‘That’s as he pleases; and by my troth he took pains enow to get her!’
‘What pains?’
‘Why, once she slipped out of his very fingers; that time that he had laid hands on her, and the hirpling doited brother of hers cam down with a strange knight, put her into St. Abbs, and made off for England—so they said. Some of the rogues would have it ’twas St. Andrew in bodily shape, and that he tirled the young laird, as was only fit for a saint, aff to heaven wi’ him; for he was no more seen in these parts.’
‘Nay, that couldna be,’ put in another soldier. ‘Sandy M’Kay took his aith that he was in the English camp—more shame till him—an’ was stickit dead for meddling between King Harry’s brother and his luve. It sorted him weel, I say.’
‘Aweel!’ continued the first; ‘gane is he, and sma’ loss wi’ him! An’ yon old beldame over at St. Abbs, she kens weel how to keep a lass wi’ a tocher—so what does the Master but sends a letter ower to our Prior, bidding him send two trusty brethren, as though from the King, to conduct her to Whitby?’
‘Ha!’ said Malcolm; ‘but that’s ower the Border.’
‘Even so; but the Glenuskies are all English at heart, and it sicker trained away the silly lassie.’
‘And then?’—the other man-at-arms laughed.
‘Why, at the first hostelry, ye can guess what sort of nuns were ready to meet her! I promise ye she skirled, and ca’ed Heaven and earth to help; but Brother Simon and Brother Ringan gave their word they’d see nae ill dune to her, and she rade with them on each side of her, and us tall fellows behind and before, till we cam to Doune.’
‘And what became of her, the poor lassie, then?’ inquired Malcolm, steadying his voice with much effort.