The monastery; The abbot.

THE MONASTERY. 101
the Halidome. But I have been looking for your two sons, dame. Men say
downby that Halbert's turned a wild springald, and that we may have word
of him from Westmoreland one moonlight night or another."
"God forbid, my good neighbour; God, in his mercy, forbid!" said Dame
Glendinning, earnestly; for it was touching the very key-note of her apprehensions, to hint any probability that Halbert might become one of the
marauders so common in the age and country. But, fearful of having betrayed too much alarm on this subject; she immediately added, "That
though, since the last rout at Pinkiecleuch, she had been all of a tremble
when a gun or a spear was named, or when men spoke of fighting; yet,
thanks to God and our Lady, her sons were like to live and die honest and
peaceful tenants to the Abbey, as their father might have done, but for that
awful hosting which he went forth to with mony a brave man that never
returned."
"Ye need not tell me of it, dame," said the Miller, " since I was there
myself, and made two pair of legs (and these were not mine, but my
mare's,) worth one pair of hands. I judged how it would be, when I saw
our host break ranks, with rushing on through that broken ploughed field,
and so as they had made a pricker of me, I e'en pricked off with myself
while the play was good."
"Ay, ay, neighbour," said the dame, "ye were aye a wise and a wary
man; if my Simon had had your wit, he might have been here to speak
about it this day; but he was aye cracking of his good blood and his high
kindred, and less would not serve him than to bide the bang to the last,
with the earls, and knights, and squires, that had no wives to greet for
them, or else had wives that cared not how soon they were widows; but
that is not for the like of us. But touching my son Halbert, there is no
fear of him; for if it should be his misfortune to be in the like case, he has
the best pair of heels in Halidome, and could run almost as fast as your
mare herself."
" Is this he, neighbour?" quoth the Miller.
"No," replied the mother; "that is my youngest son, Edward, who can
read and write like the Lord Abbot himself, if it were not a sin to say so."
"Ay," said the Miller; "and is that the young clerk the Sub-Prior
thinks so much of? they say he will come far ben that lad; wha kens but
he may come to be Sub-Prior himself? —as broken a ship has come to land."
" To be a Prior, neighbour Miller," said Edward, "a man must first be a
priest, and for that I judge I have little vocation."
"He will take to the pleugh-pettle, neighbour," said the good dame;
"and so will Halbert too, I trust. I wish you saw Halbert.-Edward,
where is your brother?"
"Hunting, I think," replied Edward; "at least he left us this morning
to join the Laird of Colmslie and his hounds. I have heard them baying
in the glen all day."
"And if I had heard that music," said the Miller, " it would have done
my heart good, ay, and may be taken me two or three miles out of my road.
When I was the Miller of Morebattle's knave, I have followed the hounds
from Eckford to the foot of Hounam-law -followed them on foot, Dame
Glendinning, ay, and led the chase when the Laird of Cessford and his gay
riders were all thrown out by the mosses and gills. I brought the stag on
my back to Hounam Cross, when the dogs had pulled him down. I think
I see the old gray knight, as he sate so upright on his strong war-horse,
all white with foam; and'Miller,' said he to me,'an thou wilt turn thy
back on the mill, and wend with me, I will make a man of thee.' But I
chose rather to abide by clap and happer, and the better luck was mine;
for the proud Percy caused hang five of the Laird's henchmen at Alnwick
for burning a rickle of houses some gate beyond Fowberry, and it miglit
have been my luck as well as another man's."
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