The monastery; The abbot.

THE ABBOT. 425
account in objecting to her the lightness of every idle folly, that the young
and the gay practised in her court." So saying, she left the apartment.
Catherine Seyton seemed much struck with this remonstrance-She
suffered herself to drop into the seat which she had quitted when she went
to embrace Dame Mary Fleming, and for some time rested her brow upon
her hands; while Roland Graeme looked at her earnestly, with a mixture
of emotions which perhaps he himself could neither have analysed nor
explained. As she raised her face slowly from the posture to which a
momentary feeling of self-rebuke had depressed it, her eyes encountered
those of Roland, and became gradually animated with their usual spirit of
malicious drollery, which not unnaturally excited a similar expression in
those of the equally volatile page. They sat for the space of two minutes,
each looking at the other with great seriousness on their features, and
much mirth in their eyes, uhtil at length Catherine was the first to break
silence.
" May I pray you, fair sir," she began, very demurely, "to tell me what
you see in my face to arouse looks so extremely sagacious and knowing as
those with which it is your worship's pleasure to honour me? It would
seem as if there were some wonderful confidence and intimacy betwixt us,
fair sir, if one is to judge from your extremely cunning looks; and so help
me, Our Lady, as I never saw you but twice in my life before."
"And where were those happy occasions," said Roland, "if I may be
bold enough to ask the question?"
"At the nunnery of St. Catherine's," said the damsel, "in the first
instance; and, in the second, during five minutes of a certain raid or foray
which it was your pleasure to make into the lodging of my lord and father,
Lord Seyton, from which, to my surprise, as probably to your own, you
returned with a token of friendship and favour, instead of broken bones,
which were the more probable reward of your intrusion, considering the
prompt ire of the house of Seyton. I am deeply mortified," she added,
ironically, "that your recollection should require refreshment on a subject
so important; and that my memory should be stronger than yours'on such
an occasion, is truly humiliating."
"Your own memory is not so exactly correct, fair mistress," answered
the page, " seeing you have forgotten meeting the third, in the hostelrie of
St. Michael's, when it pleased you to lay your switch across the face of my
comrade, in order, I warrant, to show that, in the house of Seyton, neither
the prompt ire of its descendants, nor the use of the doublet and hose, are
subject to Salique law, or confined to the use of the males."
"Fair sir," answered Catherine, looking at him with great steadiness,
and some surprise, " unless your fair wits have forsaken you, I am at a loss
what to conjecture of your meaning."
"By my troth, fair mistress," answered Roland, "and were I as wise a
warlock as Michael Scott, I could scarce riddle the dream you read me.
Did I not see you last night in the hostelrie of St. Michael's? —Did you not
bring me this sword, with command not to draw it save at the command of
my native and rightful Sovereign? And have I not done as you required
me? Or is the sword a piece of lath-my word a bulrush-my memory a
dream - and my eyes good for nought - espials which corbies might pick
out of my head?"
"And if your eyes serve you not more truly on other occasions than in
your vision of St. Michael," said Catherine, "I know not, the pain apart,
that the corbies would do you any great injury in the deprivation-But
hark, the bell -hush, for God's sake, we are interrupted.-"
The damsel was right; for no sooner had the dull toll of the castle bell
begun to resound through the vaulted apartment, than the door of the
vestibule flew open, and the steward, with his severe countenance, his gold
chain, and his white rod, entered the apartment, followed by the same train
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