The Earl turned about, and, seeing his mother, came quickly to her and
stood bareheaded before her.

"You are not going to run into danger, William?" she said, still
softly.

"Nay, mother mine," he answered, smiling, "do not fear, I do but ride
to visit the Chancellor Crichton in his castle, and also to bid
farewell to the French ambassador, who abode here as our guest."

A sudden light shone in upon the mind of Maud Lindesay.

"'Tis all that French minx!" she whispered in Sholto's ear, "she hath
bewitched him. No one need try to stop him now."

His mother went on, with an added anxiety in her voice.

"But you will not take my little David with you? You will leave me one
son here to comfort me in my loneliness and old age?"

The Earl seemed about to yield, being, indeed, careless whether David
went with him or no.

"Mother," cried David, coming running forth from the castle, "you must
not persuade William to make me stay at home. I shall never be a man
if I am kept among women. There is Sholto MacKim, he is little older
than I, and already he hath won the archery prize and the sword-play,
and hath fought in a tourney and been knighted--while I have done
nothing except pull gowans with Maud Lindesay and play chuckie stones