The Scottish Chiefs

eeing his country, could ever claim the privilege of investigating the mystery which was now his care. Wallace rode on till, crossing

tching, with an anxious heart, the minutes of his delay. Scotland and its wrongs he now forgot, in the idea of her whose happiness was dearer to him than life. He could not achieve t

arms told him the sound had issued from an alley to the left. He alighted in an instant, and drawing his sword, threw away the scabbard (

's soldiers. At this sight, the Scots who accompanied Wallace were so enraged that, blowing their bugles to encourage the assa

his back, which would have thrown him at the feet of his enemies, had not Wallace caught him in his left arm, and with his right, cleared the way, while he cried to his men who were fighting near

passage to his rescue, and effected it; but one base wretch, while the now wounded Scot was retreating, made a stroke which would have severed his head from his body, had not the t

ses were thrown open; people armed and unarmed issued from their doors and pressed forward to inquire the cause of the alarm. Wallace was nearly overpowered; a hundred

veral wretches, who had fallen with him and fared worse, he made but one step to a half-opened door, pointed out to him by a gleam from an inner passage. The men uttered a shout as they saw him darken the lig

. Springing on the projecting point of the nearest, he leaped into a thicket of honeysuckles. This was the favorite bower of his Marion! The soft perfume, as it saluted his senses, seemed to breathe peace and safety; and as he emerged from its f

charity. Her beautiful hands held a cup to the lips of the stranger; while her long h

ard, threw herself into his arms; her tears flowed, she sobbed-she clung to his breast. It was the first time Wallace had been from

d fell from his forehead upon her face and

is well, since our wou

error had checked their joyful currents; and she felt as if she e

r is not hurt?" inq

e gash to be wider than he thought, he saw in the countenance of his wife! She turned deadly pale. "Marion," said he,

ith a languid smile she unbound the linen fillet from her waist; and Halbert having poured some balsam into the wound, she prepared to apply the bandage; but when she lifted her husband's hair from his temple-that hair which had so often been the object of her admiration, as it hung in shining masses over his arching brows!-when the clo

had prevented her hearing what had preceded this-"

ed Wallace, "that has preserved a

has made the Southrons feel there is yet one man in Scotland wh

larmed spirit still hovering about her soul's

thwell Castle (where my family now are), on a plea, that as its lord is yet absent, they presume he is adverse to Edward, and therefore they must search his dwelling for documents to settle the point. Considering myself the representative of my brother-in-law, Lord Bothwell, and suspecting that this mig

ccosted me. I recognized him to be the officer who had commanded the party I had driven from the castle. Heselrigge having told me that he was his nephew, I made no hesitation to go back with him, when he informed me that his uncle had forgotten something of importance, and begged me to return. I foll

s. They attempted to seize me, telling me I was the prisoner of King Edward. I did not listen further, but wounding one with my dagger, felled the other to the ground; and darting past him, made my way through what passages I cannot tell, till I found myself in a street leading from behind the gove

ue my way on foot to the protection of my family, when, at the turning of an angle which leads to the Bothwell road, we were suddenly surr

triumph exclaimed to his soldiers, 'The plunder of Bothwell, my

till the cries of my servant brought you, my brave deliverer, to my rescue. But, while I am safe, perhaps my treacherous pursuer has marched toward Bothwell, too sure to

l by my hand, for the soldiers made an outcry that Arthur Heselrigge was killed; and then press

r!" cried a man rushing in fro

ld-whom he had rescued from the blow of Heselrigge, and who, fro

rs. The tumult of men demanding admittance and the terrible sound of spears rattling against the

etrated the almost palsied senses of Lady Marion.

she, looking wil

is arms. "Would this be a moment to leave y

ey are? Mark that shout! they thirst for blood. If you h

h shrieking women in their night-clothes, the attendants of

g their hands, "what will become of us! The Southro

o your chambers. I am the person they

lace, turning to the earl, who continued to enforce the necessity of his fli

, in an inarticulate

room. Two of the assailants had climbed to the hall window; and had just been thrown back upon the cliffs, where one was kill

e is a dry well at the end of the garden;

g at his feet, and clasping his knees. "I kneel for my life in kneeling for yours! Pity the gray hairs of Sir Ronald, whom your untim

his heart, "I obey thee. But if the hand of one of the

"it is you they seek. Not finding you, they wi

Marion; "only fly-while you a

t our faithful Halbert and these honest fellows lower Lord Mar into the place of refu

o the garden. He was followed by Sir William Wallace, to whose arm his wife yet fondly clung. At every cry of the enemy, at every shock t

again, before it was tied round Wallace (for his agonized wife insisted he should descend next), he recollected that the iron box at his side might hurt

f the garden, and were within a few yards of the well. For Wallace to descend now was impossible. "That tree!" whispered Marion, pointing to an oak-tree near which they st

nce upon the assassin of Arthur Heselrigge! One, who by the brightness of his armor seemed to be their leader, stopped under the tree, and complained he had so sprained his ankle in leaping th

e tower through the now forced gates, soon ran to him wi

ongst a band of men. The lighted torches which the soldiers held, shone full on her face. Though pale as monumental marble, the e

