For the Earl John was now waxen one of the greatest men in broad Scotland, and withal he had all the power worth considering in the shire of Ayr. So that even the Craufords, wanting now their ancient chief, and broken with bickerings among themselves, sent an embassy of peace and goodwill to him. It chanced that it came when the Earl was in a good humour. ’Ah, John Crauford,’ said Cassillis, ’’tis a changed day since Bargany and you chased us off Skeldon Haughs. It looks as if the sow had not been flitted so far after all. But ye shall have the peace ye ask. For we live under a gracious King who loves quietness as much as when he dwelt here in our kindly North. And he is now the better able to enforce it. Therefore, look ye to it. I will maintain you Craufords in your heritages of Kerse—which by my power as Bailzie, I might legally declare forfeit. ’But I will tell you what ye must do in return. Ye shall render me place and precedence at kirk and market. Ye shall build up your private door in Dalrymple Kirk, and ye shall abide from taking your places there till ye have seen me seated.’ To this, dourly enough, the Craufords perforce agreed. For, indeed, they could make no better of it, so great a man was our Earl grown. But to me he was ever kind, and proved none so ill-given when it liked him. For he said, ’Build you the house of Palgowan and I will plenish it for you, and that not meanly. And you and my cousin Nell shall rear me routh of lusty knaves to protect my south-western marches, and keep down the reivers of the Dungeon!’ Which, indeed (so far as I was concerned), I was right willing to promise. So it came about that the Earl would have it that our wedding must be held in the ancient strength of Cassillis, which sits by the waterside not so far from the town of Ayr. And a bonny, well-sheltered place it is—not like Culzean, which stands blusteringly on the seabrink, over-frowning all. And because the Earl of Cassillis said it, so it was bound to be. For he was our Nell’s guardian, and besides we that were to live under him, were none the worse of keeping in with him. When I went to do my courting, as often as not I found Nell walking with him, and ofttimes flouting him. And when I would have cautioned her, ’Tut,’ she said, ’he likes nothing better. If his own wife flouted him, he might stay better at home.’ ’Cousin,’ Nell would say to him sometimes, ’Cousin John, ye think ye are such a great man, yet a little musket-ball, or a woman’s finger-long bodkin, might let all thy greatness out. Ye should think oftener on that. ’What, Nell,’ said he, ’is it that the hour of thy marriage grows so near, that thou must test thy preaching on me. Keep the proof of the pudding for thine own goodman.’ ’Ah,’ said she, ’perchance my cousin, the noble Countess, has already given thee thy fill of it.’