him to discern that they wore the Highland mantle.

"Clear the way, cateran," said the armourer, in the deep stern
voice which corresponded with the breadth of his chest.

They did not answer, at least intelligibly; but he could see that
they drew their swords, with the purpose of withstanding him by
violence. Conjecturing some evil, but of what kind he could not
anticipate, Henry instantly determined to make his way through
whatever odds, and defend his mistress, or at least die at her
feet. He cast his cloak over his left arm as a buckler, and advanced
rapidly and steadily to the two men. The nearest made a thrust at
him, but Henry Smith, parrying the blow with his cloak, dashed his
arm in the man's face, and tripping him at the same time, gave him
a severe fall on the causeway; while almost at the same instant
he struck a blow with his whinger at the fellow who was upon his
right hand, so severely applied, that he also lay prostrate by his
associate. Meanwhile, the armourer pushed forward in alarm, for
which the circumstance of the street being guarded or defended
by strangers who conducted themselves with such violence afforded
sufficient reason. He heard a suppressed whisper and a bustle
under the glover's windows--those very windows from which he had
expected to be hailed by Catharine as her Valentine. He kept to
the opposite side of the street, that he might reconnoitre their
number and purpose. But one of the party who were beneath the window,
observing or hearing him, crossed the street also, and taking him
doubtless for one of the sentinels, asked, in a whisper, "What
noise was yonder, Kenneth? why gave you not the signal?"

"Villain," said Henry, "you are discovered, and you shall die the