that you wish for a time to remain quiet at home, and seeing that
you have suffered severe imprisonment and a grievous risk of death
in my cause, methinks you have well earned the right to rest quiet
for a while with your brave lady. At present I can dispense with
the services of your retainers. Most of the low country is now in
my hands, and the English garrisons dare not venture out of their
strong places. The army that the King of England collected to crush
us has been, I hear, much disorganized by his death, and the barons
will doubtless wring concessions and privileges from his son before
they spread their banners to the wind again. From all reports the
new king has but little of his father's ability and energy, and
months may elapse before any serious effort is made against us.
I am despatching my brother Edward to join Douglas in subduing
Galloway, and during his absence I shall be content to remain here
in the field with a small following, for the English governors
of the towns will, methinks, stand only on the defensive, until a
strong army marches north from England. When Galloway is subdued
the lowlands will be all in my hands save for the English garrisons,
and I shall on Edward's return set myself to punish the Comyns and
the other traitor nobles of the north, who are well nigh all hand
and glove with the English. So long as Scotland has such powerful
enemies in her midst she cannot hope to cope with the forces which
England can send against her. Alone and united the task is one
which will tax her strength to the utmost, seeing that England is
in wealth and population so far her superior, and Edward disposes
of the force of Ireland, of Wales, and of Gascony; therefore my
first task must be to root out these traitor nobles from among us.
When I move north I shall need your company and your strength; but
until Edward has cleared the English out of Galloway, captured the
strongholds, and reduced it to obedience, you can stop in Aberfilly,
and there at times, when I have no enterprise on hand and can take
a few days, I will come and rest if you will give me hospitality."

So until the following spring Archie Forbes remained quietly and
most happily at home. Several times the king came and stayed a few
days at Aberfilly, where he was safe against surprise and treachery.
Not long after Archie's return home, Father Anselm arrived, to
Archie's satisfaction and the great joy of Marjory, and took up
his abode there