me, I shall be right glad to have you by my side.  Should you, in any of your visits to Lanark —­ whither, Marion tells me, you ride frequently with Sir Robert Gordon —­ hear ought of intended movements of English troops, or gather any news which it may concern me to know, I pray you to ride hither at once.  Marion has always messengers whom she may despatch to me, seeing that I need great care in visiting her here, lest I might be surprised by the English, who are ever upon the lookout for me.  And now farewell!  Remember that you have always a friend in William Wallace.”

Winter was now at hand, and a week or two later Mistress Marion moved into her house in Lanark, where Archie, when he rode in, often visited her.  In one of her conversations she told him that she had been married to Sir William nigh upon two years, and that a daughter had been born to her who was at present kept by an old nurse of her own in a cottage hard by Lamington.  “I tell you this, Archie,” she said, “for there is no saying at what time calamity may fall upon us.  Sir William is so daring and careless that I live in constant dread of his death or capture; and did it become known that I am his wife, doubtless my estate would be forfeited and myself taken prisoner; and in that case it were well that my little daughter should find friends.”

“I wonder that you do not stay at Lamington,” Archie said; “for Sir William’s visits to you here may well be discovered, and both he and you be put in peril.”

“I would gladly do so,” she said; “but as you may have heard, Young Hazelrig, the governor’s son, persecutes me with his attentions; he is moved thereto methinks rather by a desire for my possessions than any love for myself.  He frequently rode over to Lamington to see me, and as there are necessarily many there who suspect, if they do not know, my secret, my husband would be more likely to be surprised in a lonely house there, than he would be in the city, where he can always leave or enter our abode by the passage into a back street unseen by any.”

A few days later Archie had ridden into Lanark bearing a message from his uncle; he had put up his horse, and was walking along the principal street when he heard a tumult and the clashing of swords; he naturally hurried up to see what was the cause of the fray, and he saw Sir William Wallace and a young companion defending themselves with difficulty against a number of English soldiers led by young Hazelrig, the son of the governor, and Sir Robert Thorne, one of his officers.  Archie stood for a few moments irresolute; but as the number of the assailants increased, as fresh soldiers hearing the sound of the fray came running down the street, and Sir William and his friend, although they had slain several, were greatly overmatched, he hesitated no longer, but, drawing his sword, rushed through the soldiers, and placing himself by the side of Wallace, joined in the fray.  Wallace recognized him with a nod.