"No, maiden," he replied; "he is my enemy; and from him I wish no terms--no clemency. Let him fulfil his purpose--I will die; but my death shall be revenged; and tell my mother that it was my latest injunction that she should command every follower of our house to avenge her son's death, while there is a Murray left in all Scotland to repent the deed o' the knight o' Elibank." "Oh, sweet young ma'am, or mistress!" cried Simon; "bear the lady no such message; but rather, as ye hae said, try if it be possible to get your own good lady to persuade Sir Gideon to spare our lives for a few days; and, as ye say, the edge o' the auld knight's revenge may be blunted by that time, or, perhaps, my worthy young maister may be brought to see things in a clearer light, and, perhaps, to marry Miss Margaret, by which means our lives may be spared. For it is certainly the height o' madness in him to sacrifice my life and his own, rather than marry her before he has seen her." "Simon," interrupted the laird, "the maiden has spoken kindly; let her endeavour to procure a respite--a reprieve for you. In your death my enemy can have no gratification; but for me--leave me to myself." "O sir," replied Simon, "ye wrong me--ye mistake my meaning a'thegither. If you are to die, I will die also; but do ye no think it would be as valorous, and mair rational, at least to see and hear the young leddy before ye determine to die rather than to marry her?" "And hae ye," said the maiden, addressing the laird, "preferred the gallows to poor Meg without even seeing her?" "If I haena seen her I hae heard o' her," said he; "and by all accounts her countenance isna ane that ony man would desire to see accompanying him through the world like a shadow at his oxter." "Belike," said the maiden, "she has been represented to you worse than she looks like--if ye saw her, ye might change your opinion; and, perhaps, after a', that she isna bonny is a' that any one can say against her." "Wheesht, lassie!" said he; "I winna be forced to onything. A Scott may be led, but he winna drive. I have nae wish to see the face o' your young mistress, for I winna hae her. But you speak as one that has a feeling heart, and before I trust ye wi' my last letter to my poor mother, I should like to have a glance at your face, and by your countenance I shall judge whether or not it will be safe to trust ye." "I doubt, sir," replied she, throwing back the hood that covered her head, "ye will see as little in my features as ye expect to find in my young mistress's to recommend me; but, sir, you ought to remember that jewels are often encrusted in coarser metals, and ye will often find a delicious kernel within an unsightly shell."