"The master of the king's ordnance, who (everybody says) is a fast friend of the Lord Ashkirk; but, God's death! if ever the one or the other come under my hands--if I can just get one canny cloure at them--neither will ever need another!" and, setting his teeth, the fellow assumed an aspect of ferocity, and hewed a large piece off the table with his sharp-bladed axe. "Friend Tam, thou seemest very savage and blood-thirsty," said the earl, in his bantering tone; "but I must request thee to restrain thy troublesome vivacity, and not so damage my furniture, the stock of which is somewhat limited. Ha! ha! and so Vipont hath pinked thy master?--and where?" "Here--just in the shoulder; but it seems braw news for you," replied Trotter, sulkily. "The thrust is not near the heart, I hope?" said the earl, almost leaping with joy; "not near his amiable heart--oh, do not say so--I shall quite expire if thou tellest me that!" "Devil take me, if I ken what to make o' you," said Tam, with a face half comical and half angry; "for, by my faith, you are a queer chield!" "And thou art a good-hearted fellow?" "My mother aye says sae, though she bangs me wi' the beetle, for being fonder o' porridge than plowing in the morning." "So his mother beats him?" muttered the earl; "good!--the fellow is a mere simpleton." "Is he?" rejoined Trotter, closing one eye, with his tongue in his cheek, and kicking his iron heels together; "try me, and you will see if I am sic a simpleton?" "Excuse me, friend Trotter; by simpleton, I merely mean one who is neither subtle nor abstruse--nor steeped in guilt, like the rascal, thy master." "The rascal, my master, hath _you_ nicely under his thumb, however," grinned Trotter; "and a civil tongue, sir, would be baith advisable and becoming--a' things considered." "Well, let us not quarrel. Thou seest this ring--'tis worth three hundred gold crowns of James III.; and it will be thine, if thou tellest me all thou knowest about the lady who was brought here last night." "Weel--give me the ring, sir." "'Tis a carbuncle, my friend, that once gleamed on the hand of a gallant earl." "And it is mine, for all I ken--eh?" said Thomas, contemplating the jewel on the top of one of his great fingers with a leer of satisfaction; "the carbumple wad be a bonny die for Else' Gair; and 'tis mine, for a' I ken?" "Yes--yes." "Then a' I ken just amounts to nothing," said Tam, with a laugh; "so I might cheat you if I chose; but, though a puir chield (and a simpleton too), I would despise mysel' if I took your ring--so tak' it back, sir----" "Nay, nay, fellow, I cannot accept it again." "Weel, it may lie there on the table, for I winna touch it. Men would say, if I took it, that I had betrayed my master." "True," said the earl, as he replaced the jewel; "but I will be in thy debt three hundred Scottish crowns. And now let me have breakfast; for no vexation was ever so great that it deprived me of my appetite."