, doubly, for the fate of his master. A sudden agitation of the branches having excited an indefinite suspicion in a body of archers who stood near, with one impulse they had discharged their arrows to the spot. Halbert's ready excuse, both for the disturbanc

"both for the alarm these hot-headed men have occasioned you, and for the violence they have committed in forcing one of your sex and beauty before me. Had I expected to have found a lady here, I should have issued orders to have prevented this outrage; but I am sent hither in quest of Sir William Wallace, who,

ion, in a firm tone; "and by what authority you seek him t

the laws, madam, wh

e acknowledges none but those of God and his c

s him, by the last declaration of King Edward: Whatever Scot maltreats any one of the English soldiers, or ci

in the streets of Lanark, do I glory; but because, when he saw two defenseless men borne down by a band of armed soldiers, he exposed his unshielded breast in their defense; one of the two died, covered with wounds. That the

hey were at a sufficient distance, he offered to take Lady Wallace's hand. She withstood his

ge fell, till I heard it from your lips. I can easily credit them, for I know his unmanly character. Wallace is a Scot, and acted in Scotland as Gilbert Hambledon would have done in England, were it possible for any vile foreigner to there

ambledon continued, "I will use my influence with Heselrigge, to prevent the interior of your house from being disturbed again; but it being in the course of military operations, I cannot

ed far distant!" thoug

to them who had seized the harper. They advanced, still holding their prisoner. He ordered them to commit the man to h

nds. Mount your horses, that we may return to Lanark, and sea

d the wondering Halbert. The brave young man took the now no longer withdrawn hand of the grateful Marion, who ha

conduct; but should you or yours be ever in the like extremity with my beloved Wallace (and in these tyrannous times, what br

yet it is only to the Lord of battles that I look for a sure reward. And whether he pay me here with victories and honors, or take my soul through a rent in my brea

another rustling in the tree above her head. Hambledon did not notice it; but desiring

s of Hambledon to his wife had made him hesitate. He listened to the replies of his Marion with exultation; and when the Englishman ordered his men to withdraw, and delivered himself so generously respecting the safety of the man he came to seize, Wallace could hardly prevent a brave confidence in such virtue from compelling hi

nqueror, how soon would the vanquished cease to forget their former freedom, and learn to love their vassalage! This man's nobleness, how s

suppressed tone, as if still fearful of being overheard

round. "One only of the arrows touched me; and that merely striking my bugle, fell

etreat from the English trumpets. "Till their troops a

it had been too powerfully excited by the preceding scenes. Unaccustomed to tumult of any king, and nursed in the bosom of fondness till now, no blast had blown on her tender form, no harshness had ever ruffled the blissful serenity of her mind. What then was the shock of this evening's violence! Her husband pursued as a murderer; herself exposed to the

hy Wallace! Look on him!" exclaimed he; "b

ction. She wept on his breast, and with love's own eloquence, thanked

st not stay here. You know the English commander said he must f

depart. Should the guard arrive soon, your flight

while hunting, and which I believe have been visited by no mortal foot but my own. There I will be, my Marion, before sunrise; and before it sets, thither you must send Halbert, to tell me how

of an old Gaelic ditty, the English of which runs thus: "Thou w

ace, let me

and streams! to expose thy tender self, and thine un

ked she. "O! would not rocks and streams be Heaven's paradise t

flight would awaken suspicion in the English, that he had not gone far. Your ease and safety are dearer to him than his

could not preserve you in

tones, with no covering but the sky, or the dripping vault of some drea

ore I was thine, my Marion, I have lain whole nights upon the mountain's brow, counting the wintery stars, as I impatiently awaited the hunter's horn that was to recall me to the chase

s guard thee!" Her voice faile

r, will restore me to thine arms." She spoke not, but rising from his breast, clasped her hands together, and looked up with an expression of

now throbbing in his heart, was a contention with his fond, fond love, almost too powerful for his resolution. Here indeed his brave spirit gave way; and he would have follow

ay to be without peril; and intending to inform him of the necessity which still impelled his own flight, he called to him, but no voice answered. He looked down, and seeing him extended on the bottom without motion, "I fear," said he, "the earl is dead. As soon as I am gone, and you can collect the dispersed servants, send one into the well to brin

e domestic had provided him), he pressed the faithful hand that presented it, and again enjoining him to be watchful of the tranquillity of his lady, a