"Such babyish flummery!" rejoined the lady with great emphasis. Dickie was somewhat abashed. His eyes, that were kindled with a glow of filial rapture, appeared as with flattened pupils; nevertheless the benignant smile did not altogether desert his features. The knight gave a short look off at one side to his lady. "It is a great fault in ladies, cousin," said he, "that they will always be breaking their jokes on those that they like best, and always pretending to keep at a distance from them. My lady thinks to blind my een, as many a dame has done to her husband afore this time; but I ken, an' some mae ken too, that if there's ane o' a' my kin that I durstna trust my lady wi' when my back's turned, that ane's Dickie o' Dryhope." "H'm, h'm, h'm," neighed Dickie, laughing with his lips shut; "My lady's so pleasant, and so kind, but--Oh--no, no--you wrong her, knight; h'm, h'm, h'm! But, all joking and gibing aside--my lady's very pleasant. I came express to inform you, Sir Ringan, that the Douglasses are up." "I knew it." "And the Maxwells--and the Gordons--and the hurkle-backed Hendersons." "Well." "And Sir Christopher Seton is up--and the Elliots and the Laird of Tibbers is up." "Well, well." "I came expressly to inform you--" "Came with piper's news," said the lady, "which the fiddler has told before you." "That _is very_ good," said Dickie; "My lady is so delightfully pleasant--I thought Sir Ringan would be going to rise with the rest, and came for directions as to raising my men." "How many men can the powerful Laird of Dryhope muster in support of the warden?" said Lady Mountcomyn. "Mine are all at his command; my worthy lady knows that," said Dickie, bowing: "Every one at his command." "I think," said she, "that at the battle of Blakehope you furnished only two, who were so famished with hunger that they could not bear arms, far less fight." "Very pleasant, in sooth; h'm, h'm! I declare I am delighted with my lady's good humour." "You may, however, keep your couple of scare-crows at home for the present, and give them something to eat," continued she; "the warden has other matters to mind than wasting his vassals that the Douglas may wive." "Very true, and excellent good sense," said Dickie. "We'll talk of that anon," said Sir Ringan. And with that they went into the castle, and sat down to dinner. There were twelve gentlemen and nine maidens present, exclusive of the knight's own family, and they took their places on each side as the lady named them. When Sir Ringan lifted up his eyes and saw the station that Dickie occupied, he was dissatisfied, but instantly found a remedy. "Davie's Pate," said he to the lad that waited behind him, "mak that bowiefu' o' cauld plovers change places wi' yon saut-faut instantly, before meat be put to mouth." The order was no sooner given than obeyed, and the new arrangement placed Dickie fairly above the salt.