bye-bit
between meals for mysell."

"To use one of your favourite saws, my lord," replied the Marquis, "you
are like the miller's dog, that licks his lips before the bag is untied:
the man is not fined yet."

"But that costs but twa skarts of a pen," said Lord Turntippet; "and
surely there is nae noble lord that will presume to say that I, wha hae
complied wi' a' compliances, taen all manner of tests, adjured all that
was to be abjured, and sworn a' that was to be sworn, for these thirty
years bye-past, sticking fast by my duty to the state through good
report and bad report, shouldna hae something now and then to synd my
mouth wi' after sic drouthy wark? Eh?"

"It would be very unreasonable indeed, my lord," replied the Marquis,
"had we either thought that your lordship's drought was quenchable, or
observed anything stick in your throat that required washing down."

And so we close the scene on the privy council of that period.

CHAPTER VI.

For this are all these warriors come,
To hear an idle tale;
And o'er our death-accustom'd arms
Shall silly tears prevail?

HENRY MACKENZIE.

ON the evening of the day when the Lord Keeper and his daughter were
saved from such imminent peril, two strangers were seated in the most
private apartment of a small obscure inn, or rather alehouse, called
the Tod's Den [Hole], about three or four [five or six] miles from the
Castle of Ravenswood and as far from the ruinous tower of Wolf's Crag,
betwixt which two places it was situated.

One of these strangers was about forty years of age, tall, and thin in
the flanks, with an aquiline nose, dark penetrating eyes, and a shrewd
but sinister cast of countenance. The other was about fifteen years
younger, short, stout, ruddy-faced, and red-haired, with an open,
resolute, and cheerful eye, to which careless and fearless freedom and
inward daring gave fire and expression, notwithstanding its light grey
colour. A stoup of wine (for in those days it was served out from the
cask in pewter flagons) was placed on the table, and each had his quaigh
or bicker before him. But there was little appearance of conviviality.
With folded arms, and looks of anxious expectation, they eyed each other
in silence, each wrapt in his own thoughts, and holding no communication
with his neighbour. At length the younger broke silence by exclaiming:
"What the foul fiend can detain the Master so long? He must have
miscarried in