Of course they understood that the direction Kennedy gave was the very one they were not to take, but they followed it till a tall bush of gorse hid them from the escort; and then Malcolm, grasping his sister’s hand, plunged down among the rowans, ferns, and hazels, that covered the steep bank of the river, and so soon as a footing was gained under shelter of a tall rock, threw his arms round her, almost sobbing in an under-tone, ’My Lily, my tittie!—­safe at last!  Oh, God be thanked!  I knew her prayers would be heard!  Oh, would that Patrick were here!’ Then, as her face changed and quivered ready to weep, he cried, ’Eh, what! art still deeming him dead?’

‘How!’ she cried wildly.  ‘He fell into the hands of your English, and—­’

‘He fell into the hands of your King and mine,’ said Malcolm.  ’Yes, King James dragged him out of the burning house, and wrung his pardon out of King Harry.  He came with me to St. Abbs to fetch you, Lily, and only went back because his knighthood would not serve in this quest like my clerkship.’

‘Patrick living, Patrick safe!  Oh!’ she fell on her knees among the ferns, hid her face in her hands, and drew a long breath.  ’Malcolm, this is joy overmuch.  The desolation of yesterday, the joy to-day!’

Malcolm, seeing her like one stifled by emotion, fell on his knees beside her, and whispered forth a thanksgiving.  She rested with her head on his shoulder in content till he started up, saying in a lively manner, ’Come, Lily, we must be on our way.  A very bonnie young clerk you are, with your berry-brown locks cut so short round your face.’

Lilias blushed up to the short dark curls she had left herself.  ’Had I thought he lived, I could scarce have done it.’

‘What, not to get to him, silly maid?  Here,’ as he shook out and donned the gown he had brought rolled up, ’now am I a scholar too.  Stay, you must take off this badge of the bachelor; you have only been in a monastery school, you know; you are my young brother—­what shall we call you?’

‘Davie,’ softly suggested Lilias.

’Ay, Davie then, that I’ve come home to fetch to share my Paris lear.  You can be very shy and bashful, you know, and leave all the knapping of Latin and logic to me.’

‘If it is such as you did with Jamie Kennedy,’ said Lilias, ’it will indeed be well.  Oh, Malcolm, I sat and marvelled at ye—­so gleg ye took him up.  How could ye learn it?  And ye are a brave warrior too in battles,’ she added, looking him over with a sister’s fond pride.

‘We have had no battle, no pitched field,’ said Malcolm ’but I have seen war.’

‘So that ugly words can never be flung in your face again!’ cried Lilias.  ‘Are you knighted, brother?’

’No, but they say I have won my spurs.  I’ll tell you all, Lily, as we walk.  Only let me bestow this iron cap where some mavis may nestle in it.  Ay, and the boots too, which scarce befit a clerk.  There, your hand, Clerk Davie; we must make westward to-day, lest poor Duke Murdoch be forced to send to chase us.  After that, for the Border and Patie.’