"The mistress o' Gilnockie," rejoined Margaret, "has come to seek a guid word for Christie's Will, who now lies in Jedburgh jail for stealing a tether, and I fear may hang for't." The servant heard this extraordinary message as servants who presume to judge of the sense of their messages ever do, with critical attention, and, after serious consideration, declared that he could not deliver such a message to his lord. "I dinna want ye to deliver my message, man," said Margaret. "I merely wished to be polite to ye, and show ye a little attention. God be thankit, the mistress o' Gilnockie can deliver her ain errand." And, pushing the waiting man aside by a sudden jerk of her brawnie arm, she proceeded calmly forward to a door, which she intended to open; but the servant was at her heels, and, laying hold of her plaid, was in the act of hauling her back, when the Warden himself came out, and asked the cause of the affray. "Is the house yours, my Lord, or this man's?" said Margaret. "Take my advice, my Lord," (whispering in his ear,) "turn him aff--he's a traitor; would you believe it, my Lord, that, though placed there for the purpose o' lettin' folk into yer Lordship, he actually--ay, as sure as death--tried to keep me oot! Can ye deny it, sir? Look i' my face, and deny it if ye daur!" The man smiled, and his Lordship laughed; and Margaret wondered at the easy good-nature of a Lord in forgiving such a heinous offence on the part of a servitor. "If ye're as kind to me as ye are to that rebel," continued Margaret, as she followed his Lordship into his sitting chamber, "Christie's Will winna hang yet." "What mean you, good woman?" said the Warden. "What is it that you want?" "As if your Lordship didna ken," answered Margaret, with a knowing look. "Is it likely that a Liddesdale woman frae the Hollows, should ca' upon the great Warden for aught short o' the life and safety o' the man wha's in Jedburgh jail?" (Another Scotch wink.) "I am still at a loss, good woman," said the Warden. "At a loss!" rejoined Margaret. "What! doesna a' the Forest,[C] and Teviotdale and Tweeddale to boot, ken that Christie's Will is in Jedburgh jail?" [C] Selkirkshire. "I know, I know, good dame," replied the Warden, "that that brave riever is in prison; but I thought his crime was the stealing of a cow, and not a tether, as I heard you say to my servant." "Weel, weel--the cow may have been at the end o' the tether," replied Margaret. "She is a wise woman who concealeth the _extremity_ of her husband's crime," replied Lord Traquair, with a smile, "But what wouldst thou have me to do?"