Lam. Because your tartan tells me, My foes are of your clan.

Mac. And what of that?

Did a Macgregor ever yet betray
Or friend or foe? Did a disloyal host
Ever yet bear our name?

Fear not.

Your trust

Shall be respected. If I heard aright,
The deed was one of passion, not of malice.
Lam. O, not of malice,

--

not of brooding malice!

anger, that,

Quick as the lightning, was as quickly ended,
Leaving a desolation and regret !

O, in that fatal wine-cup there was melted
A pearl of price, the relish of a life!
Never again the morning sunlight reddening
My window-pane shall wake a thrill of joy!
Never again the smile of innocence

Shall be reflected from these haggard lips!
That sad, appealing look, my victim gave me,
In his last dying throe, will paint itself
On the void air, and make my memory
A funeral chamber for the dreadful image
Forever!

Mac. I'll not try to blunt the edge

Of your great sorrow. "Tis a wholesome pain.
That man is less than man who can destroy
The sacred human life and feel no awe,

No swelling of compunction. I'd not trust him!
To time and to God's mercy I commit you.

(An impatient knocking is heard outside of the house.)

Lam. (listens). Hark! They have tracked me here! They knock for entrance.

I hear their voices. Now the door is opened!

They're on the stairs. In their revenge and fury,

Attempt to stay them, they will dash you down.

Mac. Enter that room.

Be mute and do not stir.

Whatever you may hear,

Fear not for me.

Exit LAMONT. Enter ARGYLE and Ross.

Argyle. He is not here!

Ross. I know not that.-Macgregor,

A fugitive is sheltered in this house.

Deny it not.

Show us his hiding-place.

Mac. Unmannerly clown! And if a fugitive
Were here, am I the man to give him up

On such a summons? Master Archie Ross,
Go home, and bid your teachers keep you there
Till you can show a touch of gentle breeding
When you accost a gentleman.

Argyle. Macgregor,

You'll blame us not for our disdain of forms,
When you hear all. You'll readily give up
The miscreant when you learn he is the slayer
Of your own son, - of Albert!

Mac. No! No! No!

Albert Macgregor slain? A trick! A trick!
To get possession of the fugitive!
To make me play the recreant,
Ross. So! He admits it!

Is in this house!

Mac. I admit nothing. If what you say is true,

- the traitor.
He admits the culprit

Boy!

that he

my son Is slain,- (and now the anguish of my heart Confirms the direful blow,) — is 't not enough, For one day's woe, that I'm bereft of him? Would ye bercave me of my honor too?

Argyle. Macgregor, your own words betray the fact, That here our man is harbored.

We must pass through this door. (Going toward Lamont's place of exit.)

Mac. Must pass, Argyle! Back, trifler! Must, indeed!

'Tis a Macgregor you are dealing with.

Must is a word that he 's not wont to hear

In his own house -or elsewhere.

Argyle (bowing). Then, Macgregor,

I pray you suffer us to pass.

(Ross and ARGYLE approach as if to lay hands on him. He seizes a club from the wall and they fall back.)

Mac. Stand back!

This is my house, and I am master of it!
Keep a respectful distance.

Argyle. Give us up

The wretch at once or we'll call in assistance.
Mac. Then you shall know what desperation is,
And we'll have havoc. Would you madden me?
Ross. The man you shelter is a murderer,
The murderer of your son! (A pause.)
Argyle. You hear, Macgregor?

Mac. Were he the murderer of all my clan,

If he had made my hearth a sanctuary,

If I had given my word to shelter him,

So help me Heaven! I'd perish, hacked in pieces,
Ere I would violate the sacred pledge!

Enter LINZIE.

Linzie. Where is the homicide?

Ross. Concealed within,

As we believe. Macgregor bars our entrance.

A loving father, truly,

To try to screen the murderer of his son!

Mac. What wouldst thou be? The murderer of my honor? Reviler, mocker of a father's anguish,

Think you I could have loved my son so well,

-Carried I here the stuff traitors are made of?
Think you the bitterness of my bereavement
Sharp as it is, beyond your poor conception,
Could parallel the pang of treachery

In a true heart,

in a Macgregor's heart?

Linzie. You've done your best, Macgregor! On your head No blame can fall. Away! and let us enter.

We must have life for life. Lamont must die.

Mac. Lamont! You said Lamont?

Linzie. The son and heir

Of your most deadly foe.

Argyle. Did we omit

To mention that? Now you'll not hesitate
To give him up!

Mac. A double sanctity

Invests him now. If I had wavered, that
One mention had confirmed me.

Linzie. We waste time.

Enter we must, - by soft means or by hard.

Mac. Well, Master Linzie, enter if you dare!
Why do you wait? Why waste the time you grudge?

LAMONT appears through the door.

Iam. From further parley I relieve you all! Macgregor, I absolve you from your pledge. Thanks for your noble dealing, for the honor, Stronger than vengeance, tenderer than love, That would protect one who has thrown a blight On all your joys.

Now, seekers of my life, come on and take it!

Be quick! Ye'll only ease me of a burden

My act has rendered hateful.

Linzie. Ho! Secure him!

Mac. (shielding Lamont). I'd like to see the rash one who

will venture

To lay a finger, save in gentleness,

Upon this youth.

Out of my house!

Is in great danger.

Back! Tamperers with my honor!
That man who tarries longer
Out of my house, I say!

(He threatens them with his weapon, and drives them out.
GREGOR stands aside and covers his face with his hands.
near to him and kneels.)

Lam. Macgregor, I am kneeling at your feet!
Not for my life, O, not to thank you, sir,
For that poor boon which one ungoverned impulse
Has emptied of all value, but in token

Of veneration for true nobleness,

Of the prostration of my wretchedness,

Of sympathy,- · of sorrow,

Mac. O,I am childless.

of remorse!

Lam. (rising). That thought is like a knife
In my own heart. Let there be expiation !
(Calls.) Linzie! Argyle! Come, seize me!
Mac. Reckless boy!

A pause. MAC

LAMONT draws

Would you thus frustrate all my pains to save you?
Judge you so poorly of me as to think

I nurse a brute revenge that blood of yours
Alone can satisfy? that

my

Such balm could mitigate ?
Lam. O, let me die!
Mac. No! Be a man,
Hark! I hear angry voices.

In thicker numbers crowd.
In half a minute. Come!

affliction

and live! Look up, Lamont ! Your pursuers

They will be here

This way lies safety.

They little know the secrets of my hold.

We'll foil them. Do not doubt it. You shall hide

Here in my house till I can guide you safely

To Inverary to your friends. Delay not.
Will you bring added woe upon my head?
Moments are precious. Come!

Lam. One word from you,

And only one, shall from this spot uproot me,
And that word is forgiveness!

Mac. I forgive you.

As I would be forgiven, I forgive you.

Lam. (Gives him his hand.)

Lead on, then, my preserver !

O, let my future tell how much you lift

From this despairing heart in that one word, –

You do forgive me!

Now guide me and bestow me as you will!

Henceforth, above all prayers, shall rise this prayer,*
That I may live to comfort and requite you!

* The prayer was signally fulfilled. It happened that in the year 1633 there was an unjust act passed by the government, under which Macgregor lost his property and was hunted for his life. And now Lamont had the opportunity for which he had longed. Macgregor took shelter in his house. Lamont received him with tears of welcome, provided liberally for him and his family, and thanked Heaven for the gracious opportunity.