of scorn.
+
+"Soh! she is secure, and your desires on that head accomplished, sir
+earl," he said, in continuance of some subject they had been discussing.
+"Thou hast done us good service, and by mine honor, it would seem we
+have done your lordship the same."
+
+"Aye," muttered the earl, whose dark features had not grown a whit more
+amiable since we last beheld him; "aye, we are both avenged."
+
+"How, sir I darest thou place thyself on a par with me?" angrily
+retorted Edward; "thinkest thou the sovereign of England can have aught
+in common with such as thee? Isabella of Buchan, or of Fife, an thou
+likest that better, is debased, imprisoned, because she hath dared
+insult our person, defy our authority, to act treasonably and
+mischievously, and sow dissension and rebellion amid our Scottish
+subjects--for this she is chastised; an it gratify your matrimonial
+revenge, I am glad on't; but Edward of England brooks no equality with
+Comyn of Buchan, though it be but equality in revenge."
+
+Buchan bent his knee, and humbly apologized.
+
+"Well, well, let it be; thou hast served us too faithfully to be
+quarrelled with, for perchance unintentional irreverence. The imposition
+of her child's murder, when he lives and is well, is the coinage of
+thine own brain, sir earl, and thou must reconcile it to thine own
+conscience. We hold ourselves exempt from all such peculiar mercy, for
+we scarce see its wisdom." There was a slight bitterness in Edward's
+tone.
+
+"Wisdom, my sovereign liege, deemest thou there is no wisdom in
+revenge?" and the brow of the earl grew dark with passion, as he spoke.
+"Have I naught to punish, naught to avenge in this foul
+traitress--naught, that her black treachery has extended to my son, my
+heir, even to his tender years? I would not have her death; no, let her
+live and feed on the belief that her example, her counsels have killed
+her own child; that had it not been for her, he might have lived, been
+prosperous, aye, and happy now. Is there no wisdom in such revenge? and
+if there be none, save that which my own heart feels, I could give your
+grace another and a better reason for this proceeding."
+
+"Speak it, in St. George's name," replied the king; "of a truth thou art
+of most clear conception in all schemes of vengeance. I might have
+thought long enough, ere I could have lighted on such as this. What
+more?"
+
+"Simply, your grace, that by encouraging a little while the report of
+his death, his friends in Scotland will forget that he ever existed, and
+make no effort for his rescue; which belief, wild and unfounded as it
+is, I imagine supports him in his strenuous determination to live and
+die a traitor to your highness. I have no hatred to the boy; nay, an he
+would let me, could love and be proud of him, now his mother cannot
+cross my path, and would gladly see him devoted, as myself, to the
+interests of your grace. Nor do I despair of this; he is very young, and
+his character cannot be entirely formed. He will tire in time of dark
+and solitary confinement, and gladly accept any conditions I may offer."
+
+"Gives he any proof as yet of this yielding mood?"
+
+"By mine honor, no, your highness; he is firm and steadfast as the ocean
+rock."
+
+"Then wherefore thinkest thou he will change in time?"
+
+"Because as yet, my gracious liege, the foul, treacherous principles of
+his mother have not ceased to work. An entire cessation of intercourse
+between them will show him his mistake at last, and this could never be,
+did she know he lived. Imprisoned, guarded as she is, she would yet find
+some means of communication with him, and all my efforts would be of no
+avail. Let a year roll by, and I will stake my right hand that Alan of
+Buchan becomes as firm a supporter and follower of King Edward as ever
+his father was. Is the boy more than mortal, and does your grace think
+life, liberty, riches, honors, will not weigh against perpetual
+imprisonment and daily thoughts of death?"
+
+So spoke the Earl of Buchan, judging, as most men, others by himself,
+utterly unable to comprehend the high, glorious, self-devoted, patriotic
+spirit of his noble son. He persevered in his course of fiend-like
+cruelty, excusing it to his own conscience, if he had any, by the
+belief it would end but in his son's good--an end, indeed, he seldom
+thought of attaining; but there was something in the idea of a son, an
+heir, and one so prepossessing in appearance as Alan of Buchan, that
+touched his pride, the only point on which his flinty heart was
+vulnerable.
+
+"So thou thinkest, sir earl?" resumed the king, who perhaps in his own
+secret soul did not entirely think with him. "Meanwhile the stripling
+may laugh thy parental care to scorn, by escaping from iron chains and
+stone walls, and seeking out the arch rebel Bruce, make up at the
+sword's point for lost time. Beware, sir earl, an he be taken again thus
+in arms against us, even thy loyal services will not save his head!"
+
+"I should not even ask your grace's clemency," replied the earl, his
+features assuming a fearful expression as he spoke. "An he thus turned
+traitor again to his father's house, spurning mine and your grace's
+favor, to join the base murderer of his kinsman, he shall be no more to
+me than others, whose treason hath cost their heads; but I have no fear
+of this. He cannot escape, guarded as he is, by alike the most ruthless
+and the most faithful of my followers; and while there, if all else
+fail, I will publish that he lives, but so poison the ears of his rebel
+Scottish friends against him, he will not, dare not join them, and in
+his own despite, will be compelled to act as befitting his father's son.
+Trust me, my liege. To thy royal clemency I owe his life; be it my duty,
+then, to instil into him other principles than those which actuated him
+before."
+
+"But your own character, my lord, meanwhile, care ye naught for the
+stain supposed to rest upon it? Thy plans sound wise, and we thank thee
+for thy loyalty; but we would not ye burdened your name with a deed not
+its own, an ye cared for the world's applause."
+
+"Not a whit, not a whit, your highness; countenanced by your grace's
+favor, absolved in your opinion from the barbarity others charge me
+with, I care not for them, I have been too long mine own
+conscience-keeper to heed the whispers of the world," he added, his dark
+brows knitting closer as he spoke.
+
+Edward smiled grimly. "Be it so, then," he said; "my Lord of Buchan, we
+understand each other. An that boy escapes and rejoins the traitors, and
+is taken, his head answers for it. An ye succeed in making him loyal as
+yourself, as eager a pursuer of the murderous traitor, Bruce, we will
+give thee the palm for policy and wisdom in our court, ourself not
+excepted. And now another question; it was reported Isabella of Buchan
+joined the rebel's court with her _two_ children. Who and where is the
+second? we have heard but of one."
+
+"A puny, spiritless wench, as I have heard, my liege; one little likely
+to affect your highness, and not worth the seeking."
+
+"Nay, an she hath her mother's influence, we differ from thee, sir earl,
+and would rather see her within the walls of our court than in the
+traitor's train. I remember not her name amid those taken with the
+Bruce's wife. Hast inquired aught concerning her?"
+
+"Not I, your grace," carelessly replied the earl; "of a truth, I had
+weightier thoughts than the detention or interest of a simple wench,
+who, if her mother has taught to forget me as her father, is not worth
+my remembering as a child."
+
+"I give you joy of your most fatherly indifference, sir earl," answered
+the king, with an ill-suppressed sneer. "It would concern you little if
+she takes unto herself a husband midst your foes; the rebel Robert hath
+goodly brothers, and the feud between thy house and theirs may but
+impart a double enjoyment to the union."
+
+The earl started, as if an adder had stung him. "She dare not do this
+thing," he said, fiercely; "she will not--she dare not. A thousand
+curses light upon her head even if she dreams it!"
+
+"Nay, waste not thy breath in curses, good my lord, but up an prevent
+the very possibility of such a thing, an it move thee so deeply. I say
+not it is, but some such floating rumor has reached my ears, I can
+scarce trace how, save through the medium of our numerous prisoners."
+
+"But how obtain information--where seek her? I pray you pardon me, your
+grace, but there are a thousand furies in the thought!" and scarcely
+could the consciousness of the royal presence restrain the rage which
+gathered on the swarthy features of the earl from finding vent in words.
+
+"Nay, nay, my lord, let not your marvellous wisdom and sage indifference
+be so speedily at fault. An she be not in Margaret Bruce's train, that
+goodly dame may give thee some information. Seek her, and may be thou
+wilt learn more of this wench than thou hast since her birth. In pity to
+this sudden interest, we grant thee permission to visit these partners
+of treason in their respective convents, and learn what thou canst; an
+she be within thy reach, be advised, and find her a husband thyself, the
+best find most speedy means of eradicating her mother's counsels."
+
+Buchan's reply was arrested on his lips by the entrance of the royal
+chamberlain, announcing that the Earl of Berwick had arrived in all
+haste from Berwick, and earnestly besought a few minutes' audience with
+his sovereign.
+
+"Berwick!" repeated Edward, half raising himself in his surprise from
+his reclining posture. "Berwick! what the foul fiend brings him from his
+post at such a time? Bid him enter; haste, I charge thee."
+
+His impatient command was speedily obeyed, The Earl of Berwick was close
+on the heels of the chamberlain, and now appeared, his lowly obeisance
+not concealing from the quick eye of his master that wrath, black as a
+thunder-cloud, was resting on his brow.
+
+"How now," said the king, "what means this unseemly gear, sir earl? thou
+must have neither rested spur nor slackened rein, methinks, an thy garb
+tell truth; and wherefore seekest thou our presence in such fiery haste?
+Wouldst thou be private? My Lord of Buchan, thou hadst best follow our
+counsel ere thy interest cools."
+
+"Nay, your grace, bid not yon noble earl depart to grant me hearing; I
+would speak before him, aye, and the whole court, were it needed. 'Tis
+but to lay the sword and mantle, with which your highness invested me as
+governor of the citadel of Berwick, at your grace's feet, and beseech
+you to accept my resignation of the same." With well-affected humility
+the Earl of Berwick unclasped his jewelled mantle, and kneeling down,
+laid it with his sheathed sword at King Edward's feet, remaining on his
+knee.
+
+"Art craven, fool, or traitor?" demanded Edward, when his astonishment
+permitted words. "What means this? Speak out, and instantly; we are not
+wont to be thus trifled with. My Lord of Berwick, wherefore dost thou do
+this?"
+
+"Not because I am a craven, good my liege," replied the nobleman, still
+on his knee, "for had I been so, King Edward's penetration would have
+discovered it ere he intrusted me with so great a charge--nor because I
+am a witless fool, unconscious of the high honor I thus tamely
+resign--and not because I am a traitor, gracious sovereign, for 'tis
+from insult and interruption in the arrest of a blasphemous traitor I am
+here."
+
+"Insult--interruption!" fiercely exclaimed the king, starting up. "Who
+has dared--who loves his life so little as to do this? But speak on,
+speak on, we listen."
+
+"Pardon me, your highness, I came to tender my resignation, not an
+accusation," resumed the wily earl, cautiously lashing his sovereign
+into fury, aware that it was much easier to gain what he wished in such
+moods than as he found him now. "I came but to beseech your highness to
+resume that which your own royal hands had given me. My authority
+trampled upon, my loyalty insulted, my zeal in your grace's service
+derided, my very men compelled, perforce of arms, to disobey me, and
+this by one high in your grace's estimation, nay, connected with your
+royal self. Surely, my gracious liege, I do but right in resigning the
+high honor your highness bestowed. I can have little merit to retain it,
+and such things be."
+
+"But they shall not be, sir. As there is a God above us, they shall not
+be!" exclaimed the king, in towering wrath, and striking his hand on a
+small table of crystal near him with such violence as to shiver it to
+pieces. "By heaven and hell! they shall repent this, be it mine own son
+who hath been thus insolent. Speak out, I tell thee, as thou lovest thy
+life, speak out; drive me not mad by this cautiously-worded tale. Who
+hath dared trample on authority mine own hand and seal hath given--who
+is the traitor? Speak out, I charge thee!" and strengthened by his own
+passion, the king sate upright on his couch, clenching his hand till the
+blood sprung, and fixing his dark, fiery eyes on the earl. It was the
+mood he had tried for, and now artfully and speciously, with many
+additions, he narrated all that had passed the preceding day in the
+castle-yard of Berwick. Fiercer and fiercer waxed the wrath of the king.
+
+"Fling him in the lowest dungeon, load him with the heaviest fetters
+hands can forge!" were the words first distinguished, when passion
+permitted articulation. "The villain, the black-faced traitor! it is not
+enough he hath dared raise arms against me, but he must beard me to the
+very teeth, defy me in my very palace, throw scorn upon me, maltreat an
+officer of mine own person! Is there no punishment but death for this
+foul insolence! As there is a God in heaven, he shall feel my vengeance
+ere he reach the scaffold--feel it, aye, till death be but too welcome!"
+He sunk back, exhausted by his own violence; but not a minute passed ere
+again he burst forth. "And Hereford, the traitor Hereford, he dared
+defend him! dared assault thee in the pursuance of thy duty, the
+audacious insolent! Doth he think, forsooth, his work in Scotland will
+exempt him from the punishment of insolence, of treason? as an aider and
+abettor of treachery he shares its guilt, and shall know whom he hath
+insulted. Back to thy citadel, my Lord of Berwick, see to the strict
+incarceration of this foul branch of treachery, aye, and look well about
+ye, lest any seditious citizen or soldier hath, by look or word, given
+aught of encouragement, or failed in due respect to our proclamation. An
+Hereford abet the traitor, others may be but too willing to do the like.
+By heaven, they shall share his fate! Bid Hereford hither on the
+instant, say naught of having been beforehand with him; I would list the
+insolent's own tale. Rest thee a brief while, my lord, and our great
+seal shall insure thee prompt obedience. Bid Sir Edmund Stanley attend
+us, my Lord of Buchan. I need scarce warn a Comyn to be secret on what
+has passed; I would not have the foul insolence cast into our teeth as
+yet proclaimed. Begone, both of ye; we would be a brief space alone."
+
+The deadly pallor which had usurped the flush of fury on the monarch's
+cheek afforded such strong evidence of a sharp renewal of his internal
+pains, that both noblemen hesitated to obey. The damp of agony stood
+upon his forehead a moment in large drops, then absolutely poured down
+his cheeks, while his gaunt frame shook with the effort to suppress the
+groan which his throes wrung from him. Seizing a cordial near him,
+Buchan presented it on his knee, but Edward only waved them both away,
+angrily and impatiently pointing to the door. He loved not the weakness
+of an appalling disease to be witnessed by his courtiers. When utterly
+incapacitated from either the appearance or functions of the sovereign,
+he chose to be alone, his pride scarcely brooking even the cares of his
+young and beautiful wife, or the yet wiser and truer affection of his
+daughters. The effects of this interview will be seen in a future
+chapter.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+
+There was an expression of both sorrow and care on the fine and winning
+features of the Princess Joan, Countess of Gloucester, as she sat busied
+in embroidery in an apartment of Carlisle Castle, often pausing to rest
+her head upon her hand, and glance out of the broad casement near which
+she sat, not in admiration of the placid scene which stretched beyond,
+but in the mere forgetfulness of uneasy thought. Long the favorite
+daughter of King Edward, perchance because her character more resembled
+that of her mother, Queen Eleanor, than did either of her sisters, she
+had till lately possessed unbounded influence over him. Not only his
+affection but his pride was gratified in her, for he saw much of his own
+wisdom, penetration, and high sense of honor reflected upon her, far
+more forcibly than in his weak and yielding son. But lately, the change
+which had so painfully darkened the character and actions of her father
+had extended even to her. Her affection for a long time blinded her to
+this painful truth, but by slow degrees it became too evident to be
+mistaken, and she had wept many bitter tears, less perhaps for herself
+than for her father, whom she had almost idolized. His knightly
+qualities, his wisdom, the good he had done his country, all were
+treasured up by her and rejoiced in with never-failing delight. His
+reputation, his popularity, were dear to her, even as her noble
+husband's. She had not only loved, she had reverenced him as some
+superior being who had come but to do good, to leave behind him through
+succeeding ages an untarnished name, enshrined in such love, England
+would be long ere she spoke it without tears. And now, alas! she had
+outlived such dreams; her reverence, lingering still, had been impaired
+by deeds of blood her pride in him crushed; naught but a daughter's love
+remaining, which did but more strongly impress upon her heart the fatal
+change. And now the last blow was given; he shunned her, scarcely ever
+summoned her to his presence, permitted the wife of a day to tend him in
+his sufferings, rather than the daughter of his former love, one
+hallowed by the memories of her mother, the beloved and faithful partner
+of his youth.
+
+It was not, however, these thoughts which entirely engrossed her now
+not undivided sorrows. Her sister Elizabeth, the Countess of Hereford,
+had just left her, plunged in the deepest distress, from the
+extraordinary fact that her husband, summoned seemingly in all amity by
+the king, had been arrested by the Lord Marshal of England as an aider
+and abettor of treason, and was now in strict confinement within the
+castle; not permitted to embrace his wife and children, whom he had not
+seen since his arrival from Scotland, where he had so gallantly assisted
+the cause of Edward, and whence he had but just returned in triumph. No
+other cause was assigned saving having given countenance to treason and
+_leze majeste_, but that the irritation of the king had prohibited all
+hope of present pardon;--she, Lady Hereford, though his own daughter,
+having been refused admission to his presence. Both the Earl and
+Countess of Gloucester had anxiously striven to comfort the anxious
+wife, conquering their own fears to assure her that hers were
+groundless; that though from some mysterious cause at present irritated,
+as they knew too well a trifle made him now, Hereford was too good and
+loyal a subject for the king to proceed to extremities, whatever might
+have been his fault. Rumors of the confusion at Berwick had indeed
+reached Carlisle, and it was to have them confirmed or denied, or
+connected with some appearance of veracity, the Earl of Gloucester had
+quitted the royal sisters, determining to use his influence with his
+sovereign, even to dare his wrath, for the release of Hereford, whose
+good services in Scotland deserved a somewhat different recompense. Lady
+Hereford, too anxious and dispirited to remain long in one place, soon
+departed to seek the youthful Margaret of France, her father's beautiful
+wife, and beseech her influence with him, either for the pardon of her
+husband, or at least communication with him.
+
+It was these sad thoughts which engrossed the Princess Joan, and they
+lingered too on Hereford's prisoner, the brave, and noble Nigel, for
+both to her husband and herself he had been in his boyhood an object not
+only of interest but of love. His beauty, his extraordinary talents, had
+irresistibly attracted them; and yet scarcely could they now believe the
+youthful knight, with whose extraordinary valor not only Scotland but
+England rung, could be that same enthusiast boy. That he had been taken,
+was now a prisoner in Berwick Castle, on whom sentence of death sooner
+or later would be passed, brought conviction but too sadly to their
+hearts, and made them feel yet more bitterly their influence with Edward
+was of no account.
+
+"Hast thou succeeded, Gilbert? Oh, say that poor Elizabeth may at least
+be permitted access to her husband," was the countess's eager salutation
+to her husband, as he silently approached her. He shook his head
+sorrowfully.
+
+"Alas! not even this. Edward is inexorable, possessed by I know not what
+spirit of opposition and wrath, furiously angered against Hereford, to
+the utter forgetfulness of all his gallant deeds in Scotland."
+
+"But wherefore? What can have chanced in this brief period to occasion
+this? but a few days since he spoke of Hereford as most loyal and
+deserving."
+
+"Aye, that was on the news of Kildrummie's surrender; now forgotten,
+from anger at a deed which but a few years back he would have been the
+first to have admired. That rash madman, Nigel Bruce, hath not only
+trebly sealed his own fate, but hurled down this mishap on his captor,"
+and briefly he narrated all he had learned.
+
+"It was, indeed, a rash action, Gilbert; yet was it altogether
+unnatural? Alas, no! the boy had had no spark of chivalry or patriotism
+about him, had he stood tamely by; and Gloucester," she added, with
+bitter tears, "years back would my father have given cause for
+this--would he thus have treated an unhappy woman, thus have added
+insult to misery, for an act which, shown to other than his rival, he
+would have honored, aye, not alone the deed, but the doer of it? If we,
+his own children, feel shamed and indignant at this cruelty, oh, what
+must be the feelings of her countrymen, her friends?"
+
+"Then thou believest not the foul slander attached to the Countess of
+Buchan, my Joan?"
+
+"Believe it!" she answered, indignantly; "who that has looked on that
+noble woman's face can give it the smallest credence? No, Gilbert, no.
+'Tis published by those base spirits so utterly incapable of honor,
+knighthood, and patriotism themselves, that they cannot conceive these
+qualities in others, particularly in a female breast, and therefore
+assign it to motives black as the hearts which thought them; and even if
+it were true, is a kingly conqueror inflicting justice for treason
+against himself, to assign other motives for that justice? Doth he not
+lower himself--his own cause?"
