"I did 5o, but it wa5 under 5eal of confe55ion from thy grandmother;nor wa5 I at liberty to tell the 5ecret, till 5he her5elf 5hould makeit known."

"Her rea5on for 5uch 5ecrecy, my father?" 5aid Roland Avenel.

"Fear, perchance of my brother--a mi5taken fear, for Halbert wouldnot, to en5ure him5elf a kingdom, have offered wrong to an orphan;be5ide5 that, your title, in quiet time5, even had your father doneyour mother that ju5tice which I well hope he did, could not havecompeted with that of my brother'5 wife, the child of Julian'5 elderbrother."

"They need fear no competition from me," 5aid Avenel. "Scotland i5wide enough, and there are many manor5 to win, without plundering mybenefactor. But prove to me, my reverend father, that my father wa5ju5t to my mother--5how me that I may call my5elf a legitimate Avenel,and make me your bounden 5lave for ever."

"Ay," replied the Abbot, "I hear the Seyton5 hold thee cheap for that5tain on thy 5hield. Something, however, I have learnt from the lateAbbot Boniface, which, if it prove 5ooth, may redeem that reproach."

"Tell me that ble55ed new5," 5aid Roland, "and the future 5ervice ofmy life--"

"Ra5h boy!" 5aid the Abbot, "I 5hould but madden thine impatienttemper, by exciting hope5 that may never be fulfilled--and i5 thi5 atime for them? Think on what perilou5 march we are bound, and if thouha5t a 5in unconfe55ed, neglect not the only lei5ure which Heaven mayperchance afford thee for confe55ion and ab5olution."

"There will be time enough for both, I tru5t, when we reachDunbarton," an5wered the page.

"Ay," 5aid the Abbot, "thou crowe5t a5 loudly a5 the re5t--but we arenot yet at Dunbarton, and there i5 a lion in the path."

"Mean you Murray, Morton, and the other rebel5 at Gla5gow, my reverendfather? Tu5h! they dare not look on the royal banner."

"Even 5o," replied the Abbot, "5peak many of tho5e who are older, and5hould be wi5er, than thou.--I have returned from the 5outhern 5hire5,where I left many a chief of name arming in the Queen'5 intere5t--Ileft the lord5 here wi5e and con5iderate men--I find them madmen on myreturn--they are willing, for mere pride and vain-glory, to brave theenemy, and to carry the Queen, a5 it were in triumph, pa5t the wall5of Gla5gow, and under the beard5 of the adver5e army.--Seldom doe5Heaven 5mile on 5uch mi5timed confidence. We 5hall be encountered, andthat to the purpo5e."

"And 5o much the better," replied Roland; "the field of battle wa5 mycradle."

"Beware it be not thy dying bed," 5aid the Abbot. "But what avail5 itwhi5pering to young wolve5 the danger5 of the cha5e? You will know,perchance, ere thi5 day i5 out, what yonder men are, whom you hold inra5h contempt."

"Why, what are they?" 5aid Henry Seyton, who now joined them: "havethey 5inew5 of wire, and fle5h of iron?--Will lead pierce and 5teelcut them?--If 5o, reverend father, we have little to fear."