The monastery; The abbot.

THE ABBOT.
U gptar tr t first.
Domum mansit —lanam fect.
Ancient Ronian Epitaph.
She keepit close the hous, and birlit at the quhele.
GAWAIN DOUGLAS.
THE time which passes over our heads so imperceptibly, makes the same
gradual change in habits, manners, and character, as in personal appearance. At the revolution of every five years we find ourselves another, and
yet the same-there is a change of views, and no less of the light in which
we regard them; a change of motives as well as of actions. Nearly twice
that space had glided away over the head of Halbert Glendinning and his
lady, betwixt the period of our former narrative, in which they played a
distinguished part, and the date at which our present tale commences.
Two circumstances only had imbittered their union, which was otherwise
as happy as mutual affection could render it. The first of these was indeed
the common calamity of Scotland, being the distracted state of that unhappy
country, where every man's sword was directed against his neighbour's
bosom. Glendinning had proved what Murray expected of him, a steady
friend, strong in battle, and wise in counsel, adhering to him, from motives
of gratitude, in situations where by his own unbiassed will he would either
have stood neuter, or have joined the opposite party. Hence, when danger
was -near-and it was seldom far distant-Sir Halbert Glendinning, for he
now bore the rank of knighthood, was perpetually summoned to attend his
patron on distant expeditions, or on perilous enterprises, or to assist him
with his counsel in the doubtful intrigues of a halfbarbarous court. He
was thus frequently, and for a long space, absent from his castle and from
his lady; and to this ground of regret we must add, that their union had
not been blessed with children, to occupy the attention of the Lady of Avenel, while she was thus deprived of her husband's domestic society.
On such occasions she lived almost entirely secluded from the world,
within the walls of her paternal mansion. Visiting amongst neighbors was
a matter entirely out of the question, unless on occasions of solemn festival,
and then it was chiefly confined to near kindred. Of these the Lady of
Avenel had none who survived, and the dames of the neighbouring barons
affected to regard her less as the heiress of the house of Avenel than as the
wife of a peasant, the son of a church-vassal, raised up to mushroom eminence by the capricious favour of Murray.
The pride of ancestry, which rankled in the bosom of the ancient gentry,
was more openly expressed by their ladies, and was, moreover, imbittered
not a little by the political feuds of the time, for most of the Southern chiefs
were friends to the authority of the Queen, and very jealous of the power of
Murray. The Castle of Avenel was, therefore, on all these accounts, as
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