"I think, I think," I cried, "that you are a damned scurrilous fellow, a paillard, a hound; 'fore God, Gilbert, I will make you smart for this," and, ere I well knew what I did, I had seized my glass and hurled it at his head.
It struck him on the cheek, scratching the skin, but doing little hurt.
In a trice he was on his feet with his hand at his sword. One half the table rose and stared at the two of us, while Master Wishart left the head and came rushing to the back of my chair. As for myself, I felt such desperate shame at my conduct that I knew not what to do. I had now made a fool of myself in downright earnest. I felt my cheek tingling and flaming, but I could do naught but look before me.
Then my cousin did a thing which gave him great honour, and completed my shame; for bridling his anger, as I saw with a mighty effort, he said calmly, though his arms were quivering with rage:
"I would ask you to be more careful in your use of glasses. See, yours has flown right over to me and played havoc with my cheek. 'Faith, it is no light duty to sup opposite you, mon ami. But, indeed, gentlemen," and he bowed to the company, "'twas but an unfortunate mischance."
At this all sat down again, and scarce five minutes after, Gilbert rose to leave, and with him the other gentlemen of his regiment. Master Wishart bade him sit down again, for the night was yet young, but my cousin would not be persuaded. He nodded carelessly to me, kissed his hand to pretty Mistress Kate, and swaggered out.
I sat dazed and meditative. I was raw to many things, but I knew well that Gilbert was not the man to sit down under such an affront. He had shielded me for his own reasons, of which I guessed that family pride was not the least; but he would seek a meeting with all dispatch. And, in truth, I was not averse to it, for I had many accounts to settle with my dear cousin. I fell to thinking about the details of the matter. In all likelihood he would come on the Monday, for the Sabbath was a day of too strict propriety in this land as in my own, to allow of the settling of any such business. Well, come when he might, I should be ready; and I rose from the table, for the sooner I was back in Leyden, the better.
I took farewell of my host, and he could not refrain from whispering in my ear at parting: "Jock, Jock, my man, ye've made a bonny mess o't. Ye'll hae to fecht for it, and see ye dae't weel."
Nicol was waiting at the gate with the horses, and, together, we turned on our homeward way.
CHAPTER IV