as, indeed, the brutal jests of his rude cousins had made him dread and
hate the eye of a stranger; and while the knight was led forward to the
hall fire, he merely pressed up to the priest, and eagerly demanded under
his breath, 'Have you brought me the book?' but Father Ninian had only
time to nod, and sign that a volume was in his bosom, before old Sir
David called out, 'What now, Malcolm, forgetting that your part is to
come and disarm the knight who does you the honour to be your guest?' And
Sir Patrick rather roughly pushed him forward, gruffly whispering, 'Leave
not Lily to supply your lack of courtesy.'

Malcolm shambled forward, bewildered, as the keen auburn eye fell on him,
and the cheery kindly voice said, 'Ha! a new book--a romance? Well may
that drive out other thoughts.'

'Had he ears to hear such a whisper?' thought Malcolm, as he mumbled in
the hoarse voice of bashful boyhood, 'Not a romance, Sir, but whatever
the good fathers at Coldingham would lend me.'

'It is the "Itinerarium" of the blessed Adamnanus,' replied Father
Ninian, producing from his bosom a parcel, apparently done up in many
wrappers, a seal-skin above all.

'The "Itinerarium"!' exclaimed Sir James, 'methought I had heard of such
a book. I have a friend in England who would give many a fair rose noble
for a sight of it.'

'A friend in England!'--the words had a sinister sound to the audience,
and while Malcolm jealously gathered up the book into his arms, the
priest made cold answer, that the book was the property of the Monastery
at Coldingham, and had only been lent to Lord Malcolm Stewart by special