+
+"Alas, yes!" replied her husband, sorrowfully; "he hath done his
+character more injury by this last act than any which preceded. Though
+men might wish less blood were shed, yet still, traitors taken in arms
+against his person justice must condemn; but a woman, a sad and grieving
+woman--but do not weep thus, my gentle wife," he added, tenderly.
+
+"Can a daughter of Edward do other than weep, my husband? Oh, if I loved
+him not, if my very spirit did not cling round him so closely that the
+fibres of both seem entwined, and his deeds of wrath, of exacting
+justice, fall on me as if I had done them, and overwhelm me with their
+shame, their remorse, then indeed I might not weep; but as it is, do not
+chide me, Gilbert, for weep I must."
+
+"Thou art too noble-hearted, Joan," he said, kindly, as he circled her
+waist with his arm, "only too noble-hearted for these fearful times.
+'Tis but too sad a proof of the change in thy royal father, that he
+shuns thy presence now even as he once loved it."
+
+A confusion in the passage and ante-room disturbed their converse, and
+Gloucester turned towards the door to inquire the cause.
+
+"Tis but a troublesome boy, demanding access to her highness the
+countess, my lord," was the reply. "I have asked his name and business,
+questions he deigns not, forsooth, to answer, and looks so wild and
+distracted, that I scarce think it accords with my duty to afford him
+admittance. He is no fit recipient of my lady's bounty, good my lord;
+trust me, he will but fright her."
+
+"I have no such fear, my good Baldwin," said the princess, as, on
+hearing her name, she came forward to the centre of the chamber; "thou
+knowest my presence is granted to all who seek it, an this poor child
+seems so wild, he is the fitter object of my care. They are using
+violence methinks; give him entrance instantly."
+
+The attendant departed, and returned in a very brief space, followed by
+a lad, whose torn and muddy garments, haggard features, and dishevelled
+hair indeed verified the description given. He glanced wildly round him
+a moment, and then flinging himself at the feet of the princess, clasped
+her robe and struggled to say something, of which the words "mercy,
+protection," were alone audible.
+
+"Mercy, my poor child! what mercy dost thou crave? Protection I may give
+thee, but how may I show thee mercy?"
+
+"Grant me but a few moments, lady, let me but speak with thee alone. I
+bear a message which I may not deliver to other ears save thine," said
+or rather gasped the boy, for he breathed with difficulty, either from
+exhaustion or emotion.
+
+"Alone!" replied the countess, somewhat surprised. "Leave us, Baldwin,"
+she added, after a moment's pause. "I am privately engaged for the next
+hour, denied to all, save his grace the king." He withdrew, with a
+respectful bow. "And now, speak, poor child, what wouldst thou? Nay, I
+hear nothing which my husband may not hear," she said, as the eyes of
+her visitor gazed fearfully on the earl, who was looking at him with
+surprise.
+
+"Thy husband, lady--the Earl of Gloucester? oh, it was to him too I
+came; the brother-in-arms of my sovereign, one that showed kindness
+to--to Sir Nigel in his youth, ye will not, ye will not forsake him
+now?"
+
+Few and well-nigh inarticulate as were those broken words, they betrayed
+much which at once excited interest in both the earl and countess, and
+told the reason of the lad's earnest entreaty to see them alone.
+
+"Forsake him!" exclaimed the earl, after carefully examining that the
+door was closed; "would to heaven I could serve him, free him! that
+there was but one slender link to lay hold of, to prove him innocent and
+give him life, I would do it, did it put my own head in jeopardy."
+
+"And is there none, none?" burst wildly from the boy's lips, as he
+sprung from his knees, and grasped convulsively the earl's arm. "Oh,
+what has he done that they should slay him? why do they call him guilty?
+He was not Edward's subject, he owed him no homage, no service, he has
+but fought to free his country, and is there guilt in this? oh, no, no,
+save him, in mercy save him!"
+
+"Thou knowest not what thou askest, boy, how wholly, utterly impossible
+it is to save him. He hath hurled down increase of anger on his own head
+by his daring insult of King Edward's herald; had there been hope before
+there is none now."
+
+A piercing cry escaped the boy, and he would have fallen had he not been
+supported by the countess; he looked at her pitying face, and again
+threw himself at her feet.
+
+"Canst _thou_ not, wilt _thou_ not save him?" he cried; "art thou not
+the daughter of Edward, his favorite, his dearly beloved, and will he
+not list to thee--will he not hear thy pleadings? Oh, seek him, kneel to
+him as I to thee, implore his mercy--life, life, only the gift of life;
+sentence him to exile, perpetual exile, what he will, only let him live:
+he is too young, too good, too beautiful to die. Oh! do not look as if
+this could not be. He has told me how you both loved him, not that I
+should seek ye. It is not at his request I come; no, no, no, he spurns
+life, if it be granted on conditions. But they have torn me from him,
+they have borne him to the lowest dungeon, they have loaded him with
+fetters, put him to the torture. I would have clung to him still, but
+they spurned me, trampled on me, cast me forth--to die, if I may not
+save him! Wilt thou not have mercy, princess? daughter of Edward, oh,
+save him, save him!"
+
+It is impossible in the above incoherent words to convey to the reader
+even a faint idea of the agonized wildness with which they were spoken;
+the impression of unutterable misery they gave to those who listened to
+them, and marked their reflection in the face of the speaker.
+
+"Fetters--the lowest dungeon--torture," repeated Gloucester, pacing up
+and down with disordered steps. "Can these things be? merciful heaven,
+how low hath England fallen! Boy, boy, can it be thou speakest truth?"
+
+"As there is a God above, it is truth!" he answered, passionately. "Oh,
+canst thou not save him from this? is there no justice, no mercy?
+Rise--no, no; wherefore should I rise?" he continued, clinging
+convulsively to the knees of the princess, as she soothingly sought to
+raise him. "I will kneel here till thou hast promised to plead for him
+with thy royal father, promised to use thine influence for his life. Oh,
+canst thou once have loved him and yet hesitate for this?"
+
+"I do not, I would not hesitate, unhappy boy," replied the princess,
+tenderly. "God in heaven knows, were there the slenderest chance of
+saving him, I would kneel at my father's feet till pardon was obtained,
+but angered as he is now it would irritate him yet more. Alas! alas!
+poor child, they told thee wrong who bade thee come to Joan for
+influence with Edward; I have none now, less than any of his court," and
+the large tears fell from the eyes of the princess on the boy's upturned
+face.
+
+"Then let me plead for him; give me access to Edward. Oh, I will so
+beseech, conjure him, he cannot, he will not say me nay. Oh, if his
+heart be not of steel, he will have mercy on our wretchedness; he will
+pardon, he will spare my husband!"
+
+The sob with which that last word was spoken shook that slight frame,
+till it bowed to the very ground, and the supporting arm of the countess
+alone preserved her from falling.
+
+"Thy husband!--Gracious heaven! who and what art thou?" exclaimed the
+earl, springing towards her, at the same instant that his wife raised
+her in her arras, and laid her on a couch beside them, watching with the
+soothing tenderness of a sister, till voice and strength returned.
+
+"Alas! I feared there was more in this deep agony than we might see,"
+she said; "but I imagined not, dared not imagine aught like this. Poor
+unhappy sufferer, the saints be praised thou hast come to me! thy
+husband's life I may not save, but I can give protection, tenderness to
+thee--aye weep, weep, there is life, reason in those tears."
+
+The gentle voice of sympathy, of kindness, had come upon that
+overcharged heart, and broke the icy agony which had closed it to the
+relief of tears. Mind and frame were utterly exhausted, and Agnes buried
+her face in the hands of the princess, which she had clasped
+convulsively within both hers, and wept, till the wildness of agony
+indeed departed, but not the horrible consciousness of the anguish yet
+to come. Gradually her whole tale was imparted: from the resolution to
+follow her betrothed even to England, and cling to him to the last; the
+fatal conclusion of that rite which had made them one; the anxiety and
+suffering which had marked the days spent in effecting a complete
+disguise, ere she could venture near him and obtain Hereford's consent
+to her attending him as a page; the risks and hardships which had
+attended their journey to Berwick, till even a prison seemed a relief
+and rest; and then the sudden change, that a few days previous, the Earl
+of Berwick had entered Sir Nigel's prison, at the head of five or ten
+ruffians, had loaded him with fetters, conveyed him to the lowest and
+filthiest dungeon, and there had administered the torture, she knew not
+wherefore. Her shriek of agony had betrayed that she had followed them,
+and she was rudely and forcibly dragged from him, and thrust from the
+fortress. Her brain had reeled, her senses a brief while forsaken her,
+and when she recovered, her only distinct thought was to find her way to
+Carlisle, and there obtain access to the Earl and Countess of
+Gloucester, of whom her husband had spoken much during their journey to
+England, not with any wish or hope of obtaining mercy through their
+influence, but simply as the friends of former years; he had spoken of
+them to while away the tedious hours of their journey, and besought her,
+if she should be parted from him on their arrival at Berwick, to seek
+them, and implore their protection till her strength was restored. Of
+herself, however, in thus seeking them, she had thought not; the only
+idea, the only thought clearly connected in her mind was to beseech
+their influence with Edward in obtaining her husband's pardon. Misery
+and anxiety, in a hundred unlooked-for shapes, had already shown the
+fallacy of those dreams which in the hour of peril had strengthened her,
+and caused her to fancy that when once his wife she not only might abide
+by him, but that she might in some manner obtain his liberation. She did
+not, indeed, lament her fate was joined to his--lament! she could not
+picture herself other than she was, by her husband's side, but she felt,
+how bitterly felt, she had no power to avert his fate. Despair was upon
+her, cold, black, clinging despair, and she clung to the vain dream of
+imploring Edward's mercy, feeling at the same moment it was but the
+_ignis fatui_ to her heart--urging lighting, impelling her on, but to
+sink in pitchy darkness when approached.
+
+Gradually and painfully this narrative of anguish was drawn from her
+lips, often unconnectedly, often incoherently, but the earl and countess
+heard enough, to fill their hearts alike with pity and respect for the
+deep, unselfish love unconsciously revealed. She had told, too, her
+maiden name, had conjured them to conceal her from the power of her
+father, at whose very name she shuddered; and both those noble hearts
+shared her anxiety, sympathized in her anguish; and speedily she felt,
+if there could be comfort in such deep wretchedness, she had told her
+tale to those ready and willing, and able to bestow it.
+
+The following day the barons sat in judgment on Sir Nigel Bruce, and
+Gloucester was obliged to join them. It was useless, both he and the
+princess felt, to implore the king's mercy till sentence was passed;
+alas! it was useless at any time, but it must have been a colder and
+harder heart than the Princess Joan's to look upon the face of Agnes,
+and yet determine on not even making one effort in his favor. At first
+the unhappy girl besought the earl to permit her accompanying him back
+to Berwick, to attend her husband on his trial; but on his proving it
+would but be uselessly harrowing the feelings of both, for it would not
+enable her to go back with him to prison, that it would be better for
+her to remain under the protection of the countess, endeavoring to
+regain strength for whatever she might have to encounter, either to
+accompany him to exile, if grace were indeed granted, or to return to
+her friends in Scotland, she yielded mournfully, deriving some faint
+degree of comfort in the earl's assurance that she should rejoin her
+husband as soon as possible, and the countess's promise that if she
+wished it, she should herself be witness of her interview with Edward.
+It was indeed poor comfort, but her mind was well-nigh wearied out with
+sorrow, as if incapable of bearing more, and she acquiesced from very
+exhaustion.
+
+The desire that she herself should conjure the mercy of Edward had been
+negatived even to her anxious heart by the assurance of both the earl
+and the princess, that instead of doing good to her husband's cause she
+would but sign her own doom, perchance be consigned to the power of her
+father, and be compelled to relinquish the poor consolation of being
+with her husband to the last. It was better she should retain the
+disguise she had assumed, adopting merely in addition the dress of one
+of the princess's own pages, a measure which would save her from all
+observation in the palace, and give her admittance to Sir Nigel,
+perchance, when as his own attendant it would be denied.
+
+The idea of rejoining her husband would have reconciled Agnes to any
+thing that might have been proposed, and kneeling at the feet of her
+protectress, she struggled to speak her willingness and blessing on her
+goodness, but her tongue was parched, her lips were mute, and the
+princess turned away, for her gentle spirit could not read unmoved the
+silent thankfulness of that young and breaking heart.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+
+It would be useless to linger on the trial of Nigel Bruce, in itself a
+mockery of justice, as were all those which had proceeded, and all that
+followed it. The native nobility of Scotland were no subjects of the
+King of England; they owed him homage, perchance, for lands held in
+England, but on flocking to the standard of the Bruce these had at once
+been voluntarily forfeited, and they fought but as Scottish men
+determined to throw off the yoke of a tyrant whose arms had overrun a
+land to which he had no claim. They fought for the freedom of a country,
+for their own liberty, and therefore were no traitors; but these facts
+availed not with the ruthless sovereign, to whom opposition was treason.
+The mockery of justice proceeded, it gave a deeper impression, a graver
+solemnity to their execution, and therefore for not one of his prisoners
+was the ceremony dispensed with. Sir Christopher Seaton had been
+conveyed to the Tower, with his wife, under pretence of there waiting
+till his wounds were cured, to abide his trial, and in that awful hour
+Sir Nigel stood alone. Yet he was undaunted, for he feared not death
+even at the hangman's hand; his spirit was at peace, for he was innocent
+of sin; unbowed, for he was no traitor--he was a patriot warrior still.
+Pale he was, indeed, ashy pale, but it told a tale of intense bodily
+anguish. They had put him to the torture, to force from his lips the
+place of his brother's retreat, that being the only pretence on which
+the rage of Edward and the malice of Berwick could rest for the
+infliction of their cruelty. They could drag naught from his lips; they
+could not crush that exalted soul, or compel it to utter more than a
+faint, scarcely articulate groan, as proof that he suffered, that the
+beautiful frame was well-nigh shattered unto death. And now he stood
+upright, unshrinking; and there were hearts amid those peers inwardly
+grieving at their fell task, gazing on him with unfeigned admiration;
+while others gloried that another obstacle to their sovereign's schemes
+of ambition would be removed, finding, perchance, in his youth, beauty,
+and noble bearing, from their contrast with themselves, but fresh
+incentives to the doom of death, and determining, even as they sate and
+scowled on him, to aggravate the bitterness of that doom with all the
+ignominy that cruelty could devise.
+
+He had listened in stern silence to the indictment, and evinced no sign
+of emotion even when, in the virulence of some witnesses against him,
+the most degrading epithets were lavished on himself, his family, and
+friends. Only once had his eye flashed fire and his cheek burned, and
+his right hand unconsciously sought where his weapon should have hung,
+when his noble brother was termed a ribald assassin, an excommunicated
+murderer; but quickly he checked that natural emotion, and remained
+collected as before. He was silent till the usual question was asked,
+"If he had any thing to say why sentence of death should not be
+pronounced upon him?" and then he made a step forward, looked boldly and
+sternly around him, and spoke, in a rich, musical voice, the following
+brief, though emphatic words:
+
+"Ye ask me if I could say aught why sentence of death should not be
+pronounced. Nobles of England, in denying the charge of treason with
+which ye have indicted me, I have said enough. Before ye, aye, before
+your sovereign, I have done nothing to merit death, save that death
+which a conqueror bestows on his captive, when he deems him too powerful
+to live. The death of a traitor I protest against; for to the King of
+England I am no subject, and in consequence no traitor! I have but done
+that which every true and honorable man must justify, and in justifying
+respect. I have sought with my whole heart the liberty of my country,
+the interest of my lawful sovereign, and will die asserting the honor
+and justice of my cause, even as I have lived. I plead not for mercy,
+for were it offered, on condition of doing homage unto Edward, I would
+refuse it, and choose death; protesting to the last that Robert Bruce,
+and he alone, is rightful king of Scotland. My lords, in condemning me
+to death as a captive taken in war, ye may be justified by the law of
+battles, I dispute not the justice of your doom; but an ye sentence me
+as traitor, I do deny the charge, and say my condemnation is unjust and
+foul, and ye are perjured in its utterance. I have said. Now let your
+work proceed."
+
+He folded his arms on his breast, and awaited in unbroken silence his
+doom. A brief pause had followed his words. The Earl of Gloucester, who,
+from his rank and near connection with the king, occupied one of the
+seats of honor at the upper end of the large hall, and had, during the
+trial, vainly sought to catch the prisoner's eye, now reclined back on
+his seat, his brow resting on his hand, his features completely
+concealed by the dark drapery of his cloak. In that position he
+remained, not only during the pause, but while the fatal sentence was
+pronounced.
+
+"By the laws of your country, and the sentence of your peers," so it
+ran, "you, Nigel Bruce, by manifold acts of rebellion, disaffection, and
+raising up arms against your lawful king, Edward, the sovereign of
+England and Scotland, and all the realms, castles, and lordships thereto
+pertaining, are proved guilty of high treason and _lese majeste_, and
+are thereby condemned to be divested of all symbols of nobility and
+knighthood, which you have disgraced; to be dragged on a hurdle to the
+common gibbet, and there hung by the neck till you are dead; your head
+to be cut off; your body quartered and exposed at the principal towns as
+a warning to the disaffected and the traitorous of all ranks in either
+nation, and this is to be done at whatsoever time the good pleasure of
+our sovereign lord the king may please to appoint. God save King Edward,
+and so perish all his foes!"
+
+Not a muscle of the prisoner's face had moved during the utterance of
+this awful sentence. He had glanced fearlessly around him to the last,
+his eye resting on the figure of the Earl of Gloucester with an
+expression of pitying commiseration for a moment, as if he felt for him,
+for his deep regret in his country's shame, infinitely more than for
+himself. Proudly erect he held himself, as they led him in solemn pomp
+from the great hall of the castle, across the court to the dungeons of
+the condemned, gazing calmly and unflinchingly on the axe, which carried
+with its edge towards him proclaimed him condemned, though his doom was
+more ignominious than the axe bestowed. There was a time when he had
+shrunk from the anticipated agony of a degradation so complete as
+this--but not now; his spirit was already lifted up above the honors and
+humiliations of earth. But one dream of this world remained--one sad,
+sweet dream clung to his heart, and bound it with silver chains below.
+Where was that gentle being? He fondly hoped she had sought the friends
+of his boyhood, as he had implored her, should they be parted; he strove
+to realize comfort in the thought they would protect and save her the
+agony of a final parting; but he strove in vain. One wild yearning
+possessed him, to gaze upon her face, to fold her to his heart once, but
+once again: it was the last lingering remnant of mortality; he had not
+another thought of life but this, and this grew stronger as its hope
+seemed vain. But there was one near to give him comfort, when he
+expected it not.
+
+Wrapped so closely in his dark, shrouding mantle that naught but the
+drooping feather of his cap could be distinguished, the Earl of
+Gloucester drew near the prisoner, and as he paused, ere the gates and
+bars of the prison entrance could be drawn back, whispered hurriedly yet
+emphatically--
+
+"A loved one is safe and shall be so. Would to God I could do more!"
+
+Suppressing with extreme difficulty a start of relief and surprise, the
+young nobleman glanced once on Gloucester's face, pressed his hands
+together, and answered, in the same tone--
+
+"God in heaven bless thee! I would see her once, only once more, if it
+can be without danger to her; it is life's last link, I cannot snap
+it--parted thus." They hurried him through the entrance with the last
+word lingering on his lips, and before Gloucester could make even a sign
+of reply.
+
+Early in the evening of the same day, King Edward was reclining on his
+couch, in the chamber we have before described, and, surrounded by some
+few of his favorite noblemen, appeared so animated by a new cause of
+excitement as to be almost unconscious of the internal pains which even
+at that moment were more than usually intense. His courtiers looked on
+unconcernedly while, literally shaking with disease and weakness, he
+coolly and deliberately traced those letters which gave a base and
+ignominious death to one of the best, the noblest, loveliest spirits
+that ever walked the earth, and signed the doom of misery and madness to
+another; and yet no avenging hand stretched forth between him and his
+victim, no pang was on his heart to bid him pause, be merciful, and
+spare. Oh, what would this earth be were it all in all, and what were
+life if ending in the grave? Faith, thou art the crystal key opening to
+the spirit the glorious vision of immortality, bidding the trusting
+heart, when sick and weary of the dark deeds and ruthless spoilers of
+this lovely earth, rest on thy downy wings, and seek for peace and
+comfort there.
