The Bride of Lammermoor

erwick, keep

y talking

a man, as I am

e dike and f

Ba

nd, looking back, perceived that he was pursued by young Bucklaw, who had been delayed a few minutes in the pursuit by the irresistable temptation of giving the hostler at the Tod's Den some recipe for treating the lame horse. This brief delay he had made up by hard galloping, and now overtook the Master w

m and indifferent; "but I have no quarrel with you, and desire to have none. Our roads homeward, as well

"By Heaven! but I say that there is, thou

; it was to your companion only I applied tha

time, and no man shall insult my companion

ose your society better, or you are like to have much work in your capacity of th

wise saws shall not carry it off thus. Besides, you terme

s you show me better reason for thinking m

of your quality, if you will not justify your incivility, or retract it, or n

ied with what I have done to avoid an affair with you. If

an example. "I always thought and said you were a p

id Ravenswood, alighting, and putti

nner in which the Master of Ravenswood had long refused, and at length granted, him satisfaction, and urged by his impatience, he adopted the part of an assailant with inconsiderate eagerness. The Master, with equal skill, and much greater composure, remained chiefly on the defensive, and even declined to avail himsel

certed with the issue of the combat than could have been expected from the impetuosity of his temper. "I thank you for my l

you are a generous fellow, and I have done you wrong. I heartily ask your pardon for the expression wh

sion of light-hearted carelessness and audacity; "that is more than I expected of yo

ell considered the

accounts are settled; if not, men are never so ready for peace as after war. But what does that bawling brat of a boy want?" said Bucklaw. "

n-gentlemen, save yourselves! for the gudewife bade us tell ye there were folk in her house had taen Captain Craigengelt, and were seeking for Bucklaw, and that ye behoved to ride for i

olf's Crag with me. There are places in the old tower wh

ster; and unless you be in the Jacobite scrape alr

I have noth

that Craigie was to guide us to this night; and I am sure that, if he is taken, he will t

of the chase, but through which others would have had much difficulty in tracing their course. They rode for some time in silence, making such haste as the condition of Ravenswood's horse permitted, unt

e a bit," said Bucklaw, "I would

wood, "but forgive not answeri

han, could make you, who stand so highly on your reputation, think for a moment of dr

desperate, and sought

off from us at the neares

or the present. And now that I have answered your questions fairly and frankly, tell me wh

. Craigie was a sort of gambling acquaintance; he saw my condition, and, as the devil is always at one's elbow, told me fifty lies about his credentials from Versailles, and his interest at Saint Germains, promised me a captain's commiss

have indeed nourished in your bosom

bosom one great goodly snake that has swallowed all the rest, and is as sure to devour you as my half-doz

of speech in which I have set example. What, to speak without a metaphor

wassail, with their et coeteras, is equally unchristian, and not so bloodless. It

t but to confront the oppressor ere I left my native land, and upbraid him with his tyranny and i

help,' and then you would have shaken the soul OUT of him, I suppose.

rd-hearted cruelty-an ancient house destroyed, an affectionate father murdered! Why, in our old Scottish d

ny folly, he persuades me it is the most necessary, gallant, gentlemanlike thing on earth, and I am up to saddlegirths in the bog before I

is too true, our vices steal upon us in forms outwardly as fair as those of the demons whom the superstitious represent as

aw, "and that is what I shall think of doing one of

said Ravenswood-"'Hell is paved with good intentions,'-as

night, and have determined not to drink above one quart

not that I can promise you more than the shelter of my roof; all, and more th

urpose," answered Bucklaw; "but you should not drink u

me," said Ravenswood. "But yonder is Wolf's Crag,

hat towards the land, it had been originally fenced by an artificial ditch and drawbridge, but the latter was broken down and ruinous, and the former had been in part filled up, so as to allow passage for a horseman into the narrow courtyard, encircled on two sides with low offices and stables, partly ruinous, and closed on the landward front by a low embattled wall, while the remaining side of the quadrangle was occupied by the tower itself, whic

rn abode, excepting that one, and only one, of the narrow and stanchelled windows which appeared

and it is well that he does remain there, since otherwise we had little hope to find either li

, with that exclusive attention to strength and security, in preference to every circumstances of convenienc

e courtyard in safety. But it was long ere the efforts of Ravenswood, though loudly exerted by knocking at

y, "or fallen into some fit; for the noise I h

ing voice replied: "Master-Ma

Caleb; open the

s wraith; wherefore, aroint ye, if ye were ten times my master, unless ye come in bodily shape, lith and limb.

