Now, as he walked over the hill of Barone, Kenric thought upon this strange illness that had befallen his dog; and suddenly, as though a light had flashed into his mind, he remembered how Alpin had told him of the feast, and of how Earl Roderic, sitting at my lady’s side, had cut up her venison for her; and also of how my lady, ere she had eaten but a few pieces of the venison, had left the board.  It was the same plateful of venison that the dog had eaten, and now both the Lady Adela and the dog were ill.

Then Kenric saw clearly that this was but another of the base schemes of his treacherous uncle, who, not yet certain by what means he should compass the death of Earl Hamish, had taken this poisonous course to assure himself that the Lady Adela should be ill on that night, and powerless to interfere in the crime that was in his mind.

“Oh, devil’s messenger, or devil himself that thou art!” he cried.  “Cursed be the hour that brought you in our midst, Roderic MacAlpin.  You have slain my father, you have slain my brother; my dear mother is now by your cruel hand laid helpless on her couch.  But by my father’s soul and by my mother’s blessing, I swear that you shall die.  By my hand and none other you shall perish!  Oh, God in mercy give me strength —­ give me power to kill this man of blood!”

Then at high speed he ran down the hillside, and the grouse birds lying low in the heather rose with startled cries and flew off to the further heights, uttering sounds as of mocking laughter.

Between Loch Dhu and Kilmory, as he crossed towards the marshes, a flock of lapwings rose in alarm, and Kenric knew by their cries that some other than himself was near.  He turned his course, thinking that old Elspeth might be there, passing homeward from the peat casting.

Beside the rock where, three hours before, Earl Roderic had stood, he found Lulach the herd boy, and on the height of the rock sat Aasta twining a wreath of daisies in her blood-red hair.  When they saw Kenric they both stepped forward, and together they threw themselves upon the ground before him, pressing his coarse garments to their lips.

“Give you good day, my lord the king,” they both said.

Thus did it chance that these two humble thralls, Lulach and Aasta, were the first of all the dwellers in Bute to hail Lord Kenric as their king, and not till then did Kenric remember that by the death of Alpin he was now indeed the rightful lord of Bute, and he thought of the prophecy of Elspeth Blackfell.  Disturbed in mind at the so early homage of Aasta and Lulach, he bade them rise.

“For your courtesy I thank you,” he said.  “But tell me, I pray you, where is Dame Elspeth gone, and where may I find her?  For my mother, the Lady Adela, is passing ill.”

“The Lady Adela ill!” echoed Aasta.  “Alas! alas!”

“Elspeth has gone these two hours past towards Dunagoil,” said Lulach.  “So please you, my lord, I will run after her and bid her hasten to my lady’s aid.”