+
+"Who waits?" demanded the king, as his pen ceased in its task.
+
+"Sir Stephen Fitzjohn, my liege, sent by the Earl of Berwick with the
+warrant, for which he waits."
+
+"He need wait no longer then, for it is there. Two hours before noon the
+traitor dies; we give him grace till then, that our good subjects of
+Berwick may take warning by his fate, and our bird in the cage witness
+the end of the gallant so devoted to her cause. Bid the knight begone,
+my Lord of Arundel; he hath too long waited our pleasure. Ha! whom have
+we here? who craves admittance thus loudly?" he added, observing, as the
+earl lifted the hangings to depart, some bustle in the ante-room. "Who
+is it so boldly demanding speech with us?"
+
+"Her Highness the Princess Joan, Countess of Gloucester, please you, my
+liege," replied the chamberlain; "she will not take denial."
+
+"Is it so hard a thing for a daughter to gain admittance to a father,
+even though he be a sovereign?" interrupted the princess, who, attended
+only by a single page bearing her train, advanced within the chamber,
+her firm and graceful deportment causing the lords to fall back on
+either side, and give her passage, though the expression of their
+monarch's countenance denoted the visit was unwelcome.
+
+"Humbly and earnestly I do beseech your grace's pardon for this
+over-bold intrusion," she said, bending one knee before him; "but indeed
+my business could not be delayed. My liege and father, grant me but a
+few brief minutes. Oh, for the sake of one that loved us both, the
+sainted one now gone to heaven, for the memory of whom thou didst once
+bless me with fonder love than thou gavest to my sisters, because my
+features bore her stamp, my king, my father, pardon me and let me
+speak!"
+
+"Speak on," muttered the king, passing his hand over his features, and
+turning slightly from her, if there were emotion, to conceal it. "Thou
+hast, in truth, been over-bold, yet as thou art here, speak on. What
+wouldst thou?"
+
+"A boon, a mighty boon, most gracious father; one only thou canst grant,
+one that in former years thou wouldst have loved me for the asking, and
+blessed me by fulfilment," she said, as she continued to kneel; and by
+her beseeching voice and visible emotion effectually confining the
+attention of the courtiers, now assembled in a knot at the farther end
+of the apartment, and preventing their noticing the deportment of the
+page who had accompanied her; he was leaning against a marble pillar
+which supported the canopy raised over the king's couch, his head bent
+on his breast, the short, thick curls which fell over his forehead
+concealing his features; his hands, too, crossed on his breast,
+convulsively clenched the sleeves of his doublet, as if to restrain the
+trembling which, had any one been sufficiently near, or even imagined
+him worthy of a distant glance, must have been observable pervading his
+whole frame.
+
+"A boon," repeated the king, as the princess paused, almost breathless
+with her own emotion; "a mighty boon! What can the Countess of
+Gloucester have to ask of me, that it moves her thus? Are we grown so
+terrible that even our own children tremble ere they speak? What is this
+mighty boon? we grant not without hearing."
+
+"'Tis the boon of life, my liege, of life thou canst bestow. Oh, while
+in this world thou rulest, viceregent of the King of kings on high,
+combining like Him justice and mercy, in the government of his
+creatures, oh! like, Him, let mercy predominate over justice; deprive
+not of life, in the bloom, the loveliness of youth! Be merciful, my
+father, oh, be merciful! forgive as thou wouldst be forgiven--grant me
+the life I crave!"
+
+Urged on by emotion, the princess had scarcely heard the suppressed
+interjection of the king which her first words had occasioned, and she
+scarcely saw the withering sternness which gathered on his brow.
+
+"Thou hast in truth learnt oratory, most sapient daughter," he said,
+bitterly; "thou pleadest well and flowingly, yet thou hast said not for
+whom thou bearest this marvellous interest--it can scarce be for a
+traitor? Methinks the enemies of Edward should be even such unto his
+children."
+
+"Yet 'tis for one of these mistaken men I plead, most gracious
+sovereign," resumed Joan, intimidated not by his sarcasm. "Oh, my
+father, the conqueror's triumph consists not in the number of rebellious
+heads that fall before him--not in the blood that overflows his way;
+magnanimity, mercy, will conquer yet more than his victorious sword.
+Traitor as he seem, have mercy on Nigel Bruce; oh, give--"
+
+"Mercy on a Bruce! May the thunder of heaven blast me when I show it!"
+burst furiously from Edward's lips, as he started upon his couch and
+gazed on his suppliant child with eyes that seemed absolutely to blaze
+in wrath. "Mercy on a branch of that house which has dared defy me,
+dared to insult my power, trample on my authority, upraised the standard
+of rebellion, and cost me the lives of thousands of my faithful
+subjects! Mercy on him, the daring traitor, who, even in his chains, has
+flung redoubled insult and treason into our very teeth! Mercy--may the
+God of heaven deny me all mercy when I show it unto him!"
+
+"Oh, no, no, my father! My father, in mercy speak not such terrible
+words!" implored the princess, clinging to his robe. "Call not the wrath
+of heaven on thy head; think of his youth, the temptations that have
+beset him, the difficult task to remain faithful when all other of his
+house turned astray. Mistaken as he hath been, as he is, have mercy.
+Compel him to prove, to feel, to acknowledge thou art not the tyrant he
+hath been taught to deem thee; exile, imprisonment, all--any thing, but
+death. Oh, do not turn from me; be thyself, the good, the magnanimous
+Edward of former days, have mercy on thy foe!"
+
+"I tell thee, never! by every saint in heaven, I tell thee, never!"
+shouted the king. "I will hear no more; begone, lest I deem my own child
+part and parcel of the treasons formed against me. Trouble me not with
+these vain prayers. I will not pardon, I have sworn it; begone, and
+learn thy station better than to plead for traitors. Thy husband braved
+me once; beware, lest in these pleadings I hear _his_ voice again. I
+tell him and thee that ere to-morrow's noon be passed the soul of Nigel
+Bruce shall stand in judgment; not another day, not another hour he
+lives to blast me with the memory of his treason. The warrant hath been
+signed, and is on its way to Berwick, to give his body to the hangman
+and his soul to Satan--his death is sealed."
+
+"Oh, no, no, no!" shrieked a voice of sudden anguish, startling all who
+heard, and even Edward, by its piteous tones, and the form of a page
+suddenly fell prostrate before the monarch. "Mercy, mercy! for the love
+of God, have mercy!" he struggled to articulate, but there was no sound
+save a long and piercing shriek, and the boy lay senseless on the
+ground.
+
+"Ha! by St. George, beardest thou me with traitors in my very palace,
+before my very eyes?" exclaimed the angry monarch, as his astonished
+courtiers gathered round. "Put him in ward; away with him, I say!"
+
+"Pardon me, your highness, but this is needless," interposed the
+princess, with a calm majesty, that subdued even the irritation of her
+father, and undauntedly waving back the courtiers, although perfectly
+sensible of the imminent danger in which she was placed. "If there be
+blame, let it be visited on me; this poor child has been ill and weakly
+from many causes, terrified, almost maddened, by sounds, and sights of
+blood. I deemed him perfectly recovered, or he had not attended me here.
+I pray your grace permit his removal to my apartments."
+
+The king laid a heavy hand on his daughter's arm as she stood beside
+him, and fixed a gaze on her face that would have terrified any less
+noble spirit into a betrayal of the truth; but firm in her own
+integrity, in her own generous purpose, she calmly and inquiringly
+returned his gaze.
+
+"Go to, thou art a noble wench, though an over-bold and presuming one,"
+he said, in a much mollified tone, for there was that in the dauntless
+behavior of his daughter which found an echo in his heart even now,
+deadened as it was to aught of gentle feeling, and he was glad of this
+interruption to entreaties which, resolved not to grant, had lashed him
+into fury, while her presence made him feel strangely ashamed. "Do as
+thou wilt with thine own attendants; but be advised, tempt not thine own
+safety again; thou hast tried us sore with thy ill-advised entreaties,
+but we forgive thee, on condition they are never again renewed. Speak
+not, we charge thee. What ho! Sir Edmund Stanley," he called aloud, and
+the chamberlain appeared at the summons. "Here, let this boy be
+carefully raised and borne according to the pleasure of his mistress.
+See, too, that the Countess of Gloucester be conducted with due respect
+to her apartments. Begone!" he added, sternly, as the eyes of Joan still
+seemed to beseech mercy; "I will hear no more--the traitor dies!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+
+The shades of advancing night had already appeared to have enwrapped the
+earth some hours, when Nigel Bruce was startled from an uneasy slumber
+by the creaking sounds of bolts and bars announcing the entrance of some
+one within the dungeon. The name of his beloved, his devoted Agnes,
+trembled on his lips, but fearful of betraying her to unfriendly ears,
+ho checked himself, and started up, exclaiming, "Who comes?" No answer
+was vouchsafed, but the dim light of a lamp, placed by the intruder on
+the floor, disclosed a figure wrapped from head to foot in the shrouding
+mantle of the time, not tall, but appearing a stout muscular person,
+banishing on the instant Nigel's scarcely-formed hope that it was the
+only one he longed to see.
+
+"What wouldst thou?" he said, after a brief pause. "Doth Edward practise
+midnight murder? Speak, who art thou?"
+
+"Midnight murder, thou boasting fool; I love thee not well enough to
+cheat the hangman of his prey," replied a harsh and grating voice,
+which, even without the removal of the cloak, would have revealed to
+Nigel's astonished ears the Earl of Buchan. "Ha! I have startled
+thee--thou didst not know the deadly enemy of thy accursed race!"
+
+"I know thee now, my Lord of Buchan," replied the young man, calmly;
+"yet know I not wherefore thou art here, save to triumph over the fallen
+fortunes of thy foe; if so, scorn on--I care not. A few brief hours, and
+all of earth and earthly feeling is at rest."
+
+"To triumph--scorn! I had scarce travelled for petty satisfaction such
+as that, when to-morrow sees thee in the hangman's hands, the scorn of
+thousands! Hath Buchan no other work with thee, thinkest thou? dost thou
+affirm thou knowest naught for which he hath good cause to seek thee?"
+
+"Earl of Buchan, I dare affirm it," answered Nigel, proudly; "I know of
+naught to call for words or tones as these, save, perchance, that the
+love and deep respect in which I hold thine injured countess, my
+friendship for thy murdered son, hath widened yet more the breach
+between thy house and mine--it may be so; yet deem not, cruel as thou
+art, I will deny feelings in which I glory, at thy bidding. An thou
+comest to reproach me with these things, rail on, they affect me as
+little as thy scorn."
+
+"Hadst thou said love for her they call my daughter, thou hadst been
+nearer the mark," retorted the earl, fury rapidly gaining possession of
+heart and voice; "but thou art too wise, too politic for that."
+
+"Aye," retorted Nigel, after a fearful struggle with himself, "aye, thou
+mayest well add love for Agnes of Buchan, as well as friendship for her
+brother. Thinkest thou I would deny it--hide it? little dost thou know
+its thrilling, its inspiring power; little canst thou know how I glory
+in it, cherish, linger on it still. But wherefore speak thus to thee,
+thou man of wickedness and blood. I love thy pure and spotless child,
+rejoice that thou didst so desert, so utterly neglect her, that thou
+couldst no more leave a shadow on her innocent heart than a cloud upon
+her way. I love her, glory in that love, and what is it to thee?"
+
+"What is it to me? that a child of the house of Comyn dare hold commune
+with a Bruce; that thou hast dared to love a daughter of my house, aye,
+to retain her by thy side a willing mistress, when all others of her sex
+forsook thee--what is it to me? Did not to-morrow give thee to a
+traitor's doom, thy blood should answer thee; but as it is, villain and
+slave, give her to me--where is her hiding-place? speak, or the torture
+shall wring it from thee."
+
+"Thinkest thou such threats will in aught avail thee?" calmly replied
+Nigel. "Thou knowest not the Bruce. Agnes is no longer a Comyn, no
+longer a subject to thy guardianship. The voice of God, the rites at the
+altar's foot, have broken every link, save that which binds her to her
+husband. She is mine, before God and man is mine--mine own faithful and
+lawful wife!"
+
+"Thou liest, false villain!" furiously retorted Buchan. "The church
+shall undo these bonds, shall give her back to the father she has thus
+insulted. She shall repent, repent with tears of blood, her desertion of
+her race. Canst thou protect her in death, thou fool--canst thou still
+cherish and save her, thinkest thou, when the hangman hath done his
+work?"
+
+"Aye, even then she will be cherished, loved for Nigel's sake, and for
+her own; there will be faithful friends around her to protect her from
+thee still, tyrant! Thou canst not break the bonds that bind us; thou
+hast done no father's part. Forsaken and forgotten, thy children owe
+thee no duty, no obedience; thou canst bring forward no plea to
+persecute thy child. In life and in death she is mine, mine alone; the
+power and authority thou hast spurned so long can no longer be assumed;
+the love, the obedience thou didst never heed, nay, trampled on, hath
+been transferred to one who glories in them both. She is in
+safety--slay, torture as thou wilt, I tell thee no more." Fettered,
+unarmed, firm, undauntedly erect, stood Nigel Bruce, gazing with curling
+lip and flashing eyes upon his foe. The foam had gathered on the earl's
+lip, his hand, clenching his sword, had trembled with passion as Nigel
+spoke, He sought to suppress that rage, to remember a public execution
+would revenge him infinitely more than a blow of his sword, but he had
+been too long unused to control; lashed into ungovernable fury by the
+demeanor of Nigel, even more than by his words, the sword flashed from
+its scabbard, was raised, and fell--but not upon his foe, for the Earl
+of Gloucester suddenly stood between them.
+
+"Art thou mad, or tired of life, my Lord of Buchan?" he said. "Knowest
+thou not thou art amenable to the law, an thou thus deprivest justice of
+her victim? Shame, shame, my lord; I deemed thee not a midnight
+murderer."
+
+"Darest thou so speak to me?" replied Buchan, fiercely; "by every fiend
+in hell, thou shalt answer this! Begone, and meddle not with that which
+concerneth thee nothing."
+
+"It doth concern me, proud earl," replied Gloucester, standing
+immediately before Nigel, whose emotion at observing the page by whom he
+was accompanied, though momentary, must otherwise have been observed.
+"The person of the prisoner is sacred to the laws of his country, the
+mandate of his sovereign; on thy life thou darest not injure him--thou
+knowest that thou darest not. Do thou begone, ere I summon those who, at
+the mere mention of assault on one condemned, will keep thee in ward
+till thou canst wreak thy vengeance on naught but clay; begone, I say!"
+
+"I will not," sullenly answered the earl, unwillingly conscious of the
+truth of his words; "I will not, till he hath answered me. Once more,"
+he added, turning to Nigel with a demoniac scowl, "where is she whom
+thou hast dared to call thy wife? answer me, or as there is a hell
+beneath us, the torture shall wring it from thee!"
+
+"In safety, where thine arm shall never reach her," haughtily answered
+the young nobleman. "Torture! what wilt thou torture--the senseless
+clay? Hence--I defy thee! Death will protect me from thy lawless power;
+death will set his seal upon me ere we meet again."
+
+The earl muttered a deep and terrible oath, and then he strode away,
+coming in such violent contact against the slight and almost paralyzed
+form of Gloucester's page as he stood in the doorway, as nearly to throw
+him to the ground. Nigel sprung forward, but was held back with a grasp
+of iron by the Earl of Gloucester, nor did he relinquish his hold till
+Buchan had passed through the doorway, till the heavy hinges had firmly
+closed again, and the step of the departing earl had entirely faded in
+distance.
+
+"Now, then, we are safe," he said; "thank heaven!" but his words were
+scarcely heard, for the page had bounded within the extended arms of
+Nigel, had clung so closely to his heart, he could feel nothing, see
+nothing, save that slender form; could hear nothing but those deep,
+agonized sobs, which are so terrible when unaccompanied by the relief of
+tears. For a while Nigel could not speak--he could not utter aught of
+comfort, for he felt it not; that moment was the bitterness of death.
+
+"Torture! did he not speak of torture? will he not come again?" were the
+words that at length fell, shudderingly, from the lips of Agnes. "Nigel,
+Nigel, if it must be, give me up; he cannot inflict aught more of misery
+now."
+
+"Fear not, lady; he dare not," hastily rejoined Gloucester. "The torture
+dare not be administered without consent of Edward, and that now cannot
+be obtained; he will not have sufficient--" time, he was going to say,
+but checked himself; for the agonized look of Agnes told him his meaning
+was more than sufficiently understood. "Nigel," he added, laying his
+hand on the young man's shoulder, "Nigel, my noble, gallant friend--for
+so I will call thee, though I sat in judgment on thee, aye, and tacitly
+acquiesced in thy sentence--shrink not, oh, shrink not now! I saw not a
+quiver on thy lip, a pallor on thy cheek, nay, nor faltering in thy
+step, when they read a doom at which I have marked the bravest blench;
+oh, let not, that noble spirit fail thee now!"
+
+"Gloucester, it shall not!" he said, with suddenly regained firmness, as
+supporting Agnes with his right arm he convulsively wrung the hand of
+his friend with the other. "It was but the sight of this beloved one,
+the thought--no matter, it is over. Agnes, my beloved, my own, oh, look
+on me; speak, tell me all that hath befallen thee since they tore thee
+from me, and filled my soul with darker dread for thee than for myself.
+To see thee with this noble earl is enough to know how heavy a burden of
+gratitude I owe him, which thou, sweetest, must discharge. Yet speak to
+me, beloved; tell me all, all."
+
+Emulating his calmness, remembering even at that moment her promise not
+to unman him in the moment of trial by vain repinings, Agnes complied
+with his request. Her tale was frequently interrupted by those terrible
+sobs, which seemed to threaten annihilation; but Nigel could gather from
+it so much of tenderness and care on the part of the princess, that the
+deepest gratitude filled his heart, and spoke in his impassioned words.
+
+"Tell her, oh, tell her, if the prayers of the dying can in aught avail
+her, the blessedness of heaven shall be hers even upon earth!" he
+exclaimed, gazing up in the earl's face with eyes that spoke his soul.
+"Oh, I knew her not, when in former years I did but return her kindness
+with silence and reserve; I saw in her little more than the daughter of
+Edward. Tell her, on my knees I beseech her pardon for that wrong; in my
+last prayers I shall breathe her name."
+
+"And wherefore didst thou go with her?" he continued, on Agnes narrating
+the scene between the princess and the king. "Alas! my gentle one, hadst
+thou not endured enough, that thou wouldst harrow up thy soul by hearing
+the confirmation of my doom from the tyrant's own ruthless lips--didst
+dream of pardon? dearest, no, thou couldst not."
+
+"Nigel, Nigel, I did, even at that moment, though they told me thou wert
+condemned, that nothing could save thee; though the princess besought me
+almost on her knees to spare myself this useless trial, I would not
+listen to her. I would not believe that all was hopeless; I dreamed
+still, still of pardon, that Edward would listen to his noble child,
+would forgive, and I thought, even if she failed, I would so plead he
+must have mercy, he would listen to me and grant my prayer. I did dream
+of pardon, but it was vain, vain! Nigel, Nigel, why did my voice fail,
+my eye grow dim? I might have won thy pardon yet."
+
+"Beloved, thou couldst not," he answered, mournfully. "Mine own sweet
+Agnes, take comfort, 'tis but a brief farewell; we shall meet where war
+and blood and death can never enter more."
+
+"I know it, Oh, I know it," she sobbed; "but to part thus, to lose thee,
+and by such a death, oh, it is horrible, most horrible!"
+
+"Nay, look not on it thus, beloved; there is no shame even in this
+death, if there be no shame in him who dies."
+
+"Shame!" she repeated; "couldst think I could couple aught of shame with
+thee, my own? even this dark fate is noble when borne by such as thee."
+
+Nigel held her closer to his heart, and for his sole answer pressed a
+quivering kiss upon her cheek. Gloucester, who had been in earnest
+commune with the sentinel without the door, now returned, and informed
+him that the soldier, who was well known to him and who much disliked
+his present watch, had willingly consented that the page (whom
+Gloucester had represented as a former attendant of Sir Nigel's, though
+now transferred to his service) should remain with his former master, on
+condition that the earl would come for him before the priests and others
+who were to attend him to the scaffold entered the dungeon, as this
+departure from the regular prison discipline, shown as it was to one
+against whom the king was unusually irritated, might cost him his head.
