Your sister, the little Lady Margaret, hath been grievously frighted by an appearance like a great beast which (so she affirms) opened the door of her chamber and looked within." "She but dreamed," said the Earl, carelessly; "such visions come from supping late." "But, with all respect, your lordship," continued Sholto, "I also saw the appearance even as I ran down the stairs from the roof at the noise of her crying." "You were startled--excited, and but thought you saw." Sholto reversed his sword, which he had held with the point towards the ground while he was speaking with his lord the Earl.
Holding the blade midway with much deference, he presented the hilt to William Douglas.
"Will you examine the point of this sword ?" he said.
The Earl came a step nearer to him and Sholto advanced the steel till it was immediately beneath the lamp.

There was blood upon the last inch or so of the blade.

The Earl suddenly became violently agitated.
"This is indeed passing strange.

There is no hound within the castle nor has there been for years.

Even the presence of a lap-dog will fret my mother, so in my father's time they were every one removed to the kennels at the further end of the isle of Thrieve, whence even their howling cannot be heard.