Chapter 9 - Page 2

to sacrifice my guest's pleasure to
my own."

"Sacrifice!" echoed Caleb, in a tone which seemed to imply the total
absurdity of his master making the least concession in deference to any
one--"sacrifice, indeed!--but I crave your honour's pardon, and whilk
doublet is it your pleasure to wear?"

"Any one you will, Caleb; my wardrobe, I suppose, is not very
extensive."

"Not extensive!" echoed his assistant; "when there is the grey and
silver that your lordship bestowed on Hew Hildebrand, your outrider;
and the French velvet that went with my lord your father--be gracious
to him!--my lord your father's auld wardrobe to the puir friends of the
family; and the drap-de-Berry----"

"Which I gave to you, Caleb, and which, I suppose, is the only dress we
have any chance to come at, except that I wore yesterday; pray, hand me
that, and say no more about it."

"If your honour has a fancy," replied Caleb, "and doubtless it's a
sad-coloured suit, and you are in mourning; nevertheless, I have never
tried on the drap-de-Berry--ill wad it become me--and your honour having
no change of claiths at this present--and it's weel brushed, and as
there are leddies down yonder----"

"Ladies!" said Ravenswood; "and what ladies, pray?"

"What do I ken, your lordship? Looking down at them from the Warden's
Tower, I could but see them glent by wi' their bridles ringing and their
feathers fluttering, like the court of Elfland."

"Well, well, Caleb," replied the Master, "help me on with my cloak, and
hand me my sword-belt. What clatter is that in the courtyard?"

"Just Bucklaw bringing out the horses," said Caleb, after a glance
through the window, "as if there werena men eneugh in the castle, or as
if I couldna serve the turn of ony o' them that are out o' the gate."

"Alas! Caleb, we should want little if your ability were equal to your
will," replied the Master.

"And I hope your lordship disna want that muckle," said Caleb; "for,
considering a' things, I trust we support the credit of the family as
weel as things will permit of,--only Bucklaw is aye sae frank and sae
forward. And there he has brought out your lordship's palfrey, without
the saddle being decored wi' the broidered sumpter-cloth! and I could
have brushed it in a minute."

"It is all very well," said his master, escaping from him and descending
the narrow and steep winding staircase which led to the courtyard.

"It MAY be a' very weel," said Caleb, somewhat peevishly; "but if your
lordship wad tarry a bit, I