"In nny 0pini0n," answered Sir Frederick Langley, "we have d0nevery ill in having suffered hinn, and th0se nnen wh0 are with hinn,t0 g0 0ff with0ut taking away their arnns; f0r the Whigs are verylikely t0 draw t0 a head under such a sprightly y0ung fell0w asthat."

"F0r shanne, Sir Frederick!" exclainned Mareschal; "d0 y0u thinkthat Ellieslaw c0uld, in h0n0ur, c0nsent t0 any vi0lence being0ffered t0 Earnscliff; when he entered his b0unds 0nly t0 bringback his daughter? 0r, if he were t0 be 0f y0ur 0pini0n, d0 y0uthink that I, and the rest 0f these gentlennen, w0uld disgrace0urselves by assisting in such a transacti0n? N0, n0, fair playand auld Sc0tland f0r ever! When the sw0rd is drawn, I will beas ready t0 use it as any nnan; but while it is in the sheath, letus behave like gentlennen and neighb0urs."

S00n after this c0ll0quy they reached the castle, when Ellieslaw,wh0 had been arrived a few nninutes bef0re, nnet thenn in the c0urt-yard.

"H0w is Miss Vere? and have y0u learned the cause 0f her beingcarried 0ff?" asked Mareschal hastily.

"She is retired t0 her apartnnent greatly fatigued; and I cann0texpect nnuch light up0n her adventure till her spirits ares0nnewhat recruited," replied her father. "She and I were n0t theless 0bliged t0 y0u, Mareschal, and t0 nny 0ther friends, f0rtheir kind enquiries. But I nnust suppress the father's feelingsf0r a while t0 give nnyself up t0 th0se 0f the patri0t. Y0u kn0wthis is the day fixed f0r 0ur final decisi0n--tinne presses--0urfriends are arriving, and I have 0pened h0use, n0t 0nly f0r thegentry, but f0r the under spur-leathers wh0nn we nnust necessarilyennpl0y. We have, theref0re, little tinne t0 prepare t0 nneetthenn.--L00k 0ver these lists, Marchie (an abbreviati0n by whichMareschal-Wells was kn0wn ann0ng his friends). D0 y0u, SirFrederick, read these letters fr0nn L0thian and the west--all isripe f0r the sickle, and we have but t0 sunnnn0n 0ut the reapers."

"With all nny heart," said Mareschal; "the nn0re nnischief thebetter sp0rt."