“What passed atwixt the twa, there was nane to tell: but or an hoor was by, they cam oot upo’ the gairden-terrace thegither, han’ in han’, luikin’ baith o’ them as gran’ an’ as weel pleased as gien they had been king and queen. The lang an’ the short o’ ’t was, that the same day at nicht the twa was merried. Naither o’ them wad hear o’ a priest. Say what the auld yerl cud, they wad _not_ hear o’ sic a thing, an’ the leddy was ’maist mair set agane ’t nor the prence. She wad be merried accordin’ to Scots law, she said, an’ wad hae nae ither ceremony, say ’at he likit! “A gran’ feast was gotten ready, an’ jist the meenute afore it was cairriet to the ha’, the great bell o’ the castel yowlt oot, an’ a’ the fowk o’ the hoose was gaithered i’ the coort-yaird, an’ oot cam the twa afore them, han’ in han’, declarin’ themsels merried fowk, the whilk, accordin’ to Scots law, was but ower guid a merriage. Syne they sat doon to their denner, an’ there they sat --no drinkin’ muckle, they say, but merrily enjoyin’ themsels, the leddy singin’ a sang noo an’ again, an’ the prence sayin’ he ance cud sing, but had forgotten the gait o’ ’t: but never a prayer said, nor a blessin’ askit--oontil the clock chappit twal, whaurupon the prence and the prencess rase to gang to their bed--in a room whaur the king himsel’ aye sleepit whan he cam to see them. But there wasna ane o’ the men or the maids ’at wad hae daured be their lanes wi’ that man, prence as he ca’d himsel’. “A meenute, or barely twa, was ower, whan a cry cam frae the king’s room--a fearfu’ cry--a lang lang skreigh. The men an’ the maids luikit at ane anither wi’ awsome luiks; an’ ‘He’s killin’ her!’ they a’ gaspit at ance. “Noo she was never a favourite wi’ ony ane o’ her ain fowk, but still they couldna hear sic a cry frae her ohn run to the yerl. “They fand him pacin’ up and doon the ha’, an’ luikin’ like a deid man in a rage o’ fear. But whan they telled him, he only leuch at them, an’ ca’d them ill names, an’ said he had na hard a cheep. Sae they tuik naething by that, an’ gaed back trimlin’. “Twa o’ them, a man an’ a maid, to haud hert in ane anither, gaed up to the door o’ the transe (_passage_) ’at led to the king’s room; but for a while they hard naething. Syne cam the soon’ o’ moanin’ an’ greitin’ an’ prayin’. “The neist meenute they war back again amo’ the lave, luikin’ like twa corps. They had opent the door o’ the transe to hearken closer, an’ what sud they see there but the fiery een an’ the white teeth o’ the prence’s horse, lyin’ athort the door o’ the king’s room, wi’ ’s hied atween ’s fore feet, an keepin’ watch like a tyke (_dog_)!