armourer when I saw you disciplining for their souls' good Messires
Sholto and Laurence there!"

The smith smiled grimly.

"They are good enough lads, Sholto and Laurence both, but they will be
for ever gnarring and grappling at each other like messan dogs round a
kirk door."

"They will not make the worse soldiers for that, Malise. I pray you
forgive them for my sake."

The master armourer took the hand of his young lord on which he was
about to draw a riding glove of Spanish leather. Very reverently he
kissed the signet ring upon it.

"My dear lord," he said, "I can refuse naught to any of your great and
gracious house, and least of all to you, the light and pleasure of
it--aye, and the light of a surly old man's heart, more even than the
duty he owes to his own married wife! Oh, be careful, my lord, for you
are the desire of many hearts and the hope of all this land."

He hesitated a moment, and then added with a kind of curious
bashfulness--

"But I am concerned about ye this nicht, William Douglas--I fear that
ye could not--would not permit me--"

"Could not permit what--out with it, old grumble-pate?"