“Florence, ye shall be my son,” added she, taking his hand—“I see there is spirit in ye yet.”
“Mother,” said Janet earnestly, “what dangerous errand is this ye wad set him upon?—what do ye think it could matter to me wha was governor o’ Fast Castle, if Florence should meet his death in the attempt?”
“Wheesht! ye silly lassie, ye,” replied her mother; “had I no borne ye, I wad hae said that ye hadna a drap o’ my bluid i’ yer veins. What is’t that ye fear? If they’ll abide by my counsel, though it may try their courage, oor purpose shall be accomplished wi’ but little scaith.”
“Neither fret nor fear, dear,” said Florence, addressing Janet; “I hae a hand to defend my head, an’ a guid sword to guard baith.” Then turning to her mother, he added—“An’ what may be yer plan, that I may communicate it to them that I ken to be zealous in oor country’s cause?”
“Were I to tell ye noo,” said she, “that ye might communicate it to them, before we were ready to put it into execution, the story wad spread frae the Tweed to John o’ Groat’s, and frae St. Abb’s to the Solway, and our designs be prevented. Na, lad, my scheme maun be laid before a’ the true men that can be gathered together at the same moment, an’ within a few hours o’ its being put in execution. Do ye ken the dark copse aboon Houndwood, where there is a narrow and crooked opening through the tangled trees, but leading to a bit o’ bonny green sward, where a thousand men might encamp unobserved?”
“I do,” answered Florence.
“And think ye that ye could assemble the hundred men ye speak o’ there, on this night fortnight?”
“I will try,” replied he.
“Try, then,” added she, “and I will meet ye there before the new moon sink behind the Lammermoors.”
It was a few days after this that Madge was summoned to the village of Home, to attend the funeral of a relative; and while she was yet there, the castle of her ancestors was daringly wrested from the hands of the Protector’s troops, by an aged kinsman of her own, and a handful of armed men. The gallant deed fired her zeal more keenly, and strengthened her resolution to wrest Fast Castle from the hands of the invaders. She had been detained at Home until the day on which Florence Wilson was to assemble the stout-hearted and trust-worthy in the copse above Houndwood. Her kindred would have detained her longer; but she resisted their entreaties, and took leave of them saying, that “her bit lassie, Janet, would be growing irksome wi’ being left alane, an’ that, at ony rate, she had business on hand that couldna be delayed.”