The monastery; The abbot.

154 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
asleep with harmony, wakened with sprightly sports and tourneys, decored
with silks and tissues, glittering with diamonds and jewels, standing on end
with double-piled velvets, satins, and satinettas!"
"The token, Sir Knight, the token 1" exclaimed Halbert Glendinning,
who, impatient of Sir Piercie's interminable oratory, reminded him of the
ground of their quarrel, as the best way to compel him to the purpose of
their meeting.
And he judged right; for Sir Piercie Shafton no sooner heard him speak,
than he exclaimed, " Thy death-hour has struck -betake thee to thy sword
-Via!"
Both swords were unsheathed, and the combatants commenced their
engagement. Halbert became immediately aware, that, as he had expected,
he was far inferior to his adversary in the use of his weapon. Sir Piercie
Shafton had taken no more than his own share of real merit, when he termed
himself an absolutely good fencer; and Glendinning soon found that he
should have great difficulty in escaping with life and honour from such a
master of the sword. The English knight was master of all the mystery of
the stoccata, imbrocata, punto-reverso, incartata, and so forth, which the
Italian masters of defence had lately introduced into general practice. But
Glendinning, on his part, was no novice in the principles of the art, according
to the old Scottish fashion, and possessed the first of all qualities, a steady
and collected mind. At first, being desirous to try the skill, and become
acquainted with the play of his enemy, he stood on his defence, keeping his
foot, hand, eye, and body, in perfect unison, and holding his sword short,
and with the point towards his antagonist's face, so that Sir Piercie, in order
to assail him, was obliged to make actual passes, and could not avail himself
of his skill in making feints; while, on the other hand, Halbert was prompt
to parry these attacks, either by shifting his ground or with the sword. The
consequence was, that after two or three sharp attempts on the part of Sir
Piercie, which were evaded or disconcerted by the address of his opponent, he
began to assume the defensive in his turn, fearful of giving some advantage by
being repeatedly the assailant. But Halbert was too cautious to press on a
swordsman whose dexterity had already more than once placed him within
a hair's breadth of death, which he had only escaped by uncommon watchfulness and agility.
When each had made a feint or two, there was a pause in the conflict,
both as if by one assent dropping their swords' point, and looking on each
other for a moment without speaking. At length Halbert Glendinning, who
felt perhaps more uneasy on account of his family than he had done before
he had displayed his own courage, and proved the strength of his antagonist,
could not help saying, " Is the subject of our quarrel, Sir Knight, so mortal,
that one of our two bodies must needs fill up that grave? or may we with
honour, having proved ourselves against each other, sheathe our swords and
depart friends?"
" Valiant and most rustical Audacity," said the Southron knight, " to no
man on earth could you have put a question on the code of honour, who was
more capable of rendering you a reason. Let us pause for the space of one
venue, until I give you my opinion on this dependence,* for certain it is, that
brave men should not run upon their fate like brute and furious wild beasts,
but should slay each other deliberately, decently, and with reason. Therefore, if we coolly examine the state of our dependence, we may the better
apprehend whether the sisters three have doomed one of us to expiate the
same with his blood - Dost thou understand me?"
" I have heard Father Eustace," said Halbert, after a moment's recollection, " speak of the three furies, with their thread and their shears."
* Dependence-A phrase among the brethren of the sword for an existing quarrel