+Gloucester had promised faithfully, and he offered them the melancholy
+option of parting now, or a few sad hours hence.
+
+"Let me, do let me stay; Nigel, my husband, send me not from thee now!"
+exclaimed Agnes, sinking at his feet and clasping his knees. "I will not
+weep, nor moan, nor in aught afflict thee. Nigel, dearest Nigel, I will
+not leave thee now."
+
+"But is it wise, is it well, my best beloved? think, if in the deep
+anguish of to-morrow thy disguise be penetrated, thy sex discovered, and
+thy cruel father claim thee, dragging thee even from the protection of
+the princess--oh, the bitterness of death were doubled then! Thou
+thinkest but of me, mine own, but thy safety, thy future peace is all
+now left for me."
+
+"Safety, peace--oh, do not, do not mock me, Nigel--where are they for
+poor Agnes, save in her husband's grave? What is life now, that thou
+shouldst seek to guard it? no, no, I will abide by thee, thou shalt not
+send me hence."
+
+"But to-morrow, lady, to-morrow," interposed Gloucester, with deep
+commiseration. "I would not, from any selfish fear, shorten by one
+minute the few sad hours ye may yet pass together, but bethink ye, I
+dare not promise to shield thee from the horrors of to-morrow, for I
+cannot. Fearful scenes and sounds may pass before thee; thou mayest come
+in contact with men from whom thou wilt shrink in horror, and though
+thine own safety be of little worth, remember the betrayal of thy sex
+and rank may hurl down the royal vengeance on the head of thy
+protectress, daughter of Edward though she be. Canst thou be firm--wilt
+thou, canst thou await the morrow?"
+
+"Yes," answered Agnes, the wildness of her former accents subsiding into
+almost solemnity; "the safety of thy noble countess shall not be
+hazarded through me. Leave me with my husband, add but this last mercy
+to the many thou hast showered on me, and the blessing of God will rest
+on thee and thy noble wife forever."
+
+She raised his hand to her lips, and Gloucester, much affected, placed
+hers in her husband's, and wrung them convulsively together. "We shall
+meet again," was all he trusted his voice to utter, and departed.
+
+The hours waned, each one finding no change in the position of those
+loving ones. The arm of Agnes twined around the neck of her beloved, her
+brow leaned against his bosom, her left hand clasped his right, and his
+left arm, though fettered, could yet fold that slender waist, could yet
+draw her closer to him, with an almost unconscious pressure; his lips
+repeatedly pressed that pale brow, which only moved from its position to
+lift up her eyes at his entreaty in his face, and he would look on those
+features, lovely still, despite their attenuation and deep sorrow, gaze
+at them with an expression that, spite of his words of consoling love,
+betrayed that the dream of earth yet lingered; he could not close his
+eyes on her without a thrill of agony, sharper than the pang of death.
+But the enthusiast and the patriot spoke not at that hour only of
+himself, or that dearer self, the only being he had loved. He spoke of
+his country, aye, and less deplored the chains which bound her then,
+than with that prophetic spirit sometimes granted to the departing,
+dilated on her future glory. He conjured Agnes, for his sake, to
+struggle on and live; to seek his brother and tell him that, save
+herself, Nigel's last thought, last prayer was his; that standing on the
+brink of eternity, the mists of the present had rolled away, he saw but
+the future--Scotland free, and Robert her beloved and mighty king.
+
+"Bid him not mourn for Nigel," he said; "bid him not waver from his
+glorious purpose, because so many of his loved and noble friends must
+fall--their blood is their country's ransom; tell him, had I a hundred
+lives, I would have laid them down for him and for my country as gladly,
+as unhesitatingly as the one I now resign; and tell him, dearest, how I
+loved him to the last, how the recollection of his last farewell, his
+fervent blessing lingered with me to the end, giving me strength to
+strive for him and die, as becomes his brother; tell him I glory in my
+death--it has no shame, no terror, for it is for him and Scotland. Wilt
+thou remember all this, sweet love? wilt thou speak to him these words?"
+
+"Trust me I will, all, all that thou hast said; they are written here,"
+placing her hand on her heart, "here, and they will not leave me, even
+if all else fail."
+
+"And thou wilt say to him, mine own, that Nigel besought his love, his
+tenderness for thee," he continued, losing the enthusiasm of the patriot
+in the tenderness of the husband; "tell him I look to him in part to
+discharge the debt of love, of gratitude I owe to thee; to guard thee,
+cherish thee as his own child. Alas! alas! I speak as if thou must reach
+him, and yet, beset with danger, misery, as thou art, how may this be?"
+
+"Fear not for me; it shall be, my husband. I will do thy bidding, I will
+seek my king," she said, for when comfort failed for him, she sought to
+give it. "Hast forgotten Dermid's words? He would be near me when I
+needed him, and he will be, my beloved, I doubt him not."
+
+"Could I but think so, could I but know that he would be near to shield
+thee, oh, life's last care would be at an end, said Nigel, earnestly;
+and then for some time that silence, more eloquent, more fraught with
+feeling in such an hour than the most impassioned words, fell on them
+both. When again he spoke, it was on a yet more holy theme; the
+thoughts, the dreams of heaven, which from boyhood had been his, now
+found vent in words and tones, which thrilled to the inmost spirit of
+his listener, and lingered there, when all other sense had fled. He had
+lived in an era of darkness. Revelation in its doctrines belonged to the
+priests alone; faith and obedience demanded by the voice of man alone,
+were all permitted to the laity, and spirits like Nigel's consequently
+formed a natural religion, in which they lived and breathed, hallowing
+the rites which they practised, giving scope and glory to their faith.
+He pictured the world, on whose threshold he now stood, pictured it, not
+with a bold unhallowed hand, but as the completion, the consummation of
+all those dim whisperings of joy, and hope, and wisdom, which had
+engrossed him below--the perfection of that beauty, that loveliness, in
+the material and immaterial, he had yearned for in vain on earth.
+
+"And this world of incomparable unshadowed loveliness awaits me," he
+said, the superstition of the age mingling for the moment with thoughts
+which seemed to mark him a century beyond his compeers; "purchased by
+that single moment of suffering called death. It is mine, my beloved,
+and shall be thine; and oh, when we meet there, how trivial will seem
+the dark woes and boding cares of earth! I have told thee the vision of
+my vigil, Agnes, my beloved; again I have seen that blessed spirit, aye,
+and there was no more sadness on his pale brow, naught, naught of
+earth--spiritualized, etherealized. He hovered over my sleep, and with a
+smile beckoned me to the glorious world he inhabits; he seemed to call
+me, to await me, and then the shrouding clouds on which he lay closed
+thicker and thicker round him, till naught but his celestial features
+beamed on me. Agnes, dearest, best, think of me thus, as blessed
+eternally, unchangeably, as awaiting thee to share that blessedness, not
+as one lost to thee, beloved; and peace, aye, joy e'en yet shall smile
+for thee."
+
+"Nigel, Nigel, are there such things for the desolate, the lone?"
+murmured Agnes, raising her pale brow and looking despairingly in his
+face. "Oh, I will think on thee, picture thee in thy thrice-glorified
+home, but it will be with all of mortal clinging to me still, and the
+wild yearnings to come to thee will banish all of peace. Speak not such
+words to thy poor weak Agnes, my beloved. I will struggle on to bear thy
+message to my sovereign; there lies my path when thou art gone, darkness
+envelops it when that goal is gained--I have no future now, save that
+which gives me back to thee."
+
+He could not answer, and then again there was silence, broken only by
+the low voice of prayer. They knelt together on the cold stones, he
+raised her cold hands with his in supplication; he prayed for mercy,
+pardon for himself, for comfort, strength for her; he prayed for his
+country and her king, her chained and sorrowing sons, and the soft,
+liquid star of morning, gloaming forth through heavy masses of murky
+clouds directly on them as they knelt, appeared an angel's answer. The
+dawn broke; bluer and bluer became the small and heavily-barred
+casement, clearer and clearer grew the damp walls of the dungeons, and
+morning, in its sunshine and gladness, laughed along the earth. Closer
+and closer did Agnes cling to that noble heart, but she spoke no word.
+"He tarries long--merciful heaven, grant he be not detained too late!"
+she heard her husband murmur, as to himself, as time waned and
+Gloucester came not, and she guessed his thoughts.
+
+"I care not," she answered, in a voice so hollow he shuddered; "I will
+go with thee, even to the scaffold."
+
+But Gloucester, true to his promise, came at length; he was evidently
+anxious and disturbed, and a few hurried words told how the Earl of
+Berwick had detained him in idle converse, as if determined to prevent
+any private interview with the prisoner; even now the officers and
+priests were advancing to the dungeons, their steps already reverberated
+through the passages, and struck on the heart of Agnes as a bolt of ice.
+"I had much, much I wished to say, but even had I time, what boots it
+now? Nigel, worthy brother of him I so dearly loved, aye, even now would
+die to serve, fear not for the treasure thou leavest to my care; as
+there is a God above us, I will guard her as my sister! They
+come--farewell, thou noble heart, thou wilt leave many a foe to mourn
+thee!" The voice of the earl quivered with emotion. Nigel convulsively
+pressed his extended hand, and then he folded Agnes in his arms; he
+kissed her lips, her brow, her cheek, he parted those clustering curls
+to look again and yet again upon her face--pale, rigid as sculptured
+marble. She uttered no sound, she made no movement, but consciousness
+had not departed; the words of Gloucester on the previous night rung in
+her ears, demanding control, and mechanically she let her arms unloose
+their convulsive grasp of Nigel, and permitted the earl gently to lead
+her to the door, but ere it opened, she turned again to look on Nigel.
+He stood, his hands clasped in that convulsive pressure of agony, his
+every feature working with the mighty effort at control with the last
+struggle of the mortal shell. With one faint yet thrilling cry she
+bounded back, she threw herself upon his swelling bosom, her lips met
+his in one last lingering kiss, and Gloucester tore her from his arms.
+They passed the threshold, another minute and the officers, and guard,
+and priest stood within the dungeon, and a harsh, rude voice bade the
+confessor haste to shrive the prisoner, for the hour of execution was at
+hand.
+
+Bearing the slight form of the supposed page in his arms, Gloucester
+hastily threaded the passages leading from the dungeon to the postern by
+which he had intended to depart. His plan had been to rejoin his
+attendants and turn his back upon the city of Berwick ere the execution
+could take place; a plan which, from his detention, he already found was
+futile. The postern was closed and secured, and he was compelled to
+retrace his steps to a gate he had wished most particularly to avoid,
+knowing that it opened on a part of the court which, from its commanding
+a view of the scaffold, he justly feared would be crowded. He had paused
+but to speak one word of encouragement to Agnes, who, with a calmness
+appalling from the rigidity of feature which accompanied it, now stood
+at his side; he bade her only hold by his cloak, and he hoped speedily
+to lead her to a place of safety. She heard him and made a sign of
+obedience. They passed the gate unquestioned, traversed an inner court,
+and made for the great entrance of the castle; there, unhappily, their
+progress was impeded. The scaffold, by order of Edward, had been erected
+on the summit of a small green ascent exactly opposite the prison of the
+Countess of Buchan, and extending in a direct line about half a quarter
+of a mile to the right of the castle gates, which had been flung wide
+open, that all the inhabitants of Berwick might witness the death of a
+traitor. Already the courts and every vacant space was crowded. A sea of
+human heads was alone visible, nay, the very buttresses and some
+pinnacles of the castle, which admitted any footing, although of the
+most precarious kind, had been appropriated. The youth, the
+extraordinary beauty, and daring conduct of the prisoner had excited an
+unusual sensation in the town, and the desire to mark how such a spirit
+would meet his fate became irresistibly intense. Already it seemed as if
+there could be no space for more, yet numbers were still pouring in, not
+only most completely frustrating the intentions of the Earl of
+Gloucester, but forcing him, by the pressure of multitudes, with them
+towards the scaffold. In vain he struggled to free himself a passage;
+in vain he haughtily declared his rank and bade the presumptuous serfs
+give way. Some, indeed, fell back, but uselessly, for the crowds behind
+pushed on those before, and there was no retreating, no possible means
+of escaping from that sight of horror which Gloucester had designed so
+completely to avoid. In the agony of disappointment, not a little mixed
+with terror as to its effects, he looked on his companion. There was not
+a particle of change upon her countenance; lips, cheek, brow, were
+indeed bloodless as marble, and as coldly still; her eyes were
+fascinated on the scaffold, and they moved not, quivered not. Even when
+the figure of an aged minstrel, in the garb of Scotland, suddenly stood
+between them and the dread object of their gaze, their expression
+changed not; she placed her hand in his, she spoke his name to her
+conductor, but it was as if a statue was suddenly endowed with voice and
+motion, so cold was the touch of that hand, so sepulchral was that
+voice; she motioned him aside with a gesture that compelled obedience,
+and again she looked upon the scaffold. The earl welcomed the old man
+gladly, for the tale of Agnes had already prepared him to receive him,
+and to rely on his care to convey her back to Scotland. Engrossed with
+his anxiety for her, and whenever that permitted him, speaking earnestly
+to the old man, Gloucester remained wholly unconscious of the close
+vicinity of one he was at that moment most desirous to avoid.
+
+The Earl of Buchan, in the moment of ungovernable rage, had indeed flung
+himself on horseback and galloped from the castle the preceding night,
+intending to seek the king, and petition that the execution might be
+deferred till the torture had dragged the retreat of Agnes from Nigel's
+lips. The cool air of night, however, had had the effect of so far
+dissipating the fumes of passion, as to convince him that it would be
+well-nigh impossible to reach Carlisle, obtain an interview with Edward
+at such an unseasonable hour, and return to Berwick in sufficient time
+for the execution of his diabolical scheme. He let the reins fall on his
+horse's neck, to ponder, and finally made up his mind it was better to
+let things take their course, and the sentence of the prisoner proceed
+without interruption; a determination hastened by the thought that
+should he die under the torture, all the ignominy and misery of a public
+execution would be eluded. The night was very dark and misty, the road
+in some parts passing through, woods and morasses, and the earl, too
+much engrossed with his own dark thoughts to attend to his path, lost
+the track and wandered round and round, instead of going forward. This
+heightened not the amiability of his previous mood; but until dawn his
+efforts to retrace his steps or even discover where he was were useless.
+The morning, however, enabled him to reach Berwick, which he did just as
+the crowds were pouring into the castle-yard, and the heavy toll of the
+bell announced the commencement of that fatal tragedy. He hastily
+dismounted and mingled with the populace, they bore him onward through
+another postern to that by which the other crowds had impelled
+Gloucester. Finding the space before them already occupied, these two
+human streams, of course, met and conjoined in the centre; and the two
+earls stood side by side. Gloucester, as we have said, wholly
+unconscious of Buchan's vicinity, and Buchan watching his anxious and
+sorrowful looks with the satisfaction of a fiend, revelling in his being
+thus hemmed in on all sides, and compelled to witness the execution of
+his friend. He watched him closely as he spoke with the minstrel, but
+tried in vain to distinguish what they said. He looked on the page too,
+and with some degree of wonder, though he believed it only mortal terror
+which made him look thus, natural in so young a child; but afterwards
+that look was only too fatally recalled.
+
+Sleepless and sad had been that long night to another inmate of Berwick
+Castle, as well as to Nigel and his Agnes. It was not till the dawn had
+broken that the Countess of Buchan had sunk into a deep though troubled
+slumber, for it was not till then the confused sounds of the workmen
+employed in erecting the scaffold had ceased. She knew not for whom it
+was upraised, what noble friend and gallant patriot would there be
+sacrificed. She would not, could not believe it was for Nigel; for when
+his name arose in her thoughts, it was shudderingly repelled, and with
+him came the thought of her child--where, oh, where was she?--what would
+be her fate? The tolling of the bell awoke her from the brief trance of
+utter unconsciousness into which, from exhaustion, she had fallen. She
+glanced once beneath her. The crowds, the executioner at his post, the
+guard already round the scaffold, too truly told the hour was at hand,
+and though her heart turned sick with apprehension, and she felt as if
+to know the worst were preferable to the hour of suspense, she could not
+look again, and she would have sought the inner chamber, and endeavor to
+close both ears and eyes to all that was passing without, when the Earl
+of Berwick suddenly entered, and harshly commanded her to stir not from
+the cage.
+
+"It is your sovereign's will, madam, that you witness the fate of the
+traitor so daring in your cause," he said, as with a stern grasp he
+forced her to the grating and retained his hold upon her arm; "that you
+may behold in his deserved fate the type of that which will at length
+befall the yet blacker traitor of his name. It is fitting so loyal a
+patriot as thyself should look on a patriot's fate, and profit thereby."
+
+"Aye, learn how a patriot can die--how, when his life may no more
+benefit his country and his kin, he may serve them in his death," calmly
+and proudly she answered. "It is well; perchance, when my turn cometh, I
+may thank thy master for the lesson now rudely forced upon me. The hour
+will come when the blood that he now so unjustly sheds shall shriek
+aloud for vengeance. On me let him work his will--I fear him not."
+
+"Be silent, minion! I listen not to thy foul treason," said the earl,
+hoarse with suppressed passion at the little effect his sovereign's
+mandate produced, when he had hoped to have enforced it midst sobs and
+tears; and she was silent, for her eye had caught one face amidst the
+crowd that fascinated its gaze, and sent back the blood, which had
+seemed to stagnate when the idea that it was indeed Nigel now about to
+suffer had been thus rudely thrust upon her--sent it with such sudden
+revulsion through its varied channels, that it was only with a desperate
+struggle she retained her outward calmness, and then she stood, to the
+eye of Berwick, proud, dignified, collected, seemingly so cold, that he
+doubted whether aught of feeling could remain, or marvelled if the
+mandate of Edward had indeed power to inflict aught of pain. But
+within--oh, the veriest tyrant must have shuddered, could he have known
+the torture there; she saw, she recognized her child; she read naught
+but madness in that chiselled gaze; she saw at a glance there was no
+escaping from beholding, to the dreadful end, the fate of her beloved;
+before, behind, on every side, the crowds pressed round, yet from the
+slightly elevated position of the scaffold, failing to conceal it from
+her gaze. The Earl of Gloucester she perceived close at her side, as if
+protecting her; but if indeed she was under his care, how came she on
+such a spot, at such a time?--did he know her sex, or only looked on her
+as a favored page of Nigel's, and as such protected? Yet would not the
+anguish of that hour betray her not alone to him, but to that dark and
+cruel man whom she also marked beside her, and who, did he once know
+her, would demand the right of a father, to give her to his care? and
+oh, how would that right be exercised! would the murderer of his son,
+his heir, have pity on a daughter? But it would be a vain effort to
+picture the deep anguish of that mother's heart, as in that dread moment
+she looked upon her child, knowing, feeling _her_ might of grief, as if
+it had been her own; well-nigh suffocated with the wild yearning to fold
+her to her maternal bosom, to bid her weep there, to seek to comfort, to
+soothe, by mingling her tears with hers, to protect, to hide her misery
+from all save her mother's eye--to feel this till every pulse throbbed
+as to threaten her with death, and yet to breathe no word, to give no
+sign that such things were, lest she should endanger that precious one
+yet more. She dared not breathe one question of the many crowding on her
+heart, she could but gaze and feel. She had thought, when, they told her
+that her boy was dead, that she had caused his death, there was little
+more of misery fate could weave, but at that moment even Alan was
+forgotten. It was her own wretchedness she had had then to bear, for he
+was at rest; but now it was the anguish of that dearer self, her sole
+remaining child--and oh, a mother's heart can better bear its individual
+woes than those that crash a daughter to the earth.
