Page:Walter Scott - The Monastery (Henry Frowde, 1912).djvu/150

RV 82 (Rh) answered the father. 'shall be interred as becomes her rank and in the tomb of her valiant husband. For your master's proffered visit of three days, with such a company and retinue, I have no authority to reply to it; you must intimate your chief's purpose to the reverend lord abbot.'

'That will cost me a farther ride,' said the man, 'but it is all in the day's work. How now, my lad,' said he to Halbert, who was handling the long lance which he had laid aside; 'how do you like such a plaything? Will you go with me and be a moss-trooper?'

'The saints in their mercy forbid!' said the poor mother; and then, afraid of having displeased Christie by the vivacity of her exclamation, she followed it up by explaining, that since Simon's death she could not look on a spear or a bow, or any implement of destruction, without trembling.

'Pshaw!' answered Christie, 'thou shouldst take another husband, dame, and drive such follies out of thy thoughts—what sayst thou to such a strapping lad as I? Why, this old tower of thine is fensible enough, and there is no want of cleuchs, and crags, and bogs, and thickets, if one was set hard; a man might bide here and keep his half-score of lads, and as many geldings, and live on what he could lay his hand on, and be kind to thee, old wench.'

'Alas! Master Christie,' said the matron, 'that you should talk to a lone woman in such a fashion, and death in the house besides!'

'Lone woman! why, that is the very reason thou shouldst take a mate. Thy old friend is dead, why, good—choose thou another of somewhat tougher frame, and that will not die of the pip like a young chicken. Better still—Come, dame, let me have something to eat, and we will talk more of this.'

Dame Elspeth, though she well knew the character of the man, whom in fact she both disliked and feared, could not help simpering at the personal address which he thought proper to make to her. She whispered to the sub-prior, 'Onything just to keep him quiet,' and went into the tower to set before the soldier the food he desired, trusting betwixt good cheer, and the power of her own charms, to keep Christie of the Clinthill so well amused, that the