"I have long observed, my boy," she said, "the eagerness with
which you constantly practise at arms; and Sandy tells me that he
can no longer defend himself against you. Sandy, indeed is not a
young man, but he is still hale and stout, and has lost but little
of his strength. Therefore it seems that, though but a boy, you may
be considered to have a man's strength, for your father regarded
Sandy as one of the stoutest and most skilful of his men-at-arms.
I know what is in your thoughts; that you long to follow in
your father's footsteps, and to win back the possessions of which
you have been despoiled by the Kerrs. But beware, my boy; you are
yet but young; you have no friends or protectors, save Sir Robert
Gordon, who is a peaceable man, and goes with the times; while
the Kerrs are a powerful family, able to put a strong body in the
field, and having many powerful friends and connections throughout
the country. It is our obscurity which has so far saved you, for
Sir John Kerr would crush you without mercy did he dream that you
could ever become formidable; and he is surrounded by ruthless
retainers, who would at a word from him take your life; therefore
think not for years to come to match yourself against the Kerrs.
You must gain a name and a following and powerful friends before
you move a step in that direction; but I firmly believe that the
time will come when you will become lord of Glencairn and the hills
around it. Next, my boy, I see that your thoughts are ever running
upon the state of servitude to which Scotland is reduced, and have
marked how eagerly you listen to the deeds of that gallant young
champion, Sir William Wallace. When the time comes I would hold
you back from no enterprise in the cause of our country; but at
present this is hopeless. Valiant as may be the deeds which Wallace
and his band perform, they are as vain as the strokes of reeds upon
armour against the power of England."