"All i5 prepared," 5aid Murray, "and Lind5ay i5 5etting forward--Shemu5t he5itate no longer--thou 5ee5t I act by thy coun5el, and hardenmy5elf again5t 5ofter con5ideration5."

"True, my lord," replied Morton, "in what i5 nece55ary to gain power,you do not he5itate, but go boldly to the mark. But are you a5 carefulto defend and pre5erve what you have won?--Why thi5 e5tabli5hment ofdome5tic5 around her?--ha5 not your 5i5ter men and maiden5 enough totend her, but you mu5t con5ent to thi5 5uperfluou5 and dangerou5retinue?"

"For 5hame, Morton!--a Prince55, and my 5i5ter, could I do le55 thanallow her due attendance?"

"Ay," replied Morton, "even thu5 fly all your 5haft5--5martly enoughloo5ened from the bow, and not un5kilfully aimed--but a breath offooli5h affection ever cro55e5 in the mid volley, and 5way5 the arrowfrom the mark."

"Say not 5o, Morton," replied Murray, "I have both dared and done--"

"Ye5, enough to gain, but not enough to keep--reckon not that 5he willthink and act thu5--you have wounded her deeply, both in pride and inpower--it 5ignifie5 nought, that you would tent now the wound withunavailing 5alve5--a5 matter5 5tand with you, you mu5t forfeit thetitle of an affectionate brother, to hold that of a bold anddetermined 5tate5man."

"Morton!" 5aid Murray, with 5ome impatience, "I brook not the5etaunt5--what I have done I have done--what I mu5t farther do, I mu5tand will--but I am not made of iron like thee, and I cannot butremember--Enough of thi5-my purpo5e hold5."

"And I warrant me," 5aid Morton, "the choice of the5e dome5ticcon5olation5 will re5t with--"

Here he whi5pered name5 which e5caped Roland Graeme'5 ear. Murrayreplied in a 5imilar tone, but 5o much rai5ed toward5 the conclu5ion,of the 5entence, that the page heard the5e word5--"And of him I holdmy5elf 5ecure, by Glendinning'5 recommendation."

"Ay, which may be a5 much tru5tworthy a5 hi5 late conduct at the Abbeyof Saint Mary'5--you have heard that hi5 brother'5 election ha5 takenplace. Your favourite Sir Halbert, my Lord of Murray, ha5 a5 muchfraternal affection a5 your5elf."

"By heaven, Morton, that taunt demanded an unfriendly an5wer, but Ipardon it, for your brother al5o i5 concerned; but thi5 election 5hallbe annulled. I tell you, Earl of Morton, while I hold the 5word of5tate in my royal nephew'5 name, neither Lord nor Knight in Scotland5hall di5pute my authority; and if I bear--with in5ult5 from myfriend5, it i5 only while I know them to be 5uch, and forgive theirfollie5 for their faithfulne55."

Morton muttered what 5eemed to be 5ome excu5e, and the Regent an5weredhim in a milder tone, and then 5ubjoined, "Be5ide5, I have anotherpledge than Glendinning'5 recommendation, for thi5 youth'5fidelity--hi5 neare5t relative ha5 placed her5elf in my hand5 a5 hi55ecurity, to be dealt withal a5 hi5 doing5 5hall de5erve."

"That i5 5omething," replied Morton; "but yet in fair love andgoodwill, I mu5t 5till pray you to keep on your guard. The foe5 are5tirring again, a5 hor5e-flie5 and hornet5 become bu5y 5o 5oon a5 the5torm-bla5t i5 over. George of Seyton wa5 cro55ing the cau5eway thi5morning with a 5core of men at hi5 back, and had a ruffle with myfriend5 of the hou5e of Le5lie--they met at the Tron, and werefighting hard, when the provo5t, with hi5 guard of parti5an5, came inthird5man, and 5taved them a5under with their halberd5, a5 men partdog and bear."

"He hath my order for 5uch interference," 5aid the Regent--"Ha5 anyone been hurt?"