+
+A sudden rush amidst the crowd, where a movement could take place, the
+heavy roll of muffled drums, and the yet deeper, more wailing toll of
+the funeral bell, announced that the prisoner had left the dungeon, and
+irresistibly the gaze of the countess turned from her child to seek him;
+perchance it was well, for the preservation of her composure, that the
+intervening crowd prevented her beholding him till he stood upon the
+scaffold, for hardly could she have borne unmoved the sight of that
+noble and gallant form--beloved alike as the friend of her son, the
+betrothed of her daughter, the brother of her king--degraded of all
+insignia of rank, chained to the hurdle, and dragged as the commonest,
+the vilest criminal, exposed to the mocking gaze of thousands, to the
+place of execution. She saw him not thus, and therefore she knew not
+wherefore the features of Agnes had become yet more rigid, bore yet more
+the semblance of chiselled marble. He stood at length upon the scaffold,
+as calmly majestic in his bearing as if he had borne no insult, suffered
+no indignity. His beautiful hair had been arranged with care on either
+side his face, and still fell in its long, rich curls, about his throat;
+and so beautiful, so holy was the expression of his perfect features,
+that the assembled crowds hushed their very breath in admiration and in
+awe; it seemed as if the heaven, on whose threshold he stood, had
+already fixed its impress on his brow. Every eye was upon him, and all
+perceived that holy calmness was for one brief minute disturbed; but
+none, save three of those who marked it, knew or even guessed the cause.
+The countess had watched his glance, as at first composedly it had
+wandered over the multitude beneath and around him, and she saw it rest
+on that one face, which, in its sculptured misery, stood alone amidst
+thousands, and she alone perceived the start of agony that sight
+occasioned, but speedily even that emotion passed; he looked from that
+loved face up to the heaven on which his hopes were fixed, in whose care
+for her he trusted--and that look was prayer. She saw him as he knelt in
+prayer, undisturbed by the clang of instruments still kept up around
+him; she saw him rise, and then a deadly sickness crept over her every
+limb, a thick mist obscured her sight, sense seemed on the point of
+deserting her, when it was recalled by a sound of horror--a shriek so
+wild, so long, so thrilling, the rudest spirit midst those multitudes
+shrunk back appalled, and crossed themselves in terror. On one ear it
+fell with a sense of agony almost equal to that from whence it came; the
+mother recognized the voice, and feeling, sight, hearing, as by an
+electric spell, returned. She looked forth again, and though her eye
+caught the noble form of Nigel Bruce yet quivering in the air, she
+shrunk not, she sickened not, for its gaze sought her child; she had
+disappeared from the place she had occupied. She saw the Earl of
+Gloucester making a rapid way through the dispersing crowds, a sudden
+gust blew aside his wrapping-cloak, the face of her child was exposed to
+her view, there was a look of death upon her brow; and if the Earl of
+Berwick had lingered to note whether indeed this scene of horror would
+pass unnoticed, unfelt by his prisoner, he was gratified at length, for
+Isabella of Buchan lay senseless on her prison floor.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+
+"And she is in safety, Gilbert?" inquired the Princess Joan, the evening
+of the day following the execution, lifting her eyes, swimming in tears,
+to her husband's face. They were sitting alone in their private
+apartments, secured from all intruders by a page stationed in the
+ante-room; and the earl had been relating some important particulars of
+the preceding day.
+
+"I trust in heaven she is, and some miles ere now on her road to
+Scotland," was his answer. "I fear for nothing save for the beautiful
+mind that fragile shell contains; alas! my Joan, I fear me that has gone
+forever!"
+
+"Better, oh better, then, that fainting-fit had indeed been death," she
+said, "that the thread of life had snapped than twisted thus in madness.
+Yet thou sayest her purpose seemed firm, her intellect clear, in her
+intense desire to reach Scotland. Would this be, thinkest thou, were
+they disordered?"
+
+"I think yes; for hadst thou seen, as I, the expression of countenance,
+the unearthly calmness with which this desire was enforced, the
+constant, though unconscious, repetition of words as these, 'to the
+king, to the king, my path lies there, he bade me seek him; perchance he
+will be there to meet me,' thou too wouldst feel that, when that goal is
+gained, her husband's message given, sense must fail or life itself
+depart. But once for a few brief minutes I saw that calmness partly
+fail, and I indulged in one faint hope she would be relieved by tears.
+She saw old Dermid gaze on her and weep; she clung to his neck, her
+features worked convulsively, and her voice was choked and broken, as
+she said, We must not tarry, Dermid, we must not wait to weep and moan;
+I must seek King Robert while I can. There is a fire on my brain and
+heart, which will soon scorch up all memory but one; I must not wait
+till it has reached _his_ words, and burned them up too--oh, let us on
+at once;' but the old man's kindly words had not the effect I hoped, she
+only shook her head, and then, as if the horrible recollection of the
+past flashed back, a convulsive shuddering passed through her frame, and
+when she raised her face from her hand its marble rigidity had
+returned."
+
+"Alas! alas! poor sufferer," exclaimed the princess, in heartfelt
+sorrow; "I fear indeed, if such things be, there is little hope of
+reason. I would thou hadst conveyed her here, perchance the soothing and
+sympathy of one of her own sex had averted this evil."
+
+"T doubt, my kind Joan," replied her husband; "thy words had such
+beneficial power before, because hope had still possession of her
+breast, she hoped to the very last, aye, even when she so madly went
+with thee to Edward; now that is over; hope is crushed, when despair has
+risen. Thou couldst not have soothed; it would have been but wringing
+thy too kind heart, and exposing her to other and heightened evils." The
+princess looked up inquiringly. "Knowest thou not Buchan hath discovered
+that his daughter remained with Nigel Bruce, as his engaged bride, at
+Kildrummie, and is even now seeking her retreat, vowing she shall repent
+with tears of blood her connection with a Bruce?"
+
+"I did not indeed; how came this?"
+
+"How, I know not, save that it was reported Buchan had left the court,
+on a mission to the convent where the Countess of Carrick and her
+attendants are immured, and in all probability learnt this important
+fact from them. I only know that at the instant I entered the prisoner's
+dungeon, Buchan was demanding, at the sword's point, the place of her
+retreat, incited to the deadliest fury at Nigel's daring avowal that
+Agnes was his wife."
+
+"Merciful heaven! and Agnes, what did she?"
+
+"I know not, for I dared not, absolutely dared not look upon her face.
+Her husband's self-control saved her, for he stood and answered as
+calmly and collectedly as if indeed she were in the safety he declared;
+her father brushed by, nay, well-nigh stumbled over her, as he furiously
+quitted the dungeon, glared full at her, but knew her not. But I dared
+not again bring her here, it was in too close vicinity with the king and
+her cruel father, for her present state of mind must have betrayed every
+disguise."
+
+"And thinkest thou he could have the heart to injure her, separated as
+she is by death from the husband of her love?"
+
+"Aye, persecute her as he hath his wife and son. Joan, I would rather
+lose my own right hand than that unhappy girl should fall into her
+father's power. Confinement, indeed, though it would add but little real
+misery to her present lot, yet I feel that with her present wild
+yearnings to rejoin the Bruce, to fulfil to the very utmost her
+husband's will, it would increase tenfold the darkness round her; the
+very dread of her father would unhinge the last remaining link of
+intellect."
+
+Joan shuddered. "God in mercy forefend such ill!" she said, fervently;
+"I would I could have seen her once again, for she has strangely twined
+herself about my heart; but thou hast judged wisely, my Gilbert, her
+safety is too precious to be thus idly risked; and this old man, canst
+thou so trust him--will he guide her tenderly and well?"
+
+"Aye, I would stake my life upon his truth; he is the seer and minstrel
+of the house of Bruce, and that would be all-sufficient to guarantee his
+unwavering fidelity and skill. He has wandered on foot from Scotland, to
+look on his beloved master once again; to watch over, as a guardian
+spirit, the fate of that master's devoted wife, and he will do this, I
+doubt not, and discover Carrick's place of retreat, were it at the
+utmost boundaries of the earth. I only dread pursuit."
+
+"Pursuit! and by whom?"
+
+"By her father. Men said he was close beside me during that horrible
+hour, though I saw him not; if he observed her, traced to her lips that
+maddening shriek, it would excite his curiosity quite sufficiently for
+him to trace my steps, and discovery were then inevitable."
+
+"But did he do this--hast seen him since?"
+
+"No, he has avoided me; but still, for her sake, I fear him. I know not
+how or when, but there are boding whispers within me that all will not
+be well. Now I would have news from thee. Is Hereford released?"
+
+"Yes; coupled with the condition that he enters not my father's presence
+until Easter. He is deeply and justly hurt; but more grieved at the
+change in his sovereign than angered at the treatment of himself."
+
+"No marvel; for if ever there were a perfect son of chivalry, one most
+feelingly alive to its smallest point of honor, it is Humphrey Bohun."
+
+So spoke Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, unconscious that he
+himself had equal right to a character so exalted; that both Scottish
+and English historians would emulate each other in handing his name down
+to posterity, surrounded by that lucid halo of real worth, on which the
+eye turns again and again to rest for relief from the darker minds and
+ruder hearts which formed the multitude of the age in which he lived.
+The duties of friendship were performed in his preservation of the
+person, and constant and bold defence of the character of the Bruce; the
+duties of a subject, in dying on the battle-field in service for his
+king.
+
+The boding prognostics of the Earl of Gloucester were verified ere that
+day closed. While still in earnest converse with his countess, a
+messenger came from the king, demanding their instant presence in his
+closet. The summons was so unusual, that in itself it was alarming, nor
+did the sight of the Earl of Buchan in close conference with the monarch
+decrease their fears. As soon as a cessation of his pains permitted the
+exertion, Buchan had been sent for by the king; the issue of his
+inquiries after his daughter demanded, and all narrated; his interview
+with Sir Nigel dwelt upon with all the rancor of hate. Edward had
+listened without making any observation; a twinkle of his still bright
+eye, an expression about the lips alone betraying that he not only heard
+but was forming his own conclusions from the tale.
+
+"And you have no clue, no thought of her retreat?" he asked, at length,
+abruptly, when the earl ceased.
+
+"Not the very faintest, your grace. Had not that interfering Gloucester
+come between me and my foe, I had forced it from him at the sharp
+sword's point."
+
+"Gloucester--humph!" muttered the king. "Yet an so bloody was thy
+purpose, my good lord, his interference did thee no ill. How was the
+earl accompanied--was he alone?"
+
+"If I remember rightly, alone, your grace. No, by my faith, there was a
+page with him!"
+
+"A page--ha! and what manner of man was he?"
+
+"Man! your highness, say rather a puny stripling, with far more of the
+woman about him than the man."
+
+"Ha!" again uttered the king; "looked he so weakly--did thy fury permit
+such keen remark?"
+
+"Not at that time, your highness; but he was, with Gloucester, compelled
+to witness the execution of this black traitor, and he looked white,
+statue-like, and uttered a shriek, forsooth, likely to scare back the
+villain's soul even as it took flight. Gloucester cared for the dainty
+brat, as if he had been a son of your highness, not a page in his
+household, for he lifted him up in his arms, and bore him out of the
+crowd."
+
+"Humph!" said Edward again, in a tone likely to have excited curiosity
+in any mind less obtuse on such matters than that of the Scottish earl.
+"And thou sayest," he added, after some few minutes pause, "this daring
+traitor, so lately a man, would tell thee no more than that thy daughter
+was his wife, and in safety--out of thy reach?"
+
+Buchan answered in the affirmative.
+
+"And thou hast not the most distant idea where he hath concealed her?"
+
+"None, your highness."
+
+"Then I will tell thee, sir earl; and if thou dost not feel inclined to
+dash out thine own brains with vexation at letting thy prey so slip out
+of thy grasp, thou art not the man I took thee for," and Edward fixed
+his eyes on his startled companion with a glance at once keen and
+malicious.
+
+"The white and statue-looking page, with more of woman about him than
+the man, was the _wife_ of this rank villain, Sir Nigel Bruce, and thy
+daughter, my Lord of Buchan. The Earl of Gloucester may, perchance, tell
+thee more."
+
+The earl started from his seat with an oath, which the presence of
+majesty itself could not restrain. The dulness of his brain was
+dissolved as by a flash of lightning; the ghastly appearance, the
+maddening shriek, the death-like faint, all of which he had witnessed in
+Gloucester's supposed page, nay, the very disturbed and anxious look of
+the earl himself, gave truth and life to Edward's words, and he struck
+his clenched fist against his brow, and strode up and down the royal
+closet, in a condition as frantically disturbed as the monarch could
+possibly have desired; and then, hastily and almost incoherently,
+besought the king's aid in sifting the matter to the very bottom, and
+obtaining repossession of his daughter, entreating leave of absence to
+seek out Gloucester and tax him with the fact.
+
+Edward, whose fury against the house of Bruce--whether man, woman, or
+child, noble or serf, belonging to them--had been somewhat soothed by
+the ignominious execution of Nigel, had felt almost as much amused as
+angered at the earl's tale, and enjoyed the idea of a man, whom in his
+inmost heart he most thoroughly despised, having been so completely
+outwitted, and for the time so foiled. The feud between the Comyn and
+the Bruce was nothing to him, except where it forwarded his own
+interests. He had incited Buchan to inquire about his daughter, simply
+because the occupation would remove that earl out of his way for a short
+time, and perhaps, if the rumor of her engagement with one of the
+brothers of the Bruce were true, set another engine at work to discover
+the place of their concealment. The moment Buchan informed him it was to
+Nigel she had been engaged, with Nigel last seen, his acute penetration
+recalled the page who had accompanied the princess when she supplicated
+mercy, and had he heard no more, would have pointed there for the
+solution of the mystery. Incensed he was and deeply, at the fraud
+practised upon him at the Karl and Countess of Gloucester daring to
+harbor, nay, protect and conceal the wife of a traitor; but his anger
+was subdued in part by the belief that now it was almost impossible she
+could escape the wardance of her father, and _his_ vengeance would be
+more than sufficient to satisfy him; nay, when he recalled the face and
+the voice, it was so like madness and death, and he was, moreover, so
+convinced that now her husband was dead she could do him no manner of
+harm, that he inwardly and almost unconsciously hoped she might
+eventually escape her father's power, although he composedly promised
+the earl to exercise his authority, and give him the royal warrant for
+the search and committal of her person wherever she might be. Anger,
+that Gloucester and his wife should so have dared his sovereign power,
+was now the prevailing feeling, and therefore was it he commanded their
+presence, determined to question them himself, rather than through the
+still enraged Buchan.
+
+Calmly and collectedly the noble pair received alike the displeasure of
+their sovereign and the ill-concealed fury of Buchan. They neither
+denied the charge against them nor equivocated in their motives for
+their conduct; alarmed they were, indeed, for the unhappy Agnes; but as
+denial and concealment were now alike impossible, and could avail her
+nothing, they boldly, nay, proudly acknowledged that which they had
+done, and openly rejoiced it had been theirs to give one gleam of
+comfort to the dying Nigel, by extending protection to his wife.
+
+"And are ye not traitors--bold, presuming traitors--deserving the
+chastisement of such, bearding me thus in my very palace?" wrathfully
+exclaimed Edward. "Know ye not both are liable to the charge of treason,
+aye, treason--and fear ye to brave us thus?"
+
+"My liege, we are no traitors, amenable to no such charge," calmly
+answered Gloucester; "far, far more truly, faithfully, devotedly your
+grace's subjects than many of those who had shrunk from an act as this.
+That in so doing we were likely to incur your royal displeasure, we
+acknowledge with deep regret and sorrow, and I take it no shame thus on
+my knee to beseech your highness's indulgence for the fault; but if you
+deem it worthy of chastisement, we are ready to submit to it, denying,
+however, all graver charge, than that of failing in proper deference to
+your grace."
+
+"All other charge! By St. Edward, is not that enough?" answered the
+king, but in a mollified tone. "And thou, minion, thou whom we deemed
+the very paragon of integrity and honor, hast thou aught to say? Did not
+thy lips frame falsehood, and thy bold looks confirm it?"
+
+"My father, my noble father, pardon me that in this I erred," answered
+Joan, kneeling by his side, and, despite his efforts to prevent it,
+clasping his hand and covering it with kisses; "yet I spoke no
+falsehood, uttered naught which was not truth. She _was_ ill and weakly;
+she was well-nigh maddened from scenes and sounds of blood. I had
+besought her not to attend me, but a wife's agony could not be
+restrained, and if we had refused her the protection she so wildly
+craved, had discovered her person to your highness, would it have
+availed thee aught? a being young, scarce past her childhood--miserable,
+maddened well-nigh to death, her life wrapt up in her husband's, which
+was forfeited to thee."
+
+"The wife of a traitor, the offspring of a traitress, connected on every
+side with treason, and canst ask if her detention would have availed us
+aught? Joan, Joan, thy defence is but a weak one," answered the king,
+sternly, but he called her "Joan," and that simple word thrilled to her
+heart as the voice of former years, and her father felt a sudden gush
+of tears fall on the hand he had not withdrawn, and vainly he struggled
+against the softening feelings those tears had brought. It was strange
+that, angered as he really was, the better feelings of Edward should in
+such a moment have so completely gained the ascendency. Perhaps he was
+not proof against the contrast before him, presented in the persons of
+Buchan and Gloucester; the base villainy of the one, the exalted
+nobility of the other, alike shone forth the clearer from their
+unusually close contact. In general, Edward was wont to deem these
+softening emotions foolish weaknesses, which he would banish by shunning
+the society of all those who could call them forth. Their candid
+acknowledgment of having deserved his displeasure, and submission to his
+will, however, so soothed his self-love, his fondness for absolute
+power, that he permitted them to have vent with but little restraint.
+Agnes might have been the wife of a traitor, but he was out of Edward's
+way; the daughter of a traitress, but she was equally powerless; linked
+with treason, but too much crashed by her own misery to be sensible of
+aught else. Surely she was too insignificant for him to persevere in
+wrath, and alienate by unmerited severity yet more the hearts which at
+such moments he felt he valued, despite his every effort to the
+contrary.
+
+So powerfully was he worked upon, that had it not been for the
+ill-restrained fury of Buchan, it was possible the subject would have
+been in the end peaceably dismissed; but on that earl's reminding him of
+his royal word, the king commanded Gloucester to deliver up his charge
+to her rightful guardian, and all the past should be forgiven. The earl
+quietly and respectfully replied he could not, for he knew not where she
+was. Wrath gathered on Edward's brow, and Buchan laid his hand on his
+sword; but neither the royal commands nor Buchan's muttered threats and
+oaths of vengeance could elicit from Gloucester more than that she had
+set off to return to Scotland with an aged man, not three hours after
+the execution had taken place. He had purposely avoided all inquiries as
+to their intended route, and therefore not any cross-questioning on the
+part of the king caused him to waver in the smallest point from his
+original tale, or afforded any evidence that he knew more than he said.
+
+"Get thee to Sir Edward Cunningham, my Lord of Buchan, and bid him draw
+up a warrant for the detention and committal of these two persons
+wherever they may be," the king said, "and away with thee, and a trusty
+troop, with all speed to Berwick. Make inquiries of all who at that
+particular hour passed the gates, and be assured thou wilt find some
+clue. Take men enough to scour the country in all directions; provide
+them with an exact description of the prisoners they seek, and tarry
+not, and thou wilt yet gain thy prize; living or dead, we resign all our
+right over her person to thee, and give thee power, as her father, to do
+with her what may please thee best. Away with thee, my lord, and heaven
+speed thee!"
+
+"My liege and father, oh, why hast thou done this?" exclaimed the
+princess, imploringly, as, with a low obeisance to the king and a
+gesture of triumph at the Earl of Gloucester, Buchan departed. "Hath she
+not borne misery enough!"
+
+"Nay, we do but our duty to our subjects in aiding fathers to repress
+rebellious children," replied the king. "Of a truth, fair dame of
+Gloucester, thy principles of filial duty seem somewhat as loose and
+light as those which counselled abetting, protecting, and concealing the
+partner of a traitor. Wouldst have us refuse Buchan's most fatherly
+desire? Surely thou wouldst not part him from his child?"
+
+"Forever and forever!" exclaimed the princess, fervently. "Great God in
+heaven, that such a being should call that monster father, and owe him
+the duty of a child! But, oh, thou dost but jest, my father; in mercy
+recall that warrant--expose her not to wretchedness as this!"
+
+"Peace," replied the king, sternly. "As thou valuest thine own and thy
+husband's liberty and life, breathe not another syllable, speak not
+another word for her, or double misery shall be her portion. We have
+shown enough of mercy in demanding no further punishment for that which
+ye have done, than that for ten days ye remain prisoners in your own
+apartments. Answer not; we will have no more of this."
