This general declaration he expressed, accompanying it with a glance around upon the few followers who were present at this interview. The most of them answered--“There is no contravening that;” but one or two looked on the ground, and were silent. Murray then turned again to Glendinning, commanding him to say what next chanced, and not to omit any particular. When he mentioned the manner in which Julian had cast from him his concubine, Murray drew a deep breath, set his teeth hard, and laid his hand on the hilt of his dagger. Casting his eyes once more around the circle, which was now augmented by one or two of the reformed preachers, he seemed to devour his rage in silence, and again commanded Halbert to proceed. When he came to describe how Warden had been dragged to a dungeon, the Earl seemed to have found the point at which he might give vent to his own resentment, secure of the sympathy and approbation of all who were present. “Judge you,” he said, looking to those around him, “judge you, my peers, and noble gentlemen of Scotland, betwixt me and this Julian Avenel--he hath broken his own word, and hath violated my safe-conduct--and judge you also, my reverend brethren, he hath put his hand forth upon a preacher of the gospel, and perchance may sell his blood to the worshippers of Anti-Christ!” “Let him die the death of a traitor,” said the secular chiefs, “and let his tongue be struck through with the hangman's fiery iron to avenge his perjury!” “Let him go down to his place with Baal's priests,” said the preachers, “and be his ashes cast into Tophet!” Murray heard them with the smile of expected revenge; yet it is probable that the brutal treatment of the female, whose circumstances somewhat resembled those of the Earl's own mother, had its share in the grim smile which curled his sun-burnt cheek and its haughty lip. To Halbert Glendinning, when his narrative was finished, he spoke with great kindness. “He is a bold and gallant youth,” said he to those around, “and formed of the stuff which becomes a bustling time. There are periods when men's spirits shine bravely through them. I will know something more of him.” He questioned him more particularly concerning the Baron of Avenel's probable forces--the strength of his castle--the dispositions of his next heir, and this brought necessarily forward the sad history of his brother's daughter, Mary Avenel, which was told with an embarrassment that did not escape Murray. “Ha! Julian Avenel,” he said, “and do you provoke my resentment, when you have so much more reason to deprecate my justice! I knew Walter Avenel, a true Scotsman and a good soldier. Our sister, the Queen, must right his daughter; and were her land restored, she would be a fitting bride to some brave man who may better merit our favour than the traitor Julian.”--Then looking at Halbert, he said, “Art thou of gentle blood, young man?”