“Why, because we are humble folk, and must get our ways upstairs out of the way of dignities.  Permit me to kiss your glove, fair lord!” and here she tripped down the steps and pretended to take his hand.

“Hold off!” he cried, snatching it away angrily, for her tone vexed and thwarted him.

The girl affected a great terror, which merged immediately into a meek affectation of resignation.

“No—­you are right—­we are not worthy even to kiss your knightly hand,” she said, “but we will respectfully greet you.”  Here she swept him a full reverence, and ran up the steps again before he could take hold of her.  Then, standing on the topmost step, and holding her friend’s hand in hers, she spoke to the Maid of Galloway in a tone hushed and regretful, as one speaks of the dead.

“No, Margaret,” she said, “he will no more play with us.  Hide-and-seek about the stack-yard ricks at the Mains is over in the gloamings.  Sir Sholto cares no more for us.  He has put away childish things.  He will not even blow out a lamp for us with his own honourable lips.  No, he will call his squire to do it!”

Sholto looked the indignation he would not trust himself to speak.

“He will dine with the Earl in hall, and quaff and stamp and shout with the best when they drink the toasts.  But he has become too great a man to carry you and me any more over the stepping-stones at the ford, or pull with us the ripe berries when the briars are drooping purple on the braes of Keltonhill.  Bid him good-by, Margaret, for he was our kind friend once.  And when he rides out to battle, perhaps, if we are good and respectful, he may again wave us a hand and say:  ‘There are two lassies that once I kenned!’”

At this inordinate flouting the patience of the new knight, growing more and more angry at each word, came quickly to the breaking point; for his nerves were jarred and jangled by the excitement of the day.  He gave vent to a short sharp cry, and started up the steps with the intention of making Mistress Lindesay pay in some fashion for her impertinence.  But that active and gamesome maid was most entirely on the alert.  Indeed, she had been counting from the first upon provoking such a movement.  And so, with her nimble charge at her heels, Mistress Lindesay was already at the inner port, and through the iron-barred gate of the turret stair, before the youthful captain of the guard, still cumbered with his armour, could reach the top of the outer steps.

As soon as Sholto saw that he was hopelessly distanced, he slackened his gait, and, with a sober tread befitting a knight and officer of a garrison, he walked along the passage which led to the chamber allotted to the captain of the guard, from which that day Landless Jock had removed his effects.

The soldiers of the guard, who had heard of the honours which had so swiftly come upon the young man, rose and respectfully saluted their chief.  And Sholto, though he had been silent when the sharp tongue of the mirth-loving maid tormented him, found speech readily enough now.