+
+The Earl of Buchan, meanwhile, had made no delay in gaining the
+necessary aids to his plan. Ere two hours passed, he was on his road to
+Berwick, backed with a stout body of his own retainers, and bearing a
+commission to the Earl of Berwick to provide him with as many more as he
+desired. He went first to the hostelry near the outskirts of the town,
+where he remembered Gloucester had borne the supposed page. There he
+obtained much desirable information, an exact description of the dress,
+features, and appearance of both the page and his companion; of the
+former, indeed, he recollected all-sufficient, even had the description
+been less exact. The old minstrel had attracted the attention of many
+within the hostel, and consequently enabled Buchan to obtain information
+from various sources, all of which agreed so well that he felt sure of
+success.
+
+Backed by the warrant of Edward, he went to the civil authorities of the
+town, obtained four or five technically drawn-up descriptions of the
+prisoners, and intrusted them to the different officers, who, with bands
+of fifty men, he commanded to search every nook and corner of the
+country round Berwick, in various directions. He himself discovering
+they had passed through the Scotch gate and appeared directing their
+course in a westerly direction, took with him one hundred men, and
+followed that track, buoyed up by the hope not only of gaining
+possession of his daughter, but perhaps of falling in with the retreat
+even of the detested Bruce, against whom he had solemnly recorded a vow
+never to let the sword rest in the scabbard till he had revenged the
+murder of his kinsman, the Red Comyn. Some words caught by a curious
+listener, passing between the page and minstrel, and eagerly reported to
+him, convinced him it was Robert Bruce they sought, and urged him to
+continue the search with threefold vigor.
+
+Slowly and sadly meanwhile had the hours of their weary pilgrimage
+passed for the poor wanderers, and little did they imagine, as they
+threaded the most intricate paths of the borders of Scotland, that they
+were objects of persecution and pursuit. Though the bodily strength of
+Agnes had well-nigh waned, though the burning cheek and wandering, too
+brightly flashing eye denoted how fearfully did fever rage internally,
+she would not pause save when absolutely compelled. She could neither
+sleep nor eat: her only cry was, "To the king--bring me but to King
+Robert while I may yet speak!" her only consciousness, that she had a
+mission to perform, that she was intrusted with a message from the dead;
+all else was a void, dark, shapeless, in which thought framed no image;
+mind, not a wish. Insensibility it was not, alas! no, that void was woe,
+all woe, which folded up heart and brain as with a cloak of fire,
+scorching up thought, memory, hope--all that could recall the past,
+vivify the present, or vision forth the future. She breathed indeed and
+spoke, and clung to that aged man with all the clinging helplessness of
+her sex, but scarce could she be said to live; all that was real of life
+had twined round her husband's soul, and with it fled.
+
+The old man felt not his advanced age, the consciousness of the many
+dangers hovering on their way; his whole thought was for her, to bring
+her to the soothing care and protection of the king, and then he cared
+not how soon his sand run out. When wandering in the districts of
+Annandale and Carrick, before he had arrived at Berwick, he had learned
+the secret but most important intelligence that King Robert had passed
+the winter off the coast of Ireland, and was supposed to be only waiting
+a favorable opportunity to return to Scotland, and once more upraise his
+standard. This news had been most religiously and strictly preserved a
+secret amid the few faithful adherents of the Bruce, who perhaps spoke
+yet more as they hoped than as a fact well founded.
+
+For some days their way had been more fatiguing than dangerous, for
+though the country was overrun with English, a minstrel and a page were
+objects far too insignificant, in the present state of excitement, to
+meet with either detention or notice. Not a week had passed, however,
+before rumors of Buchan's parties reached the old man's ears, and filled
+him with anxiety and dread. The feverish restlessness of Agnes to
+advance yet quicker on their way, precluded all idea of halting, save in
+woods and caverns, till the danger had passed. Without informing her of
+all he had heard, and the danger he apprehended, he endeavored to avoid
+all towns and villages; but the heavy rains which had set in rendered
+their path through the country yet more precarious and uncertain, and
+often compelled him most unwillingly to seek other and better shelter.
+At Strathaven he became conscious that their dress and appearance were
+strictly scrutinized, and some remarks that he distinguished convinced
+him that Buchan had either passed through that town, or was lingering in
+its neighborhood still. Turning sick with apprehension, the old man
+hastily retraced his steps to the hostel, where he had left Agnes, and
+found her, for the first time since their departure, sunk into a kind of
+sleep or stupor from exhaustion, from which he could not bear to arouse
+her. Watching her for some little time in silence, his attention was
+attracted by whispering voices, only separated from him by a thin
+partition. They recounted and compared one by one the dress and peculiar
+characteristics of himself and his companion, seeming to compare it with
+a written list. Then followed an argument as to whether it would not be
+better to arrest their progress at once, or send on to the Earl of
+Buchan, who was at a castle only five miles distant. How it was
+determined Dermid knew not, for the voices faded in the distance; but he
+had heard enough, and it seemed indeed as if detention and restraint
+were at length at hand. What to do he knew not. Night had now some hours
+advanced, and to attempt leaving the hostel at such an unseasonable hour
+would be of itself sufficient to confirm suspicion. All seemed at rest
+within the establishment; there was no sound to announce that a
+messenger had been dispatched to the earl, and he determined to await as
+calmly as might be the dawn.
+
+The first streak of light, however, was scarce visible in the east
+before, openly and loudly, so as to elude all appearance of flight, he
+declared his intention of pursuing his journey, as the weather had
+already detained them too long. He called on the hostess to receive her
+reckoning, commanded the mules to be saddled, all of which was done, to
+his surprise, without comment or question, and they departed
+unrestrained; the old man too much overjoyed at this unexpected escape
+to note that they were followed by two Englishmen, the one on horseback,
+the other on foot. Anxiety indeed had still possession of him, for he
+could not reconcile the words he had overheard with their quiet
+departure; but as the day passed, and they plunged thicker and thicker
+in the woods of Carrick, and there was no sign of pursuit, or even of a
+human form, he hailed with joy a solitary house, and believed the danger
+passed.
+
+The inmates received them with the utmost hospitality; the order for
+their detention had evidently not reached them, and Dermid determined on
+waiting quietly there till the exhausted strength of his companion
+should be recruited, and permit them to proceed. An hour and more passed
+in cheerful converse with the aged couple who owned the house, and who,
+with the exception of one or two servants, were its sole inhabitants.
+The tales of the minstrel were called for and received with a glee which
+seemed to make all his listeners feel young again. Agnes alone sate
+apart; her delicate frame and evident exhaustion concealing deeper
+sufferings from her hosts, who vied with each other in seeking to
+alleviate her fatigue and give bodily comfort, if they could offer no
+other consolation. Leaning back in a large settle in the chimney corner,
+she had seemed unconscious of the cheerful sociability around her, when
+suddenly she arose, and advancing to Dermid, laid a trembling hand on
+his arm. He looked up surprised.
+
+"Hist!" she murmured, throwing back the hair from her damp brow. "Hear
+ye no sound?"
+
+All listened for a time in vain.
+
+"Again," she said; "'tis nearer, more distinct. Who comes with a troop
+of soldiers here?"
+
+It was indeed the heavy trampling of many horse, at first so distant as
+scarcely to be distinguished, save by ears anxious and startled as old
+Dermid's; but nearer and nearer they came, till even the inmates of the
+house all huddled, together in alarm. Agnes remained standing, her hand
+on Dermid's arm, her head thrown back, her features bearing an
+expression scarce to be defined. The horses' hoofs, mingled with the
+clang of armor, rung sharp and clear on the stones of the courtyard.
+They halted: the pommel of a sword was struck against the oaken door,
+and a night's lodging courteously demanded. The terror of the owners of
+the house subsided, for the voice they heard was Scotch.
+
+The door was thrown open, the request granted, with the same hospitality
+as had been extended to the minstrel and the page. On the instant there
+was a confused sound of warriors dismounting, of horses eager for
+stabling and forage; and one tall and stately figure, clad from head to
+foot in mail, entered the house, and removing his helmet, addressed some
+words of courteous greeting and acknowledgment to its inmates. A loud
+exclamation burst from the minstrel's lips; but Agnes uttered no sound,
+she made one bound forward, and dropped senseless at the warrior's feet.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+
+It was on a cool evening, near the end of September, 1311, that a troop,
+consisting of about thirty horse, and as many on foot, were leisurely
+traversing the mountain passes between the counties of Dumfries and
+Lanark. Their arms were well burnished; their buff coats and half-armor
+in good trim; their banner waved proudly from its staff, as bright and
+gay as if it had not even neared a scene of strife; and there was an air
+of hilarity and gallantry about them that argued well for success, if
+about to commence an expedition, or if returning, told with equal
+emphasis they had been successful. That the latter was the case was
+speedily evident, from the gay converse passing between them; their
+allusions to some late gallant achievement of their patriot sovereign;
+their joyous comparisons between good King Robert and his weak opponent,
+Edward II. of England, marvelling how so wavering and indolent a son
+could have sprung from so brave and determined a sire; for, Scotsmen as
+they were, they were now FREE, and could thus afford to allow
+the "hammer" of their country some knightly qualities, despite the stern
+and cruel tyranny which to them had ever marked his conduct. They spoke
+in laughing scorn of the second Edward's efforts to lay his father's
+yoke anew upon their necks; they said a just heaven had interfered and
+urged him to waste the decisive moment of action in indolence and folly,
+in the flatteries of his favorite, to the utter exclusion of those wiser
+lords, whose counsels, if followed on the instant, might have shaken
+even the wise and patriot Bruce. Yet they were so devoted to their
+sovereign, they idolized him alike as a warrior and a man too deeply, to
+allow that to the weak and vacillating conduct of Edward they owed the
+preservation of their country. It was easy to perceive by the springy
+step, the flashing eye, the ringing, tone with which that magic name,
+the Bruce, was spoken, how deeply it was written on the heart; the joy
+it was to recall his deeds, and feel it was through him that they were
+free! Their converse easily betrayed them to be one of those
+well-ordered though straggling parties into which King Robert's invading
+armies generally dispersed at his command, when returning to their own
+fastnesses, after a successful expedition to the English border.
+
+The laugh and jest resounded, as we have said, amongst both officers and
+men; but their leader, who was riding about a stone's throw ahead, gave
+no evidence of sharing their mirth. He was clad from head to foot in
+chain armor, of a hue so dark as to be mistaken for black, and from his
+wearing a surcoat of the same color, unenlivened by any device, gave him
+altogether a somewhat sombre appearance, although it could not detract
+in the smallest degree from the peculiar gracefulness and easy dignity
+of his form, which was remarkable both on horseback and on foot. He was
+evidently very tall, and by his firm seat in the saddle, had been early
+accustomed to equestrian exercises; but his limbs were slight almost to
+delicacy, and though completely ensheathed in mail, there was an
+appearance of extreme youth about him, that perhaps rendered the absence
+of all gayety the more striking. Yet on the battle-field he gave no
+evidence of inexperience as a warrior, no sign that he was merely a
+scholar in the art of war; there only did men believe he must be older
+than he seemed; there only his wonted depression gave place to an
+energy, a fire, second to none amongst the Scottish patriots, not even
+to the Bruce himself; then only was the naturally melancholy music of
+his voice lost in accents of thrilling power, of imperative command, and
+the oldest warriors followed him as if under the influence of some
+spell. But of his appearance on the field we must elsewhere speak. He
+now led his men through the mountain defiles mechanically, as if buried
+in meditation, and that meditation not of the most pleasing nature. His
+vizor was closed, but short clustering curls, of a raven blackness,
+escaped beneath the helmet, and almost concealed the white linen and
+finely embroidered collar which lay over his gorget, and was secured in
+front by a ruby clasp; a thick plume of black feathers floated from his
+helmet, rivalling in color the mane of his gallant charger, which pawed
+the ground, and held his head aloft as if proud of the charge he bore. A
+shield was slung round the warrior's neck, and its device and motto
+seemed in melancholy accordance with the rest of his attire. On a field
+argent lay the branch of a tree proper, blasted and jagged, with the
+words "_Ni nom ni paren, je suis seul_," rudely engraved in Norman
+French beneath; his helmet bore no crest, nor did his war-cry on the
+field, "Amiot for the Bruce and freedom," offer any clue to the curious
+as to his history, for that there was some history attached to him all
+chose to believe, though the age was too full of excitement to allow
+much of wonderment or curiosity to be expended upon him. His golden
+spurs gave sufficient evidence that he was a knight; his prowess on the
+field proclaimed whoever had given him that honor had not bestowed it on
+the undeserving. His deeds of daring, unequalled even in that age,
+obtained him favor in the eyes of every soldier; and if there were some
+in the court and camp of Bruce who were not quite satisfied, and loved
+not the mystery which surrounded him, it mattered not, Sir Amiot of the
+Branch, or the Lonely Chevalier, as he was generally called, went on his
+way unquestioned.
+
+"Said not Sir Edward Bruce he would meet us hereabouts at set of sun?"
+were the first words spoken by the knight, as, on issuing from the
+mountains, they found themselves on a broad plain to the east of Lanark,
+bearing sad tokens of a devastating war, in the ruined and blackened
+huts which were the only vestiges of human habitations near. The answer
+was in the affirmative; and the knight, after glancing in the direction
+of the sun, which wanted about an hour to its setting, commanded a halt,
+and desired that, while waiting the arrival of their comrades, they
+should take their evening meal.
+
+On the instant the joyous sounds of dismounting, leading horses to
+picquet, unclasping helmets, throwing aside the more easily displaced
+portions of their armor, shields, and spears, took the place of the
+steady tramp and well-ordered march. Flinging themselves in various
+attitudes on the greensward, provender was speedily laid before them,
+and rare wines and other choice liquors, fruits of their late campaign,
+passed gayly round. An esquire had, at the knight's sign, assisted him
+to remove his helmet, shield, and gauntlets; but though this removal
+displayed a beautifully formed head, thickly covered with dark hair, his
+features were still concealed by a species of black mask, the mouth,
+chin, and eyes being alone visible, and therefore his identity was
+effectually hidden. The mouth and chin were both small and delicately
+formed; the slight appearance of beard and moustache seeming to denote
+his age as some one-and-twenty years. His eyes, glancing through the
+opening in the mask, were large and very dark, often flashing brightly,
+when his outward bearing was so calm and quiet as to afford little
+evidence of emotion. Some there were, indeed, who believed the eye the
+truer index of the man than aught else about him, and to fancy there was
+far more in that sad and lonely knight than was revealed.
+
+It was evident, however, that to the men now with him his remaining so
+closely masked was no subject of surprise, that they regarded it as an
+ordinary thing, which in consequence had lost its strangeness. They were
+eager and respectful in their manner towards him, offering to raise him
+a seat of turf at some little distance from their noisy comrades; but
+acknowledging their attention with kindness and courtesy, he refused it,
+and rousing himself with some difficulty from his desponding thoughts,
+threw himself on the sward beside his men, and joined in their mirth and
+jest.
+
+"Hast thou naught to tell to while away this tedious hour, good
+Murdoch?" he asked, after a while, addressing a gray-headed veteran.
+
+"Aye, aye, a tale, a tale; thou hast seen more of the Bruce than all of
+us together," repeated many eager voices, "and knowest yet more of his
+deeds than we do; a tale an thou wilt, but of no other hero than the
+Bruce."
+
+"The Bruce!" echoed the veteran; "see ye not his deeds yourselves, need
+ye more of them?" but there was a sly twinkle in his eye that betrayed
+his love to speak was as great as his comrades to hear him. "Have ye not
+heard, aye, and many of you seen his adventures and escapes in Carrick,
+hunted even as he was by bloodhounds; his guarding that mountain pass,
+one man against sixty, aye, absolutely alone against the Galwegian host
+of men and bloodhounds; Glen Fruin, Loudun Hill, Aberdeen; the harrying
+of Buchan; charging the treacherous foe, when they had to bear him from
+his litter to his horse, aye, and support him there; springing up from
+his couch of pain, and suffering, and depression, agonizing to witness,
+to hurl vengeance on the fell traitors; aye, and he did it, and brought
+back health to his own heart and frame; and Forfar, Lorn,
+Dunstaffnage--know ye not all these things? Nay, have ye not seen,
+shared in them all--what would ye more?"
+
+"The harrying of Buchan, tell us of that," loudly exclaimed many voices;
+while some others shouted, "the landing of the Bruce--tell us of his
+landing, and the spirit fire at Turnberry Head; the strange woman that
+addressed him."
+
+"Now which am I to tell, good my masters?" laughingly answered the old
+man, when the tumult in a degree subsided. "A part of one, and part of
+the other, and leave ye to work out the rest yourselves; truly, a
+pleasant occupation. Say, shall it be thus? yet stay, what says Sir
+Amiot?"
+
+"As you will, my friends," answered the knight, cheerily; "but decide
+quickly, or we shall hear neither. I am for the tale of Buchan," there
+was a peculiarly thrilling emphasis in his tone as he pronounced the
+word, "for I was not in Scotland at the time, and have heard but
+disjointed rumors of the expedition."
+
+The veteran looked round on his eager comrades with an air of
+satisfaction, then clearing his voice, and drawing more to the centre of
+the group; "Your worship knows," he began, addressing Sir Amiot, who,
+stretched at full length on the sward, had fixed his eyes upon him,
+though their eagle glance was partly shaded by his hand, "that our good
+King Robert the Bruce, determined on the reduction of the north of his
+kingdom, advanced thereto in the spring of 1308, accompanied by his
+brother, Lord Edward, that right noble gentleman the Earl of Lennox, Sir
+Gilbert Hay, Sir Robert Boyd, and others, with a goodly show of men and
+arms, for his successes at Glen Fruin and Loudun Hill had brought him a
+vast accession of loyal subjects. And they were needed, your worship, of
+a truth, for the traitorous Comyns had almost entire possession of the
+castles and forts of the north, and thence were wont to pour down their
+ravaging hordes upon the true Scotsmen, and menace the king, till he
+scarcely knew which side to turn to first. Your worship coming, I have
+heard, from the low country, can scarcely know all the haunts and
+lurking-places for treason the highlands of our country present; how
+hordes of traitors may be trained and armed in these remote districts,
+without the smallest suspicion being attached to them till it is
+well-nigh too late, and the mischief is done. Well, to drive out these
+black villains, to free his kingdom, not alone from the yoke of an
+English Edward, but a Scottish Comyn, good King Robert was resolved--and
+even as he resolved he did. Inverness, the citadel of treason and
+disloyalty, fell before him; her defences, and walls, and turrets, and
+towers, all dismantled and levelled, so as to prevent all further
+harborage of treason; her garrison marched out, the ringleaders sent
+into secure quarters, and all who hastened to offer homage and swear
+fidelity, received with a courtesy and majesty which I dare to say did
+more for the cause of our true king than a Comyn could ever do against
+it. Other castles followed the fate of Inverness, till at length the
+north, even as the south, acknowledged the Bruce, not alone as their
+king, but as their deliverer and savior.
+
+"It was while rejoicing over these glorious successes, the lords and
+knights about the person of their sovereign began to note with great
+alarm that his strength seemed waning, his brow often knit as with
+inward pain, his eye would grow dim, and his limbs fail him, without a
+moment's warning; and that extreme depression would steal over his manly
+spirit even in the very moment of success. They watched in alarm, but
+silently; and when they saw the renewed earnestness and activity with
+which, on hearing of the approach of Comyn of Buchan, Sir John de
+Mowbray, and that worst of traitors, his own nephew, Sir David of
+Brechin, he rallied his forces, advanced to meet them, and compelled
+them to retreat confusedly to Aberdeen, they hoped they had been
+deceived, and all was well.
