"I most humbly crave pardon for this unpleasant intrusion, Lady Sybilla," said Hailes, uncovering his head, and bowing till his plumed bonnet swept the grass--but bowing with bitter irony: "we must hale forth this man, whose presence disgraces you." "Fellow, come forth!" cried Home, unsheathing his sword; "the crows shall hold thy lykewake to-night." "Gie him Lauder Brig owre again," said Drummond of Carnock, making a thrust, which drew a shrill cry from Sybilla, and a successful parry from Falconer, whose sword twisted the other's blade out of his hand, and sent it flying over a tree-top behind him. "A devil of a fellow this!" said Balloch. "An insolent churl!" added the two lords. "Allow me to suggest to your lordships the cultivation of courage as a quality--the acquisition of politeness being an impossibility," said Falconer, with a withering glance. At this sneer the rage of his assailants knew no bounds; and they lunged at him again and again severally and with all their swords together, but being within the bower he kept them completely at bay. "Come forth, I tell thee, villain!" said Home, imperiously, "that I may handsel a new sword on thy plebeian head." "Proud lord," said Falconer, as by one well-directed thrust he pierced the sword-arm of Hailes; "ere long we will teach thee, and such as thee, who fight only to uphold long pedigrees and overweening privileges, that the Scottish people will not submit to be trampled on by a horde of titled traitors." "May I die, fellow, but thou shalt eat these words," cried Hailes, hoarsely, and still pressing on, while his sword-arm dripped with blood. "I know one thing thou wilt never die of--shame," said Falconer, laughing, as he thrust him back at full length on the sward. At that moment, the gallant young arquebussier, who was so fully occupied in front that he did not hear Borthwick breaking through the bower behind him, suddenly felt his arms seized by that personage; and then his assailants, two of whom were infuriated by wounds, rushed upon him; tore the screaming Sybilla from his arm, wrested away his sword, and dashed him to the earth. Now there was an ominous pause, as to whether or not they should despatch him at once. "Gie him Lauder Brig, I till ye!" cried Balloch again. "Thou art right, laird," said Home, fiercely; "but we have no tent cords." "But here is my scarf," said Hailes, whose hands clutched the throat of Falconer like a tiger's fangs. "Knot me a noose some of you, and pull with a will." "Quick," added Carnock; "pull--pull! By Saint Beelzebub, my fine fellow, thou wilt soon look like a gled nailed on a byre-door." In the hands of so many, Sir David Falconer, though young, powerful, and athletic, was completely overmastered; and now ensued one of those terrible scenes which so often darkened the annals of our country. The scarf, which was of soft silk, was tied round Falconer's neck in a slip-knot, with grim deliberation.