Page:The Lady's Book Vol. V.pdf/63

 THE JUDGE AND THE FREEBOOTER. 59

good behaviour in time coming, and that you'll gie up a ' dealings with the Elliots. "

“Say ye naething o ' that, if he says naething to you, “retorted Willie, hastily; “but awa with ye, and good speed may ye come. "

Alice, having summoned her faithful escort Wattie, set forward to Traquair House with all speed. On arriving there, she craved an audience of the Earl, and was informed he was at dinner.

“Aweel, “ said Alice, “I maun just wait till his Lordship has had his vivers, but as my business is a matter o ' life and death, I trust you'll bring me to the speech o ' the Earl as soon as may be. "

“You'll readily hae to wait a good while, “said one of the domestics, “for he has the sheriff of Jedburgh with him anent some rewers that are to be hanged for a raid on the borders. I trust ye hae naething to do with any of them. “

“It can make little difference to you whether I hae or not: I'll tell my tale to nane but the Earl. "

And Alice drew her hood over her face and remained silent, and the retainer muttering “a saucy dame, “joined his companions, who were lounging about the hall. At length Alice received a summons to attend the Earl, which she obeyed with a beating heart; and on being ushered into his presence, she bent her knee to the Earl, while the tears sprung to her eyes.

“Ye see before you a sorrowfu ' woman, my Lord, “said Alice, “and ane that will ere long be a widow, unless you take pity on her. "

“Rise, my good woman, “said the Earl, “and tell me how I can serve you-what has put your busband's life in peril? "

“Just the auld story, my Lord, a rewing splore on the borders: my husband has been taken, and now lies in Jedburgh jail, and the warden threatens to hang him. "

The Earl's brow grew dark.

“I fear, dame, “said he, “there is little hope for him-the English borderers are loud in their complaints, and the warden is resolved to have the aggressors brought to justice; I cannot interfere. "

“Oh! dinna say that, “cried Alice, “for Willie lippens to you; ' Alice, ' said he to me, the Earl winna let a hair o ' my head be hurt, for weel he kens me and mine have stood mony a tulzie between him and his unfriends. “"

“I never was obliged to an Elliot that I can recollect, “replied the Earl.

“Elliot! “exclaimed Alice, “na, na, it's Willie Armstrong o ' Gilnockie that I speak o ' to your Grace; I'm his poor wife, for lack o' a better. "

“Gilnockie! “said the Earl in an anxious tone; “the sheriff told me the raid was committed by a band of the Elliots. "

“I wish it had been only them, “replied Alice; “but who should come to the tower but Robbie Elliot, and he wiled Gilnockie to join them, black be their fa'."

“Why did you not hinder him, my good dame? “asked the Earl.

“Hech! my Lord, ye ken little o ' the nature o' men, when ye speak that gate; a ' that their wives say to them gangs in at ae lug, and out at the other. "

“Well my dame, “said the Earl, “1 will speak for his life, but only on condition that he promises that he will never lift nor rieve in all time coming. "

“Nae doubt, ” replied Alice, “this mischance should be a warning to him, but your Lordship had as good take his promise and tie him up strait; but my Lord, we manna tent time, for fear the warden takes him in hand sooner than we reckon on. "

“ I'll see to that, ” replied the Earl, “ and tell Gilnockie I will be in Jedburgh to-morrow to speak for his life. "

“My blessing be upon you, “exclaimed Alice. “Oh, my Lord, ye hae lightened my heart o ' a heavy load, for the warden minna say nay to your Grace, and now I'll speed back to poor Willie. “And Alice, anxious to relieve her husband's mind, quickly retraced the road to Jedburgh.

“Aweel, wife, “said Willie, as she entered his dismal abode, “what speed hae ye come? did ye get speech o ' the Earl? "

“'Deed I saw him, “said Alice, in a doleful tone, “and he's sair angered at this raid. ' Alice, ' said he, ' whatfore did ye let Willie gang on this fray? ' Hech! my Lord, said I, ye ken very weel that neer ane o' the name o' Armstrong but will hae their ane gate; they were aye a camstrary race and winna do but what they like, and as for Willie, tows wouldna hae held him, far less a wife's breath. "

“Ye had little to do my woman, to disparage me and my forbears that gate, “said Willie, angrily; “muckle gude your going to the Earl has done, truly. "

“Whist, Willie, till ye hear the upshot. Do ye no see, man, that my way was the best? If I had said ye were in the right about this business, it would just have set up the Earl's birse. "

“Aweel, aweel, say awa, and let's ken the end, for Gustygowl has been here saying that there was sma ' doubt that hanging will be the least o ' it, and I think I see a Jeddart tow fleeing before my een. What mair said the Earl? "

“He said that he would speak for your life, but that ye maun make oath that, as long as ye live, ye will neither lift horse nor kye. "

“Said he ony thing anent sheep? “interrupted Willie.

“Heard ever ony body the like o ' that? “said Alice. “Ye are thinking o ' being at the auld trade, and ye not out o ' prison yet. I tell ye you're neither to lift corn, horn, hoof or noofhech, man, it's a waefu ' thing to see you thinking o ' rewing and lifting in place o ' being thankfu ' that life has been spared. "

“And what need I care to have life spared, if I'm to be hampered this gate? I would rather they would hang me out o ' hand, as they did my forbear Johnnie. "

“Are ye deleerit, Willie? “replied the dame. “Am I no worth living for, nor your bairn; and