Page:Walter Scott - The Monastery (Henry Frowde, 1912).djvu/88

RV 20 (Rh) upon. These evil showers make the low bush better than no bield.'

'See there, see there,' said Martin, 'you see the leddy has twice our sense.'

'And natural it is,' said Tibb, 'seeing that she is convent-bred, and can lay silk broidery, forby white-seam and shellwork.'

'Do you not think,' said the lady to Martin, still clasping her child to her bosom and making it clear from what motives she desired the refuge, 'that Dame Glendinning will make us welcome? '

'Blithely welcome, blithely welcome, my leddy,' answered Martin, cheerily, 'and we shall deserve a welcome at her hand. Men are scarce now, my leddy, with these wars; and gic me a thought of time to it, I can do as good a day's darg as ever I did in my life, and Tibb can sort cows with ony living woman.'

'And muckle mair could I do,' said Tibb, 'were it ony feasible house; but there will be neither pearlins to mend, nor pinners to busk up, in Elspeth Glendinning's.'

'Whisht wi' your pride, woman,' said the shepherd; 'eneugh ye can do, baith outside and inside, an ye set your mind to it; and hard it is if we twa canna work for three folk's meat, forby my dainty wee leddy there. Come awa, come awa, nae use in staying here langer; we have five Scots miles over moss and muir, and that is nae easy walk for a leddy born and bred.'

Household stuff there was little or none to remove or care for; an old pony which had escaped the plunderers, owing partly to its pitiful appearance, partly from the reluctance which it showed to be caught by strangers, was employed to carry the few blankets and other trifles which they possessed. When Shagram came to his master's well-known whistle, he was surprised to find the poor thing had been wounded, though slightly, by an arrow' which one of the forayers had shot off in anger after he had long chased it in vain.

'Aye, Shagram,' said the old man, as he applied something to the wound, 'must you rue the lang-bow as weel as all of us?'

'What corner in Scotland rues it not?' said the Lady of Avenel.