"I do believe," said she, "that it was a Macleod who built a stone
tower on a lonely island, and imprisoned his wife there--"

"Miss White," the young man said, modestly, "will not you help me? Am I
to be made responsible for all the evil doings of my ancestors?"

"It is really not fair, Mrs. Ross," said she; and the sound of this
voice pleading for him went to his heart: it was not as the voice of
other women.

"I only meant to punish you," said Mrs. Ross, "for having traversed the
indictment--I don't know whether that is the proper phrase, or what it
means, but it sounds well. You first acknowledge that the Macleods were
by far the most savage of the people living up there: and then you tried
to make out that the poor creatures whom they harried were as cruel as
themselves."

"What is cruel now was not cruel then," he said; "it was a way of
fighting: it was what is called an ambush now--enticing your enemy, and
then taking him at a disadvantage. And if you did not do that to him,
he would do it to you. And when a man is mad with anger or revenge, what
does he care for anything?"

"I thought we were all sheep now," said she.

"Do you know the story of the man who was flogged by Maclean of
Lochbuy--that is in Mull," said he, not heeding her remark. "You do not
know that old story?"