+
+"But the fell disease gained ground; at first he could not guide his
+charger's reins, and then he could not mount at all; his voice failed,
+his sight passed; they were compelled to lay him in a litter, and bear
+him in the midst of them, and they felt as if the void left by their
+sovereign's absence from their head was filled with the dim shadow of
+death. Nobly and gallantly did Lord Edward endeavor to remedy this fatal
+evil; Lennox, Hay, even the two Frasers, who had so lately joined the
+king, seemed as if paralyzed by this new grief, and hung over the
+Bruce's litter as if their strength waned with his. Sternly, nay, at
+such a moment it seemed almost harshly, Lord Edward rebuked this
+weakness, and, conducting them to Slenath, formed some strong
+entrenchments, of which the Bruce's pavilion was the centre, intending
+there to wait his brother's recovery. Ah, my masters, if ye were not
+with good King Robert then, ye have escaped the bitterest trial. Ye know
+not what it was to behold him--the savior of his country, the darling of
+his people, the noblest knight and bravest warrior who ever girded on a
+sword--lie there, so pale, so faint, with scarce a voice or passing sigh
+to say he breathed. The hand which grasped the weal of Scotland, the arm
+that held her shield, lay nerveless as the dead; the brain which thought
+so well and wisely for his fettered land, lay powerless and still; the
+thrilling voice was hushed, the flashing eye was closed. The foes were
+close around him, and true friends in tears and woe beside his couch,
+were all alike unknown. Ah! then was the time for warrior's tears, for
+men of iron frame and rugged mood to soften into woman's woe, and weep.
+Men term Lord Edward Bruce so harsh and stern, one whom naught of grief
+for others or himself can move; they saw him not as I have. It was mine
+to watch my sovereign, when others sought their rest; and I have seen
+that rugged chieftain stand beside his brother's couch alone, unmarked,
+and struggle with his spirit till his brow hath knit, his lip become
+convulsed, and then as if 'twere vain, all vain, sink on his knee, clasp
+his sovereign's hand, and bow his head and weep. 'Tis passed and over
+now, kind heaven be praised! yet I cannot recall that scene, unbind the
+folds of memory, unmoved."
+
+The old man passed his rough hand across his eyes, and for a brief
+moment paused; his comrades, themselves affected, sought not to disturb
+him, and quickly he resumed.
+
+"Days passed, and still King Robert gave no sign of amendment, except,
+indeed, there were intervals when his eyes wandered to the countenances
+of his leaders, as if he knew them, and would fain have addressed them
+as his wont. Then it was our men were annoyed by an incessant discharge
+from Buchan's archers, which, though they could do perhaps no great
+evil, yet wounded many of our men, and roused Lord Edward's spirit to
+resent the insult. His determination to leave the entrenchments and
+retreat to Strathbogie, appeared at first an act of such unparalleled
+daring as to startle all his brother leaders, and they hesitated; but
+there never was any long resisting Sir Edward's plans; he bears a spell
+no spirit with a spark of gallantry about him can resist. The retreat
+was in consequence determined on, to the great glee of our men, who were
+tired of inaction, and imagined they should feel their sovereign's
+sufferings less if engaged hand to hand with, the foe, in his service,
+than watching him as they had lately done, and dreading yet greater
+evils.
+
+"Ye have heard of this daring retreat, my friends; it was in the mouth
+of every Scotsman, aye, and of Englishman too, for King Robert himself
+never accomplished a deed of greater skill. The king's litter was placed
+in the centre of a square, which presented on either side such an
+impenetrable fence of spears and shields, that though Buchan and De
+Mowbray mustered more than double our number, they never ventured an
+attack, and a retreat, apparently threatening total destruction, from
+its varied dangers, was accomplished without the loss of a single man.
+At Strathbogie we halted but a short space, for finding no obstruction
+in our path, we hastened southward, in the direction of Inverury; there
+we pitched the tent for the king, and, taking advantage of a natural
+fortification, dispersed our men around it, still in a compact square.
+Soon after this had been accomplished, news was received that our foes
+were concentrating their numerous forces at Old Meldrum, scarcely two
+miles from us, and consequently we must hold ourselves in constant
+readiness to receive their attack.
+
+"Well, the news that the enemy was so near us might not perhaps have
+been particularly pleasing, had they not been more than balanced by the
+conviction--far more precious than a large reinforcement, for in itself
+it was a host--the king was recovering. Yes, scarcely as we dared hope,
+much less believe it, the disease, which had fairly baffled all the
+leech's art, which had hung over our idolized monarch so long, at length
+showed symptoms of giving way, and there was as great rejoicing in the
+camp as if neither danger nor misfortune could assail us more; a new
+spirit sparkled in every eye, as if the awakening lustre in the Bruce's
+glance, the still faint, yet thrilling accents of a voice we had feared
+was hushed forever, had lighted on every heart, and kindled anew their
+slumbering fire. One day, Lord Edward, the Earl of Lennox, and a gallant
+party, were absent scouring the country about half a mile round our
+entrenchments, and in consequence, one side of our square was more than
+usually open, but we did not think it signified, for there wore no
+tidings of the enemy; well, this day the king had called me to him, and
+bade me relate the particulars of the retreat, which I was proud enough
+to do, my masters, and which of you would not be, speaking as I did with
+our gallant sovereign as friend with friend?"
+
+"Aye, and does he not make us all feel this?" burst simultaneously from
+many voices; "does he not speak, and treat us all as if we were his
+friends, and not his subjects only? Thine was a proud task, good
+Murdoch, but which of us has good King Robert not addressed with kindly
+words and proffered hand?"
+
+"Right! right!" joyously responded the old man; "still I say that hour
+was one of the proudest in my life, and an eventful one too for Scotland
+ere it closed. King Robert heard me with flashing eye and kindling
+cheek, and his voice, as he burst forth in high praise and love for his
+daring brother, sounded almost as strong and thrilling as was its wont
+in health; just then a struggle was heard without the tent, a scuffle,
+as of a skirmish, confused voices, clashing of weapons, and war-cries.
+Up started the king, with eagle glance and eager tone. 'My arms,' he
+cried, 'bring me my arms! Ha hear ye that?' and sure enough, 'St. David
+for De Brechin, and down with the Bruce!' resounded so close, that it
+seemed as if but the curtain separated the traitor from his kinsman and
+his king. Never saw I the Bruce so fearfully aroused, the rage of the
+lion was upon him. 'Hear ye that?' he repeated, as, despite my
+remonstrances, and these of the officers who rushed into the tent, he
+sprang from the couch, and, with the rapidity of light, assumed his
+long-neglected armor. 'The traitorous villain! would he beard me to my
+teeth? By the heaven above us, he shall rue this insolence! Bring me my
+charger. Beaten off, say ye? I doubt it not, my gallant friends; but it
+is now the Bruce's turn, his kindred traitors are not far off, and we
+would try their mettle now. Nay, restrain me not, these folk will work a
+cure for me--there, I am a man again!' and as he stood upright, sheathed
+in his glittering mail, his drawn sword in his gauntleted hand, a wild
+shout of irrepressible joy burst from us all, and, caught up by the
+soldiers without the tent, echoed and re-echoed through the camp. The
+sudden appearance of the Bruce's charger, caparisoned for battle,
+standing before his master's tent, the drums rolling for the muster, the
+lightning speed with which Sir Edward Bruce, Lennox, and Hay, after
+dispersing De Brechin's troop, as dust on the plain, galloped to the
+royal pavilion, themselves equally at a loss to understand the bustle
+there, all prepared the men-at-arms for what was to come. Eagerly did
+the gallant knights remonstrate with their sovereign, conjure him to
+follow the battle in his litter, rather than attempt to mount his
+charger; they besought him to think what his life, his safety was to
+them, and not so rashly risk it. Lord Edward did entreat him to reserve
+his strength till there was more need; the field was then clear, the
+foes had not appeared; but all in vain their eloquence, the king
+combated it all. 'We will go seek them, brother,' cheerily answered the
+king; 'we will go tell them insult to the Bruce passes not unanswered.
+On, on, gallant knights, our men wax impatient.' Hastening from the
+tent, he stood one moment in the sight of all his men: removing his
+helmet, he smiled a gladsome greeting. Oh, what a shout rung forth from
+those iron ranks! There was that noble face, pale, attenuated indeed,
+but beaming on them in all its wonted animation, confidence, and love;
+there was that majestic form towering again in its princely dignity,
+seeming the nobler from being so long unseen. Again and again that shout
+arose, till the wild birds rose screaming over our heads, in untuned,
+yet exciting chorus. Nor did the fact that the king, strengthened as he
+was by his own glorious soul, had in reality not bodily force enough to
+mount his horse without support, take from the enthusiasm of his men,
+nay, it was heightened and excited to the wildest pitch. 'For Scotland
+and freedom!' shouted the king, as for one moment he rose in his
+stirrups and waved his bright blade above his head. 'For Bruce and
+Scotland!' swelled the answering shout. We formed, we gathered in
+compact array around our leaders, loudly clashed our swords against our
+shields; we marched a brief while slowly and majestically along the
+plain; we neared the foe, who, with its multitude in terrible array,
+awaited our coming; we saw, we hurled defiance in a shout which rent the
+very air. Quicker and yet quicker we advanced; on, on--we scoured the
+dusty plain, we pressed, we flew, we rushed upon the foe; the Bruce was
+at our head, and with him victory. We burst through their ranks; we
+compelled them, at the sword's point, to turn and fight even to the
+death; we followed them foot to foot, and hand to hand, disputing every
+inch of ground; they sought to retreat, to fly--but no! Five miles of
+Scottish ground, five good broad miles, was that battle-field; the enemy
+lay dead in heaps upon the field, the remainder fled."
+
+"And the king!" exclaimed the knight of the mask, half springing up in
+the excitement the old man's tale had aroused. "How bore he this day's
+wondrous deed--was not his strength exhausted anew?"
+
+"Aye, what of the king?" repeated many of the soldiers, who had held
+their very breath while the veteran spoke, and clenched their swords, as
+if they were joining in the strife he so energetically described.
+
+"The king, my masters," replied Murdoch, "why, if it could be, he looked
+yet more the mighty warrior at the close than at the commencement of the
+work. We had seen him the first in the charge, in the pursuit; we had
+marked his white plume waving above all others, where the strife waxed
+hottest; and when we gathered round him, when the fight was done, he
+was seated on the ground in truth, and there was the dew of extreme
+fatigue on his brow--he had flung aside his helmet--and his cheek was
+hotly flushed, and his voice, as he thanked us for our gallant conduct,
+and bade us return thanks to heaven for this great victory, was somewhat
+quivering; but for all that, my masters, he looked still the warrior and
+the king, and his voice grew firmer and louder as he bade us have no
+fears for him. He dismissed us with our hearts as full of joy and love
+for him as of triumph on our humbled foes."
+
+"No doubt," responded many voices; "but Buchan, Mowbray, De
+Brechin--what came of them--were they left on the field?"
+
+"They fled, loving their lives better than their honor; they fled, like
+cowards as they were. The two first slackened not their speed till they
+stood on English ground. De Brechin, ye know, held out Angus as long as
+he could, and was finally made captive."
+
+"Aye, and treated with far greater lenity than the villain deserved. He
+will never be a Randolph."
+
+"A Randolph! Not a footboy in Randolph's train but is more Randolph than
+he. But thou sayest Buchan slackened not rein till he reached English
+ground; he lingered long enough for yet blacker treachery, if rumor
+speaks aright. Was it not said the king's life was attempted by his
+orders, and by one of the Comyn's own followers?"
+
+"Ha!" escaped Sir Amiot's lips. "Say they this?" but he evidently had
+spoken involuntarily, for the momentary agitation which had accompanied
+the words was instantly and forcibly suppressed.
+
+"Aye, your worship, and it is true," replied the veteran "It was two
+nights after the battle. All the camp was at rest; I was occupied as
+usual, by my honored watch in my sovereign's tent. The king was sleeping
+soundly, and a strange drowsiness appeared creeping over me too,
+confusing all my thoughts. At first I imagined the wind was agitating a
+certain corner of the tent, and my eyes, half asleep and half wakeful,
+became fascinated upon it; presently, what seemed a bale of carpets,
+only doubled up in an extraordinary small space, appeared within the
+drapery. It moved; my senses were instantly aroused. Slowly and
+cautiously the bale grew taller, then the unfolding carpet fell, and a
+short, well-knit, muscular form appeared. He was clothed in those
+padded jerkins and hose, plaited with steel, which are usual to those of
+his rank; the steel, however, this night was covered with thin, black
+stuff, evidently to assist concealment. He looked cautiously around him.
+I had creeped noiselessly, and on all fours, within the shadow of the
+king's couch, where I could observe the villain's movements myself
+unseen. I saw a gleam of triumph twinkle in his eye, so sure he seemed
+of his intended victim. He advanced; his dagger flashed above the Bruce.
+With one bound, one shout, I sprang on the murderous wretch, wrenched
+the dagger from his grasp, and dashed him to the earth. He struggled,
+but in vain; the king started from that deep slumber, one moment gazed
+around him bewildered, the next was on his feet, and by my side. The
+soldiers rushed into the tent, and confusion for the moment waxed loud
+and warm; but the king quelled it with a word. The villain was raised,
+pinioned, brought before the Bruce, who sternly demanded what was his
+intent, and who was his employer. Awhile the miscreant paused, but then,
+as if spell-bound by the flashing orb upon him, confessed the whole,
+aye, and more; that his master, the Earl of Buchan, had sworn a deep and
+deadly oath to relax not in his hot pursuit till the life-blood of the
+Bruce had avenged the death of the Red Comyn, and that, though he had
+escaped now, he must fall at length, for the whole race of Comyn had
+joined hands upon their chieftain's oath. The brow of the king grew
+dark, terrible wrath beamed from his eyes, and it seemed for the moment
+as if he would deliver up the murderous villain into the hands that
+yearned to tear him piecemeal. There was a struggle, brief yet terrible,
+then he spoke, and calmly, yet with a bitter stinging scorn.
+
+"'And this is Buchan's oath,' he said. 'Ha! doth he not bravely, my
+friends, to fly the battle-field, to shun us there, that hireling hands
+may do a deed he dares not? For this poor fool, what shall we do with
+him?'
+
+"'Death, death--torture and death! what else befits the sacrilegious
+traitor?' burst from many voices, pressing forward to seize and bear him
+from the tent; but the king signed them to forbear, and oh, what a smile
+took the place of his previous scorn!
+
+"'And I say neither torture nor death, my friends,' he tried. 'What, are
+we sunk so low, as to revenge this insult on a mere tool, the
+instrument of a villainous master? No, no! let him go free, and tell his
+lord how little the Bruce heeds him; that guarded as he is by a free
+people's love, were the race of Comyn as powerful and numerous as
+England's self, their oath would avail them nothing. Let the poor fool
+go free!'
+
+"A deep wild murmur ran through the now crowded tent, and so mingled
+were the tones of applause and execration, we knew not which the most
+prevailed.
+
+"'And shall there be no vengeance for this dastard deed?' at length the
+deep, full voice of Lord Edward Bruce arose, distinct above the rest.
+'Shall the Bruce sit tamely down to await the working of the villain
+oath, and bid its tools go free, filling the whole land with
+well-trained murderers? Shall Buchan pass scathless, to weave yet
+darker, more atrocious schemes?'
+
+"'Brother, no,' frankly rejoined the king. 'We will make free to go and
+visit our friends in Buchan, and there, an thou wilt, thou shalt pay
+them in coin for their kindly intents and deeds towards us; but for this
+poor fool, again I say, let him go free. Misery and death, God wot, we
+are compelled to for our country's sake, let us spare where but our own
+person is endangered.'
+
+"And they let him free, my masters, unwise as it seemed to us; none
+could gainsay our sovereign's words. Sullen to the last, the only
+symptom of gratitude he vouchsafed was to mutter forth, in, answer to
+the Bruce's warning words to hie him to his comrades in Buchan, and bid
+them, an they feared fire and devastation, to fly without delay, 'Aye,
+only thus mayest thou hope to exterminate the traitors; pity none, spare
+none. The whole district of Buchan is peopled by the Comyn, bound by
+this oath of blood,' and thus he departed."
+
+"And spoke he truth?" demanded Sir Amiot, hoarsely, and with an
+agitation that, had others more suspicious been with him, must have been
+remarked, although forcibly and painfully suppressed; "spoke he truth?
+Methought the district of Buchan had only within the last century
+belonged to the Comyn, and that the descendants of the Countess
+Margaret's vassals still kept apart, loving not the intermixture of
+another clan. Said they not it was on this account the Countess of
+Buchan had exercised such influence, and herself beaded a gallant troop
+at the first rising of the Bruce? an the villain spoke truth, whence
+came this change?"
+
+"Why, for that matter, your worship, it is easy enough explained,"
+answered Murdoch, "and, trust me, King Robert set inquiries enough
+afloat ere he commenced his scheme of retaliation. Had there been one of
+the Lady Isabella's own followers there, one who, in her name, claimed
+his protection, he would have given it; not a hair of their heads would
+have been injured; but there were none of these, your worship. The few
+of the original clan which had not joined him were scattered all over
+the country, mingling with other loyal clans; their own master had
+hunted them away, when he came down to his own districts, just before
+the capture of his wife and son. He filled the Tower of Buchan with his
+own creatures, scattered the Comyns all over the land, with express
+commands to attack, hunt, or resist all of the name of Bruce to the last
+ebb of their existence. He left amongst them officers and knights as
+traitorous, and spirits well-nigh as evil as his own, and they obeyed
+him to the letter, for amongst the most inveterate, the most
+treacherous, and most dishonorable persecutors of the Bruce stood first
+and foremost the Comyns of Buchan. Ah! the land was changed from the
+time when the noble countess held sway there, and so they felt to their
+cost.
+
+"It was a grand yet fearful sight, those low hanging woods and glens all
+in one flame; the spring had been particularly dry and windy, and the
+branches caught almost with a spark, and crackled and sparkled, and
+blazed, and roared, till for miles round we could see and hear the work
+of devastation. Aye, the coward earl little knew what was passing in his
+territories, while he congratulated himself on his safe flight into
+England. It was a just vengeance, a deserved though terrible
+retaliation, and the king felt it as such, my masters. He had borne with
+the villains as long as he could, and would have borne with them still,
+had he not truly felt nothing would quench their enmity, and in
+consequence secure Scotland's peace and safety, but their utter
+extermination, and all the time he regretted it, I know, for there was a
+terrible look of sternness and determination about him while the work
+lasted; he never relaxed into a smile, he never uttered a jovial word,
+and we followed him, our own wild spirits awed into unwonted silence.
+There was not a vestige of natural or human life in the district--all
+was one mass of black, discolored ashes, utter ruin and appalling
+devastation. Not a tower of Buchan remains."
+
+"All--sayest thou all?" said Sir Amiot, suddenly, yet slowly, and with
+difficulty. "Left not the Bruce one to bear his standard, and thus mark
+his power?"
+
+"Has not your worship remarked that such is never the Bruce's policy?
+Three years ago, he had not force enough to fortify the castles he took
+from the English, and leaving them standing did but offer safe harbors
+for the foe, so it was ever his custom to dismantle, as utterly to
+prevent their reestablishment; and if he did this with the castles of
+his own friends, who all, as the Douglas saith, 'love better to hear the
+lark sing than the mouse squeak,' it was not likely he would spare
+Buchan's. But there was one castle, I remember, cost him a bitter
+struggle to demolish. It was the central fortress of the district,
+distinguished, I believe, by the name of 'the Tower of Buchan,' and had
+been the residence of that right noble lady, the Countess Isabella and
+her children. Nay, from what I overheard his grace say to Lord Edward,
+it had formerly given him shelter and right noble hospitality, and a
+dearer, more precious remembrance still to his noble heart--it had been
+for many months the happy home of his brother, Sir Nigel, and we know
+what magic power all associated with _him_ has upon the king; and had it
+not been for the expostulations of Lord Edward, his rough yet earnest
+entreaty, methinks that fortress had been standing yet. That sternness,
+terrible to behold, for it ever tells of some mighty inward passions
+conquered, again gathered on our sovereign's brow, but he turned his
+charger's head, and left to Lord Edward the destruction of the fortress,
+and he made quick work of it; you will scarce find two stones together
+of its walls."
+
+"He counselled right," echoed many voices, the eagerness with which they
+had listened, and now spoke, effectually turning their attention from
+their mysterious leader, who at old Murdoch's last words had with
+difficulty prevented the utterance of a deep groan, and then, as if
+startled at his own emotion, sprung up from his reclining posture, and
+joined his voice to those of his men. "He counselled, and did rightly,"
+they repeated; "it would have been an ill deed to spare a traitor's den
+for such softening thoughts. Could we but free the Countess Isabella,
+she would not want a home in Buchan--nay, the further from her cruel
+husband's territories the better and for her children--the one, poor
+innocent, is cared for, and the other--"
+
+"Aye, my masters, and trust me, that other was in our sovereign's heart
+as forcibly as the memories he spoke. That which we know now concerning
+him was then undreamed of; it was only faintly rumored that Lord Douglas
+had been deceived, and Alan of Buchan had not fallen by a father's hand,
+or at least by his orders; that he was in life, in close confinement; my
+old ears did catch something of this import from the king, as he spoke
+with his brother."
