and my name is not Lilias Bradbourne.'
In pursuance of her plan, Mistress Lilias failed not to present herself before her mistress with all the exterior of one who is possessed of an important secret,?that is, she had the corners of her mouth turned down, her eyes raised up, her lips pressed as fast together as if they had been sewed up, to prevent her babbling, and an air of prim mystical importance diffused over her whole person and demeanour, which seemed to intimate, 'I know something which I am resolved not to tell you!'
Lilias had rightly read her mistress's temper, who, wise and good as she was, was yet a daughter of grandame Eve, and could not witness this mysterious bearing on the part of her waiting-woman without longing to ascertain the secret cause. For a space, Mrs. Lilias was obdurate to all inquiries, sighed, turned her eyes up higher yet to heaven, hoped for the best, but had nothing particular to communicate. All this, as was most natural and proper, only stimulated the Lady's curiosity; neither was her importunity to be parried with,?'Thank God, I am no makebate?no tale-bearer,?thank God, I never envied any one's favour, or was anxious to propale their misdemeanour-only, thank God, there has been no bloodshed and murder in the house?that is all.'
'Bloodshed and murder!' exclaimed the Lady, 'what does the quean mean??if you speak not plain out, you shall have something you will scarce be thankful for.'
'Nay, my Lady,' answered Lilias, eager to disburden her mind, or, in, Chaucer's phrase, to 'unbuckle her mail,' 'if you bid me speak out the truth, you must not be moved with what might displease you?Roland Graeme has dirked Adam Woodstock?that is all.'
'Good Heaven!' said the Lady, turning pale as ashes, 'is the man slain?'
'No, madam,' replied Lilias, 'but slain he would have been, if there had not been ready help; but may be, it is your Ladyship's pleasure that this young esquire shall poniard the servants, as well as switch and baton them.'
'Go to, minion,' said the Lady, 'you are saucy-tell the master of the household to attend me instantly.'
Lilias hastened to seek out Mr. Wingate, and hurry him to his lady's presence, speaking as a word in season to him on the way, 'I have set the stone a-trowling, look that you do not let it stand still.'
The steward, too prudential a person to commit himself otherwise, answered by a sly look and a nod of intelligence, and presently after stood in the presence of the Lady of Avenel, with a look of great respect for his lady, partly real, partly affected, and an air of great sagacity, which inferred no ordinary conceit of himself.
'How is this, Wingate,' said the Lady, 'and what rule do you keep in the castle, that the domestics of Sir Halbert Glendinning draw the dagger on each other, as in a cavern of thieves and murderers??is the wounded man much hurt? and what?what hath become of the unhappy boy?'
'There is no one wounded as yet, madam,' replied he of the golden chain; 'it passes my poor skill to say how many may be wounded before Pasche,[6] if some rule be not taken with this youth?not but the youth is a fair youth,' he added, correcting himself, 'and able at his exercise; but somewhat too ready with the ends of his fingers, the butt of his riding-switch, and the point of his dagger.'
'And whose fault is that,' said the Lady, 'but yours, who should have taught him better discipline, than to brawl or to draw his dagger.'
'If it please your Ladyship so to impose the blame on me,' answered the steward, 'it is my part, doubtless, to bear it?only I submit to your consideration, that unless I nailed his weapon to the scabbard, I could no more keep it still, than I could fix quicksilver, which defied even the skill of Raymond Lullius.'
'Tell me not of Raymond Lullius,' said the Lady, losing patience, 'but send me the chaplain hither. You grow all of you too wise for me, during your lord's long and repeated absences. I would to God his affairs would permit him to remain at home and rule his own household, for it passes my wit and skill!'
'God forbid, my Lady!' said the old domestic, 'that you should sincerely think what you are now pleased to say: your old servants might well hope, that after so many years' duty, you would do their service more justice than to distrust their gray hairs, because they cannot rule the peevish humour of a green head, which the owner carries, it may be, a brace of inches higher than becomes him.'
'Leave me,' said the Lady; 'Sir Halbert's return must now be expected daily, and he will look into these matters himself?leave me, I say, Wingate, without saying more of it. I know you are honest, and I believe the boy is petulant; and yet I think it is my favour which hath set all of you against him.'
The steward bowed and retired, after having been silenced in a second attempt to explain the motives on which he acted.
The chaplain arrived; but neither from him did the Lady receive much comfort. On the contrary, she found him disposed, in plain terms, to lay to the door of her indulgence all the disturbances which the fiery temper of Roland Graeme had already occasioned, or might hereafter occasion, in the family. 'I would,' he said, 'honoured Lady, that you had deigned to be ruled by me in the outset of this matter, sith it is easy to stem evil in the fountain, but hard to struggle against it in the stream. You, honoured madam, (a word which I do not use according to the vain forms of this world, but because I have ever loved and honoured you as an honourable and elect lady,)?you, I say, madam, have been pleased, contrary to my poor but earnest counsel, to raise this boy from his station, into one approaching to your own.'
'What mean you, reverend sir?' said the Lady; 'I have made this youth a page?is there aught in my doing so that does not become my character and quality?'
'I dispute not, madam,' said the pertinacious preacher, 'your benevolent purpose in taking charge of this youth, or your title to give him this idle character of page, if such was your pleasure; though what the education of a boy in the train of a female can tend to, save to ingraft foppery and effeminacy on conceit and arrogance, it passes my knowledge to discover. But I blame you more directly for having taken little care to guard him against the perils of his condition, or to tame and humble a spirit naturally haughty, overbearing, and impatient. You have brought into your bower a lion's cub; delighted with the beauty of his fur, and the grace of his gambols, you have bound him with no fetters befitting the fierceness of his disposition. You have let him grow up as unawed as if he had been still a tenant of the forest, and now you are surprised, and call out for assistance, when he begins to ramp, rend, and tear, according to his proper nature.'
'Mr. Warden,' said the Lady, considerably offended, 'you are my husband's ancient friend, and I believe your love sincere to him and to his household. Yet let me say, that when I asked you for counsel, I expected not this asperity of rebuke. If I have done wrong in loving this poor orphan lad more than others of his class, I scarce think the error merited such severe censure; and if stricter discipline were required to keep his fiery temper in order, it ought, I think, to be considered, that I am a woman, and that if I have erred in this matter, it becomes a friend's part rather to aid than to rebuke me. I would these evils were taken order with before my lord's return. He loves not domestic discord or domestic brawls; and I would not willingly that he thought such could arise from one
