to Eyemouth; whence, after taking leave of him, they had set out to spend
Passion-tide and Easter at Coldingham Abbey, after the frequent fashion
of the devoutly inclined among the Scottish nobility, in whose castles
there was often little commodity for religious observances. Short,
however, as was the distance, they had in the midst of it been suddenly
assailed by a band of armed men, among whom might easily be recognized
the giant form of young Walter Stewart, the Master of Albany, the Regent
Duke Murdoch's eldest son, who was well known for his lawless excesses
and violence. His father's silky sayings, and his own ruder speeches,
had long made it known to the House of Glenuskie that the family policy
was to cajole or to drive the sickly heir into a convent, and, rendering
Lilias the possessor of the broad lands inherited from both parents,
unite her and them to the Albany family.

The almost barbarous fierceness and wild licentiousness of Walter would
have made the arrangement abhorrent to Lilias, even had not love passages
already passed between her and her cousin, Patrick Drummond, and Sir
David had hitherto protected her by keeping Malcolm in the secular life;
but Walter, it seemed, had grown impatient, and had made this treacherous
attack, evidently hoping to rid himself of the brother, and secure the
sister. No sooner had the Tutor of Glenuskie perceived that his own
party were overmatched, than he had bidden his faithful squire to secure
the bairns--if not both, at least the boy; and Halbert, perceiving that
Lilias had already been pounced upon by Sir Walter himself and several
more, seized the bridle of the bewildered Malcolm, who was still trying
to draw his sword, and had absolutely swept him away from the scene of
action before he had well realized what was passing; and now that the
poor lad understood the whole, his horror, grief, and shame were
unspeakable.