But Conachar," he added, in a softer tone of voice, "lives again so soon as Catharine desires to see him; and while he is the young chief of the Clan Quhele to all others, he is to her as humble and obedient as when he was Simon Glover's apprentice.

See, here is the stick I had from you when we nutted together in the sunny braes of Lednoch, when autumn was young in the year that is gone.

I would not exchange it, Catharine, for the truncheon of my tribe." While Eachin thus spoke, Catharine began to doubt in her own mind whether she had acted prudently in requesting the assistance of a bold young man, elated, doubtless, by his sudden elevation from a state of servitude to one which she was aware gave him extensive authority over a very lawless body of adherents.
"You do not fear me, fair Catharine ?" said the young chief, taking her hand.

"I suffered my people to appear before you for a few minutes, that I might see how you could endure their presence; and methinks you regarded them as if you were born to be a chieftain's wife." "I have no reason to fear wrong from Highlanders," said Catharine, firmly; "especially as I thought Conachar was with them.

Conachar has drunk of our cup and eaten of our bread; and my father has often had traffic with Highlanders, and never was there wrong or quarrel betwixt him and them." "No ?" replied Hector, for such is the Saxon equivalent for Eachin, "what! never when he took the part of the Gow Chrom (the bandy legged smith) against Eachin MacIan?
Say nothing to excuse it, and believe it will be your own fault if I ever again allude to it.