''
``Yet say what is the penalty if thou shouldst
not return?'' replied Elspat.
``Military punishment as a deserter,'' answered
Hamish; writhing, however, as his mother failed
not to observe, under some internal feelings, which
she resolved to probe to the uttermost.
``And that,'' she said, with assumed calmness,
which her glancing eye disowned, ``is the punishment
of a disobedient hound, is it not?''
``Ask me no more, mother,'' said Hamish; ``the
punishment is nothing to one who will never deserve
it.''
``To me it is something,'' replied Elspat, ``since
I know better than thou, that where there is power
to inflict, there is often the will to do so without
cause. I would pray for thee, Hamish, and I must
know against what evils I should beseech Him who
leaves none unguarded, to protect thy youth and
simplicity.''
``Mother,'' said Hamish, ``it signifies little to
what a criminal may be exposed, if a man is determined
not to be such. Our Highland chiefs used
also to punish their vassals, and, as I have heard,
severely---Was it not Lachlan Maclan, whom we
remember of old, whose head was struck off by
order of his chieftain for shooting at the stag before
him?''
``Ay,'' said Elspat, ``and right he had to lose it,
since he dishonoured the father of the people even
in the face of the assembled clan.
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