+
+"What import?" asked Sir Amiot, hoarsely.
+
+"Only, your worship, that, for the sake of the young heir of Buchan, he
+wished that such total devastation could have been spared; if he were
+really in life, as rumor said, it was hard to act as if he were
+forgotten by his friends."
+
+"And what was Sir Edward's reply?"
+
+"First, that he doubted the rumor altogether; secondly, that if he did
+return to the king, his loss might be more than made up; and thirdly,
+that it was more than probable that, young as he was, if he really did
+live, the arts of his father would prevail, and he would purchase his
+freedom by homage and fidelity to England."
+
+"Ha! said he so--and the king?"
+
+"Did not then think with him, nay, declared he would stake his right
+hand that the boy, young as he was, had too much of his mother's noble
+spirit for such a deed. It was well the stake was not accepted, for, by
+St. Andrew, as the tale now goes, King Robert would have lost."
+
+"As the tale now goes, thou unbelieving skeptic," replied one of his
+comrades, laughing; "has not the gallant been seen, recognized--is he
+not known as one of King Edward's minions, and lords it bravely? But
+hark! there are chargers pricking over the plain. Hurrah! Sir Edward and
+Lord James," and on came a large body of troopers and infantry even as
+he spoke.
+
+Up started Sir Amiot's men in eager readiness to greet and join; their
+armor and weapons they had laid aside were resumed, and ere their
+comrades reached them all were in readiness. Sir Amiot, attended by his
+esquires and a page, galloped forward, and the two knights, perceiving
+his advance, spurred on before their men, and hasty and cordial
+greetings were exchanged. We should perhaps note that Sir Amiot's manner
+slightly differed in his salutation of the two knights. To Lord Edward
+Bruce he was eager, frank, cordial, as that knight himself; to the
+other, whom one glance proclaimed as the renowned James Lord Douglas,
+there was an appearance of pride or reserve, and it seemed an effort to
+speak with him at all. Douglas perhaps did not perceive this, or was
+accustomed to it, for it seemed to affect him little; and Lord Edward's
+bluff address prevented all manifestation of difference between his
+colleagues, even if there existed any.
+
+"Ready to mount and ride; why that's well," he cried. "We are beyond our
+time, but it is little reck, we need but spur the faster, which our men
+seem all inclined to do. What news? why, none since we parted, save that
+his grace has resolved on the siege of Perth without further delay."
+
+"Nay, but that is news, so please you," replied Sir Amiot. "When I
+parted from his grace, there was no talk of it."
+
+"There was talk of it, but no certainty; for our royal brother kept his
+own counsel, and spoke not of this much-desired event till his way lay
+clear before him. There have been some turbulent spirits in the
+camp--your humble servant, this black lord, and Randolph amongst
+them--who in truth conspired to let his grace know no peace by night or
+day till this object was attained; but our prudent monarch gave us
+little heed till his wiser brain arranged the matters we but burned to
+execute."
+
+"And what, think you, fixed this resolve?"
+
+"Simply that for a time we are clear of English thieves and Norman
+rogues, and can march northward, and sit down before Perth without fear
+of being called southward again. Edward will have enow on his hands to
+keep his own frontiers from invasion; 'twill be some time ere he see the
+extent of our vengeance, and meanwhile our drift is gained."
+
+"Aye, it were a sin and crying shame to let Perth remain longer in
+English hands," rejoined Douglas; "strongly garrisoned it may be; but
+what matter?"
+
+"What matter! why, 'tis great matter," replied Sir Edward, joyously.
+"What glory were it to sit down before a place and take it at first
+charge? No, give me good fighting, tough assault, and brave defence.
+Think you I would have so urged the king, did I not scent a glorious
+struggle before the walls? Strongly garrisoned! I would not give one
+link of this gold chain for it, were it not. But a truce to this idle
+parley; we must make some miles ere nightfall. Sir Knight of the Branch,
+do your men need further rest? if not, give the word, and let them fall
+in with their comrades, and on."
+
+"Whither?" demanded Sir Amiot, as he gave the required orders. "Where
+meet we the king?"
+
+"In the Glen of Auchterader, south of the Erne. Lady Campbell and
+Isoline await us there, with the troops left as their guard at
+Dumbarton. So you perceive our friend Lord Douglas here hath double
+cause to use the spur; times like these afford little leisure for
+wooing, and such love-stricken gallants as himself must e'en make the
+most of them."
+
+"And trust me for doing so," laughingly rejoined Douglas. "Scoff' at me
+as you will, Edward, your time will come."
+
+"Not it," answered the warrior; "glory is my mistress. I love better to
+clasp my true steel than the softest and fairest hand in Christendom; to
+caress my noble steed and twine my hand thus in his flowing mane, and
+feel that he bears me gallantly and proudly wherever my spirit lists,
+than to press sweet kisses on a rosy lip, imprisoned by a woman's
+smile."
+
+"Nay, shame on thee!" replied Douglas, still jestingly. "Thou a true
+knight, and speak thus; were there not other work to do, I would e'en
+run a tilt with thee, to compel thee to forswear thy foul treason
+against the fair."
+
+"Better spend thy leisure in wooing Isoline; trust me, she will not be
+won ere wooed. How now, Sir Knight of the Branch, has the fiend
+melancholy taken possession of thee again? give her a thrust with thy
+lance, good friend, and unseat her. Come, soul of fire as thou art in
+battle, why dost thou mope in ashes in peace? Thou speakest neither for
+nor against these matters of love; wilt woo or scorn the little god?"
+
+"Perchance both, perchance neither," replied the knight, and his voice
+sounded sadly, though he evidently sought to speak in jest. He had
+fallen back from the side of Douglas during the previous conversation,
+but the flashing eye denoted that it had passed not unremarked. He now
+rode up to the side of Lord Edward, keeping a good spear's length from
+Lord James, and their converse turning on martial subjects, became more
+general. Their march being performed without any incident of note, we
+will, instead of following them, take a brief retrospective glance on
+those historical events which had so completely and gloriously turned
+the fate of Scotland and her patriots, in those five years which the
+thread of our narrative compels us to leave a blank.
+
+
+END OF VOL. I.
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+GRACE AGUILAR'S WORKS.
+
+
+HOME INFLUENCE.
+MOTHER'S RECOMPENSE.
+VALE OF CEDARS.
+WOMAN'S FRIENDSHIP.
+DAYS OF BRUCE.
+WOMEN OF ISRAEL.
+HOME SCENES AND HEART STUDIES.
+
+_1 vol., 12mo, Illustrated, price $1, with a Memoir of the Author,_
+
+HOME INFLUENCE,
+
+A TALE FOR MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS.
+
+By GRACE AGUILAR.
+
+"Grace Aguilar wrote and spoke as one inspired; she condensed and
+spiritualized, and all her thoughts and feelings were steeped in the
+essence of celestial love and truth. To those who really knew Grace
+Aguilar, all eulogium falls short of her deserts, and she has left a
+blank in her particular walk of literature, which we never expect to see
+filled up."--_Pilgrimages to English Shrines, by Mrs. Hall._
+
+"A clever and interesting tale, corresponding well to its name,
+illustrating the silent, constant influence of a wise and affectionate
+parent over characters the most diverse."--_Christian Lady's Magazine._
+
+"This interesting volume unquestionably contains many valuable hints on
+domestic education, much powerful writing, and a _moral_ of vast
+importance."--_Englishwoman's Magazine._
+
+"It is very pleasant, after reading a book, to speak of it in terms of
+high commendation. The tale before us is an admirable one, and is
+executed with taste and ability. The language is beautiful and
+appropriate; the analysis of character is skilful and varied. The work
+ought to be in the hands of all who are interested in the proper
+training of the youthful mind."--_Palladium._
+
+"In reviewing this work, we hardly know what words in the English
+language are strong enough to express the admiration we have felt in its
+perusal."--_Bucks Chronicle._
+
+"The object and end of the writings of Grace Aguilar were to improve the
+heart, and to lead her readers to the consideration of higher motives
+and objects than this world can ever afford."--_Bell's Weekly
+Messenger._
+
+"'Home Influence' will not be forgotten by any who have perused
+it."--_Critic._
+
+"A well-known and valuable tale."--_Gentleman's Magazine._
+
+"A work which, possesses an extraordinary amount of influence to elevate
+the mind and educate the heart, by showing that rectitude and virtue
+conduce no less to material prosperity, and worldly comfort and
+happiness, than to the satisfaction of the conscience, the approval of
+the good, and the hope and certainty of bliss hereafter."--_Herts County
+Press._
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+THE SEQUEL TO HOME INFLUENCE.
+
+
+THE MOTHER'S RECOMPENSE.
+
+A SEQUEL TO
+
+_"Home Influence, a Tale for Mothers and Daughters."_
+
+By GRACE AGUILAR.
+
+1 VOL., 12MO. CLOTH. $1. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+
+"Grace Aguilar belonged to the school of which Maria Edgeworth was the
+foundress. The design of the book is carried out forcibly and
+constantly, 'The Home Influence' exercised in earlier years being shown
+in its active germination."--_Atlas._
+
+"The writings of Grace Aguilar have a charm inseparable from productions
+in which feeling is combined with intellect; they go directly to the
+heart. 'Home Influence,' the deservedly popular story to which this is a
+sequel, admirably teaches the lesson implied in its name. In the present
+tale we have the same freshness, earnestness, and zeal--the same spirit
+of devotion, and love of virtue--the same enthusiasm and sincere
+religion which characterized that earlier work. We behold the mother now
+blessed in the love of good and affectionate offspring, who, parents
+themselves, are, after her example, training _their_ children in the way
+of rectitude and piety."--_Morning Chronicle._
+
+"This beautiful story was completed when the authoress was little above
+the age of nineteen, yet it has the sober sense of middle age. There is
+no age nor sex that will not profit by its perusal, and it will afford
+as much pleasure as profit to the reader."--_Critic._
+
+"The same kindly spirit, the same warm charity and fervor of devotion
+which breathes in every line of that admirable book, 'Home Influence,'
+will be found adorning and inspiring 'The Mother's Recompense.'"--_Morning
+Advertiser._
+
+"The good which, she (Grace Aguilar) has effected is acknowledged on all
+hands, and it cannot be doubted but that the appearance of this volume
+will increase the usefulness of one who may yet be said to be still
+speaking to the heart and to the affections of human nature."--_Bell's
+Messenger._
+
+"It will be found an interesting supplement, not only to the book to
+which it specially relates, but to all the writer's other
+works."--_Gentleman's Magazine._
+
+"'The Mother's Recompense' forms a fitting close to its predecessor,
+'Home Influence.' The results of maternal care are fully developed, its
+rich rewards are set forth, and its lesson and its moral are powerfully
+enforced."--_Morning Post._
+
+"We heartily commend this volume; a better or more useful present to a
+youthful friend or a young wife could not well be selected."--_Herts
+County Press._
+
+"We look upon 'The Days of Bruce' as an elegantly-written and
+interesting romance, and place it by the side of Miss Porter's 'Scottish
+Chiefs.'"--_Gentleman's Magazine._
+
+"A very pleasing and successful attempt to combine ideal delineation of
+character with the records of history. Very beautiful and very true are
+the portraits of the female mind and heart which Grace Aguilar knew how
+to draw. This is the chief charm of all her writings, and in 'The Days
+of Bruce' the reader will have the pleasure of viewing this skillful
+portraiture in the characters of Isoline and Agnes, and Isabella of
+Buchan."--_Literary Gazette._
+
+"What a fertile mind was that of Grace Aguilar! What an early
+development of reflection, of feeling, of taste, of power of invention,
+or true and earnest eloquence! 'The Days of Bruce' is a composition of
+her early youth, but full of beauty. Grace Aguilar knew the female heart
+better than any writer of our day, and in every fiction from her pen we
+trace the same masterly analysis and development of the motives and
+feelings of woman's nature. 'The Days of Bruce' possesses also the
+attractions of an extremely interesting story, that absorbs the
+attention, and never suffers it to flag till the last page is closed,
+and then the reader will lay down the volume with regret."--_Critic._
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+HOME SCENES AND HEART STUDIES,
+
+By GRACE AGUILAR.
+
+WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+One volume, 12mo. Cloth. Price, $1.00.
+
+The Perez Family. The Stone-Cutter's Boy of Possagno. Amete and
+Yafeh. The Fugitive. The Edict; A Tale of 1492. The Escape; A Tale of
+1755. Red Rose Villa. Gonzalvo's Daughter. The Authoress.
+
+Helon.
+Lucy.
+The Spirit's Entreaty.
+Idalie.
+Lady Gresham's Fete.
+The Group of Sculpture.
+The Spirit of Night.
+Recollections of a Rambler.
+Cast thy Bread upon the Waters.
+The Triumph of Love.
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+THE WOMEN OF ISRAEL;
+
+Or, Characters and Sketches from the Holy Scriptures, illustrative
+of the past History, present Duties, and future Destiny of Hebrew
+Females, as based on the Word of God.
+
+By GRACE AGUILAR.
+
+Two volumes, 12mo. Price $2.00.
+
+
+PRINCIPAL CONTENTS.
+
+FIRST PERIOD--WIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS.
+Eve.--Sarah.--Rebekah.--Leah and Rachel.
+
+SECOND PERIOD--THE EXODUS AND THE LAW.
+Egyptian Captivity, and Jochebed.--The Exodus--Mothers of Israel.--Laws
+for Wives in Israel.--Laws for Widows and Daughters In
+Israel.--Maid-servants in Israel, and other Laws.
+
+THIRD PERIOD--BETWEEN THIS DELIVERY OF THE LAW AND THE MONARCHY.
+Miriam.--Tabernacle Workers--Caleb's Daughter.--Deborah.--Wife of
+Manoah.--Naomi.--Hannah.
+
+FOURTH PERIOD--THE MONARCHY.
+Michal.--Abigail.--Wise Women of Tekoah.--Woman of
+Abel.--Rispah.--Prophet's Widow.--The Shunamite.--Little Israelitish
+Maid.--Huldah.
+
+FIFTH PERIOD--BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
+The Captivity.--Review of Book of Ezra.--Suggestions as to the identity
+of the Ahasuerus of Scripture.--Esther.--Review of Events narrated in Ezra
+and Nehemiah.
+
+SIXTH PERIOD--CONTINUANCE OF THE SECOND TEMPLE.
+Review of Jewish History, from the Return from Babylon to the Appeal of
+Hycanus and Aristobulus to Pompey.--Jewish History from the Appeal to
+Pompey to the Death of Herod.--Jewish History from the Death of Herod to
+the War.--The Martyr Mother.--Alexandra.--Mariamne.--Salome.--Helena.
+--Berenice.
+
+
+SEVENTH PERIOD--WOMEN OF ISRAEL IN THE PRESENT AS INFLUENCED BY THE PAST.
+The War and Dispersion.--Thoughts on the Talmud.--Talmudic Ordinances
+and Tales.--Effects of Dispersion and Persecution.--General Remarks.
+
+
+"A work that is sufficient of itself to create and crown a
+reputation."--_Pilgrimages to English Shrines, by Mrs. S. C. Hall._
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+WOMAN'S FRIENDSHIP.
+
+A STORY OF DOMESTIC LIFE.
+
+By GRACE AGUILAR.
+
+_With Illustrations. One volume, 12mo. Cloth. Price, $1.00._
+
+  "To show us how divine a thing
+   A woman may be made."--Wordsworth.
+
+"This story illustrates, with feeling and power, that beneficial
+influence which women exercise, in their own quiet way, over characters
+and events in our every-day life."--_Britannia._
+
+"The book is one of more than ordinary interest in various ways, and
+presents an admirable conception of the depths and sincerity of female
+friendship, as exhibited in England by English women."--_Weekly
+Chronicle._
+
+"We began to read the volume late in the evening; and, although it
+consists of about 400 pages, our eyes could not close in sleep until we
+had read the whole. This excellent book should find a place on every
+drawing-room table--nay, in every library in the kingdom."--_Bucks
+Chronicle._
+
+"We congratulate Miss Aguilar on the spirit, motive, and composition of
+this story. Her aims are eminently moral, and her cause comes
+recommended by the most beautiful associations. These, connected with
+the skill here evinced in their development, insure the success of her
+labors."--_Illustrated News._
+
+"As a writer of remarkable grace and delicacy, she devoted herself to
+the inculcation of the virtues, more especially those which are the
+peculiar charm of women."--_Critic._
+
+"It is a book for all classes of readers; and we have no hesitation in
+saying, that it only requires to be generally known to become
+exceedingly popular. In our estimation it has far more attractions
+than Miss Burney's celebrated, but overestimated, novel of
+'Cecilia.'"--_Herts County Press._
+
+"This very interesting and agreeable tale has remained longer without
+notice on our part than we could have desired; but we would now endeavor
+to make amends for the delay, by assuring our readers that it is a most
+ably-written publication, full of the nicest points of information and
+utility that could have been by any possibility constructed; and, as a
+proof of its value, it may suffice to say, that it has been taken from
+our table again and again by several individuals, from the
+recommendation of those who had already perused it, and be prevented our
+giving an earlier attention to its manifold claims for the favorable
+criticism. It is peculiarly adapted for the young, and wherever it goes
+will be received with gratification, and command very extensive
+approbation."--_Bell's Weekly Messenger._
+
+"This is a handsome volume: just such a book as we would expect to find
+among the volumes composing a lady's library. Its interior corresponds
+with its exterior; it is a most fascinating tale, full of noble and just
+sentiments."--_Palladium._
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+THE VALE OF CEDARS
+
+or,
+
+THE MARTYR.
+
+A STORY OF SPAIN IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
+
+By GRACE AGUILAR.
+
+_With Illustrations. 1 vol., 12mo. Cloth, $1.00._
+
+"The authoress of this most fascinating volume has selected for her field
+one of the most remarkable eras in modern history--the reigns of Ferdinand
+and Isabella. The tale turns on the extraordinary extent to which concealed
+Judaism had gained footing at that period in Spain. It is marked by much
+power of description, and by a woman's delicacy of touch, and it will add
+to its writer's well-earned reputation."--_Eclectic Review._
+
+"The scene of this interesting tale is laid during the reign of
+Ferdinand and Isabella. The Vale of Cedars is the retreat of a Jewish
+family, compelled by persecution to perform their religions rites with
+the utmost secrecy. On the singular position of this fated race in the
+most Catholic land of Europe, the interest of the tale mainly
+depends; whilst a few glimpses of the horrors of the terrible
+Inquisition are afforded the reader, and heighten the interest
+of the narrative."--_Sharpe's Magazine._
+
+"Any thing which proceeds from the pen of the authoress of this volume
+is sure to command attention and appreciation. There is so much of
+delicacy and refinement about her style, and each a faithful delineation
+of nature in all she attempts, that she has taken her place amongst the
+highest class of modern writers of fiction. We consider this to be one
+of Miss Aguilar's best efforts."--_Bell's Weekly Messenger._
+
+"We heartily commend the work to our readers as one exhibiting, not
+merely talent, but genius, and a degree of earnestness, fidelity to
+Nature, and artistic grace, rarely found."--_Herts County Press._
+
+"The 'Vale of Cedars' is indeed one of the most touching and interesting
+stories that have ever issued from the press. There is a life-like
+reality about it which is not often observed in works of this nature;
+while we read it we felt as if we were witnesses of the various scenes
+it depicts."--_Bucks Chronicle._
+
+"It is a tale of deep and pure devotion, very touchingly
+narrated."--_Atlas._
+
+"The authoress has already received our commendation; her present work
+is calculated to sustain, her reputation."--_Illustrated News._
+
+"It is indeed a historical romance of a high class. Seeing how steady
+and yet rapid was her improvement--how rich the promise of her
+genius--it is impossible to close this notice of her last and best work,
+without lamenting that the authoress was so untimely snatched from a
+world she appeared destined, as certainly she was singularly qualified,
+to adorn and to improve."--_Critic._
+
+
+New York: D. APPLETON & CO.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Days of Bruce  Vol 1, by Grace Aguilar
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