His great hands lay in his lap, and his eyes looked at the purple ridges of Screel, across the beautiful loch of Carlinwark, which sparkled and dimpled restlessly among its isles like a wilful beauty bridling under the gaze of a score of gallants.
But, even as he went, Sholto's step slowed, and lost its braggart strut and confidence.

Behind him Laurence chuckled and laughed, smiting his thigh in his mocking glee.
"The purple velvet, mind you, Sholto! How well it will become you, coft from Rob Halliburton, our mother's own brother, seamed with red gold and lined with yellow satin and cramosie.

Well indeed will it set you when Maud Lindesay, the maid who came from the north for company to the Earl's sister, looks forth from the canopy upon you as you stand in the archers' rank on the morrow's morn." Sholto squared his shoulders, and with a little backward hitch of his elbow which meant "Wait till I come back, and I will pay you for this flouting," he strode determinedly across the green space towards his father.
The master armourer of Earl Douglas did not lift his eyes till his son had half crossed the road.

Then, even as if a rank of spearmen at the word of command had lifted their glittering points to the "ready," Sholto MacKim stopped dead where he was, with a sort of gasp in his throat, like one who finds his defenceless body breast high against the line of hostile steel.
"The purple velvet!" came the cautious whisper from behind.

But the taunt was powerless now.
The smith held his son a moment with his eyes.
"Well ?" came in the deep low voice, more like the lowest tones of an organ than the speech of a man.
Sholto stood fixed, then half turning on his heel he began to walk towards the corner of the dwelling-house, over which a gay streamer of the early creeping convolvulus danced and swung in the stirring of the light breeze.
"You wish speech with me ?" said his father, in the same level and thrilling undertone.
"No," said Sholto, hesitant in spite of himself, "but I thought--that is I desired--saw you my sister Magdalen pass this way?
I have somewhat to give her." "Ah, so," said Brawny Kim, without moving, "a steel breastplate, belike.