winding staircase occupying one of the turrets which graced the angles of the old tower. The tardiness of his descent extracted some exclamations of impatience from Ravenswood, and several oa

id Bucklaw, "I would give you suffi

ncient and faithful seneschal, partly perhaps because he thought that angry words would be thrown

s, might have made a good painting; but our travellers were too impatient for security against the rising storm to permit them to indulge themselves in studying the picturesque. "Is it you, my dear master?-is it you yourself, indeed?" exclaimed the old domestic. "I am wae ye suld hae stude waiting at your ain gate; but wha wad hae thought o' seeing ye sae sune, and a strange gentleman with a-(Here he exclaimed apart,

rses put up, and ourselves too, the best way we can. I ho

behind the screen) Mysie, kill the brood-hen without thinking twice on it; let them care that come ahint. No to say it's our best dwelling," he added, turning to Bucklaw; "but just a strength for the Lord of Ravenswood to flee until-that is, no to FLEE, but to ret

d, somewhat amused with the shifts the old man used to detain them wit

's see the inside, and let our horses see the stable, that's all." "Oh yes, s

standing here in the cold after riding hard, and mine is too good

lliam-Saunders! The lads are gane out, or sleeping," he observed, after pausing for an answer, which he knew that he

swood, "otherwise I see little chanc

d apart to his master; "if ye dinna regard your ain credit, think on mine; we'

his master; "go to the stable.

d aloud, and, in a lower tone, "there was some half fous o'

lamp from his domestic's unwilling hand,

look at the fine moonlight prospect of the Bass and North Berwick Law till I sort the horses, I would marshal ye up, as reason is ye

d, "and you will have no difficulty for want of light i

h ready wit instantly added, "and the lazy sclater loons h

as they are, but as, in his opinion, they ought to be; and, to say the truth, I have been often diverted with the poor wretch's expedients to supply what he though was essential for the credit of the family, and his still more gen

f the hall. "Here, at least," he said,

thusiastic pledges to favourite toasts, strewed the stone floor with their fragments. As for the articles of plate, lent for the purpose by friends and kinsfolk, those had been carefully withdrawn so soon as the ostentatious display of festivity, equally unnecessary and strangely timed, had been made and ended. Nothing, in short, remained that indicated wealth; all the signs were those of recent wastefulness and present desolation. The black cloth hangings, which, on the late mournful occasion, replaced the ta

t as Caleb had suggested, had supplied with a reasonable quantity of fuel. Glad at the heart to see more of comfort than the castle had yet seemed to offer, Bucklaw rubbed his hands heartily over the fire, and now listened with more complacency to the apolog

law, "and, with a mouthful of food and wi

alderstone is something deaf, amongst his other accomplishments, so that much of what he means should be spoken aside is ov

domestic's voice in conversation

e besto't, woman; it's easy to

She'll be as teugh as bow

the faithful seneschal, in a soothing and undertoned voice; "t

if I didna see the bogle, I could as ill see the hen, for it's pit-mirk, and there's no another light in the house, save that very blessed lamp whilk the

"bide ye there a wee, and I'll try t

t so much of his by-play had been audible there. "Well, Caleb, my old

ion of that, and us in your lordship's house? Chance of supper, indeed! But ye'll no be for butcher-meat? There's walth o' fat poult

in courtesy to relieve some part of the anxious butler's p

at we hae is cauld eneugh,-how-beit, maist of the cauld meat and pastry was gien t

cut this matter short. This is the young Laird of Bu

but nae doubt we are waur aff than we hae been, or suld be. And for eating-what signifies telling a lee? there's just the hinder end of the mutton-ham that has been but three times on the table, and the nearer the bane the sweeter, as your honours weel ken; and-there's the heel of the ewe-milk kebbuck, wi' a bit of nice butter, and-and-that's a' that's to trust to." And with great alacrity he pro

sly observed, supply the lack of substantial fare! Bucklaw, who had eagerly eaten

ill made, and there was awfu' thunner last week; but siccan water as th

e," said Bucklaw, making a grimace at the mention of

syne-wae's me for the cause-there was as much wine drunk in this house as

master, "instead of talking abou

ill, however, Caleb was too good a general to renounce the field without a strategem to cover his retreat. He undauntedly threw down an empty flagon, as if he had stumbled at the entrance of the apartment, called upon Mysie to wipe up the wine that had never been spilt, and placing the other vessel on the table, hoped there was still enough left for their honours. There was indeed; for even Buckl

en used since the time of the Gowrie Conspiracy, and I durst never let a woman ken of the