The Baron, quick as lightning at taking umbrage, had already bent his brow, when Glennaquoich dragged his major from the spot, and remonstrated with him, in the authoritative tone of a chieftain, on the madness of reviving a quarrel in such a moment.
'The ground is cumbered with carcases,' said the old mountaineer, turning sullenly away; 'ONE MORE would hardly have been kenn'd upon it; and if it wasna for yoursell, Vich Ian Vohr, that one should be Bradwardine's or mine.' The chief soothed while he hurried him away; and then returned to the Baron.

'It is Ballenkeiroch,' he said, in an under and confidential voice, 'father of the young man who fell eight years since in the unlucky affair at the Mains.' 'Ah!' said the Baron, instantly relaxing the doubtful sternness of his features, 'I can take mickle frae a man to whom I have unhappily rendered sie a displeasure as that.

Ye were right to apprize me, Glennaquoich; he may look as black as midnight at Martinmas ere Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine shall say he does him wrang.

Ah! I have nae male lineage, and I should bear with one I have made childless, though you are aware the blood-wit was made up to your ain satisfaction by assythment, and that I have since expedited letters of slains .-- Weel, as I have said, I have no male issue, and yet it is needful that I maintain the honour of my house; and it is on that score I prayed ye for your peculiar and private attention.' The two young men awaited to hear him in anxious curiosity.
'I doubt na, lads,' he proceeded, 'but your education has been sae seen to, that ye understand the true nature of the feudal tenures ?' Fergus, afraid of an endless dissertation, answered, 'Intimately, Baron,' and touched Waverley, as a signal to express no ignorance.
'And ye are aware, I doubt not, that the holding of the Barony of Bradwardine is of a nature alike honourable and peculiar, being blanch (which Craig opines ought to be Latinated BLANCUM, or rather FRANCUM, a free holding) PRO SERVITIO DETRAHENDI, SEU EXUENDI, CALIGAS REGIS POST BATTALIAM.' Here Fergus turned his falcon eye upon Edward, with an almost imperceptible rise of his eyebrow, to which his shoulders corresponded in the same degree of elevation.

'Now, twa points of dubitation occur to me upon this topic.