“It is what I anxiously desire, my lord,” said Sir William Ashton, eagerly.  “Lady Ashton, we will not permit my Lord of A——­ to leave us in displeasure.  We must compel him to tarry dinner at the castle.”

“The castle,” said the lady, “and all that it contains, are at the command of the Marquis, so long as he chooses to honour it with his residence; but touching the farther discussion of this disagreeable topic——­”

“Pardon me, good madam,” said the Marquis; “but I cannot allow you to express any hasty resolution on a subject so important.  I see that more company is arriving; and, since I have the good fortune to renew my former acquaintance with Lady Ashton, I hope she will give me leave to avoid perilling what I prize so highly upon any disagreeable subject of discussion—­at least till we have talked over more pleasant topics.”

The lady smiled, courtesied, and gave her hand to the Marquis, by whom, with all the formal gallantry of the time, which did not permit the guest to tuck the lady of the house under the arm, as a rustic does his sweetheart at a wake, she was ushered to the eating-room.

Here they were joined by Bucklaw, Craigengelt, and other neighbours, whom the Lord Keeper had previously invited to meet the Marquis of A——.  An apology, founded upon a slight indisposition, was alleged as an excuse for the absence of Miss Ashton, whose seat appeared unoccupied.  The entertainment was splendid to profusion, and was protracted till a late hour.

CHAPTER XXIII.

     Such was our fallen father’s fate,
     Yet better than mine own;
     He shared his exile with his mate,
     I’m banish’d forth alone.

     Waller

I will not attempt to describe the mixture of indignation and regret with which Ravenswood left the seat which had belonged to his ancestors.  The terms in which Lady Ashton’s billet was couched rendered it impossible for him, without being deficient in that spirit of which he perhaps had too much, to remain an instant longer within its walls.  The Marquis, who had his share in the affront, was, nevertheless, still willing to make some efforts at conciliation.  He therefore suffered his kinsman to depart alone, making him promise, however, that he would wait for him at the small inn called the Tod’s Hole, situated, as our readers may be pleased to recollect, half-way betwixt Ravenswood Castle and Wolf’s Crag, and about five Scottish miles distant from each.  Here the Marquis proposed to join the Master of Ravenswood, either that night or the next morning.  His own feelings would have induced him to have left the castle directly, but he was loth to forfeit, without at least one effort, the advantages which he had proposed from his visit to the Lord Keeper; and the Master of Ravenswood was, even in the very heat of his resentment, unwilling to foreclose any chance of reconciliation which might arise out of the partiality which Sir William Ashton had shown towards him, as well as the intercessory arguments of his noble kinsman.  He himself departed without a moment’s delay, farther than was necessary to make this arrangement.