lady's finger ring set upon the point of the hilt was at his side, and
he stood resting easily his hand upon it as he talked, drawing it an
inch from its sheath and snicking it back again nonchalantly, with a
sound like the clicking of a well-oiled lock.

"Clink the strokes strongly and featly, Malise, for to-morrow, when the
Black Douglas rides upon Black Darnaway under the eyes of--well--of
the ladies whom the ambassadors are bringing to greet me, there must
be no stumbling and no mistakes. Or on the head of Malise MacKim the
matter shall be, and let that wight remember that the Douglas does not
keep a dule tree up there by the Gallows Slock for nothing."

The mighty smith was by this time examining the hoofs of the Earl's
charger one by one with such instinctive delicacy of touch that
Darnaway felt the kindly intent, and, bending his neck about, blew and
snuffled into the armourer's tangled mat of crisp grey hair.

"Up there!" exclaimed MacKim, as the warm breath tickled his neck, and
at the burst of sound the steed shifted and clattered upon the
hard-beaten floor of the smithy, tossing his head till the bridle
chains rang again.

"Eh, my Lord William," an altered voice came from the door-step, where
Dame Barbara MacKim, now clothed and in her right mind, stood louting
low before the young Earl, "but this is a blythe and calamitatious day
for this poor bit bigging o' the Carlinwark--to think that your honour
should visit his servants! Will you no come ben and sit doon in the
house-place? 'Tis far from fitting for your feet to pass thereupon.
But gin ye will so highly favour--"