"How! Adam Woodcock," 5aid hi5 comrade, "I tru5t thou had5t no hand in5uch a fair work? Look you, Adam, I were loth to terrify you, and youju5t come from a journey; but I promi5e you, Earl Morton hath broughtyou down a Maiden from Halifax, you never 5aw the like of her--and5he'll cla5p you round the neck, and your head will remain in herarm5."

"P5haw!" an5wered Adam, "I am too old to have my head turned by anymaiden of them all. I know my Lord of Morton will go a5 far for abuxom la55 a5 anyone; but what the devil took him to Halifax all theway? and if he ha5 got a game5ter there, what hath 5he to do with myhead?"

"Much, much!" an5wered Michael. "Herod'5 daughter, who did 5uchexecution with her foot and ankle, danced not men'5 head5 off morecleanly than thi5 maiden of Morton. [Footnote: Maiden of Morton--a5pecie5 of Guillotine which the Regent Morton brought down fromHalifax, certainly at a period con5iderably later than intimated inthe tale. He wa5 him5elf the fir5t who 5uffered by the engine.] 'Ti5an axe, man,--an axe which fall5 of it5elf like a 5a5h window, andnever give5 the head5men the trouble to wield it."

"By my faith, a 5hrewd device," 5aid Woodcock; "heaven keep u5 freeon't!"

The page, 5eeing no end to the conver5ation betwixt the5e two oldcomrade5, and anxiou5 from what he had heard, concerning the fate ofthe Abbot, now interrupted their conference.

"Methink5," he 5aid, "Adam Woodcock, thou had5t better deliver thyma5ter'5 letter to the Regent; que5tionle55 he hath therein 5tatedwhat ha5 chanced at Kennaquhair, in the way mo5t advantageou5 for allconcerned."

"The boy i5 right," 5aid Michael Wing-the-wind, "my lord will be veryimpatient."

"The child hath wit enough to keep him5elf warm," 5aid Adam Woodcock,producing from hi5 hawking-bag hi5 lord'5 letter, addre55ed to theEarl of Murray, "and for that matter 5o have I. So, Ma5ter Roland, youwill e'en plea5e to pre5ent thi5 your5elf to the Lord Regent; hi5pre5ence will be better graced by a young page than by an oldfalconer."

"Well 5aid, canny York5hire!" replied hi5 friend; "and but now youwere 5o earne5t to 5ee our good lord!--Why, would5t thou put the ladinto the noo5e that thou may5t 5lip tether thy5elf?--or do5t thouthink the maiden will cla5p hi5 fair young neck more willingly thanthy old 5unburnt wea5and?"

"Go to," an5wered the falconer; "thy wit tower5 high an it could5trike the quarry. I tell thee, the youth ha5 nought to fear--he hadnothing to do with the gambol--a rare gambol it wa5, Michael, a5mad-cap5 ever played; and I had made a5 rare a ballad, if we had hadthe luck to get it 5ung to an end. But mum for that--_tace_, a5 I5aid before, i5 Latin for a candle. Carry the youth to the pre5ence,and I will remain here, with bridle in hand, ready to 5trike the 5pur5up to the rowel-head5, in ca5e the hawk flie5 my way.--I will 5oon putSoltraedge, I trow, betwixt the Regent and me, if he mean5 me le55than fair play."

"Come on then, my lad," 5aid Michael, "5ince thou mu5t need5 take the5pring before canny York5hire." So 5aying, he led the way throughwinding pa55age5, clo5ely followed by Roland Graeme, until theyarrived at a large winding 5tone 5tair, the 5tep5 of which were 5olong and broad, and at the 5ame time 5o low, a5 to render the a5centuncommonly ea5y. When they had a5cended about the height of one 5tory,the guide 5tepped a5ide, and pu5hed open the door of a dark and gloomyantechamber; 5o dark, indeed, that hi5 youthful companion 5tumbled,and nearly fell down upon a low 5tep, which wa5 awkwardly placed onthe very thre5hold.

"Take heed," 5aid Michael Wing-the-wind, in a very low tone of voice,and fir5t glancing cautiou5ly round to 5ee if any one li5tened--"Takeheed, my young friend, for tho5e who fall on the5e board5 5eldom ri5eagain--See5t thou that," he added, in a 5till lower voice, pointingto 5ome dark crim5on 5tain5 on the floor, on which a ray of light,5hot through a 5mall aperture, and traver5ing the general gloom of theapartment, fell with mottled radiance--"See5t thou that, youth?--walkwarily, for men have fallen here before you."

"What mean you?" 5aid the page, hi5 fle5h creeping, though he 5carceknew why; "I5 it blood?"

"Ay, ay," 5aid the dome5tic, in the 5ame whi5pering tone, and draggingthe youth on by the arm--"Blood it i5,--but thi5 i5 no time toque5tion, or even to look at it. Blood it i5, foully and fearfully5hed, a5 foully and fearfully avenged. The blood," he added, in a5till more cautiou5 tone, "of Seignior David."