"For my own part," said Hailes, hastening to break the silence, "I beg to offer my most dutiful thanks to the Lord Drummond, and to say, that I will consider it the task--or rather the pleasure--of my life to love his fair daughter Sybilla, and if he will honour me with her hand, two thousand of the best lances in Eastern Lothian will follow his banner to death! Alexander Home, what sayest thou?" "All that you have said, I too am ready to perform--excepting that instead of spearmen, I bring two thousand troopers from Tweedside and the Merse, for I have long admired the Lady Euphemia Drummond, and would soon have learned to love her, but feared she was betrothed to the rich heir of Sir Andrew Barton." "Robert Barton is a brave, good fellow," said Lord Drummond, "but a stanch king's man." "And the son of a merchant skipper," said Angus; "so it is your bounden duty, Home, to save a noble lady from such a misalliance." "I place myself at the complete disposal of her father," replied Home, whom, like Hailes, the dazzling beauty of the proffered bride had made completely tractable; "but what shall we say if each of these fair dames assert a woman's right of choice?" At this idea Lord Drummond laughed aloud, for that was a _right_ which was but ill defined in Scotland till the middle or nearly the end of the last century. "Wine--wine! more Rochelle and Bordeaux to drink to these fair brides and facile bridegrooms!" cried the half-intoxicated Governor of Stirling, as he thundered on the oaken table with a silver drinking-pot. "Gray, is thy devil of a butler deaf, or is the cellar empty?" "We have three butts of Rochelle, a bombarde of Bordeaux, and Lammas ale enow to swim the _Yellow Frigate_," replied the chatelain; "but, on my soul, Sir James, I think thou'st had enough before dinner." "More wine, I tell thee, thou inhospitable! Bring up the bombarde, and I will teach thee an infallible thrust, by which thou wilt always kill an adversary, even though girded in a triple coat of mail. By my faith, old Drummond, thou art a wise carle! Take lords, while thou canst get them;--better have eggs to-day than hens to-morrow. Ha! ha!" * * * * * * Altogether unaware of the troubles in store for them, the three daughters of Drummond at that very time were seated on the bartizan of their ancient mansion in Dundee, watching the white sails of the _Yellow Frigate_ and her consort, as they shone in the setting-sun, and diminished on those waters which the western light tinged with a golden glow.