Chapter V.
Lanark Castle.
The women, and the men who age withheld from so desperate anenterprise, now thronged around Halbert, to ask a circumstantialaccount of the disaster which had filled all with so much horror.
Many tears followed his recital; not one of his auditors was anindifferent listener; all had individually or in persons dear to them,partaken of the tender Marion's benevolence. Their sick beds had beencomforted by her charity; her voice had often administered consolationto their sorrows; her hand had smoothed their pillows, and placed thecrucifix before their dying eyes. Some had recovered to bless her, andsome had departed to record her virtues in heaven.
"Ah! is she gone?" cried a young woman, raising her face, covered withtears, from the bosom of her infant; "is the loveliest lady that everthe sun shone upon, cold in the grave? Alas, for me! she it was thatgave me the roof under which my baby was born; she it was who, when theSouthron soldiers slew my father, and drove us from our home inAyrshire, gave to my old mother, and my then wounded husband, ourcottage by the burnside. Ah! well can I spare him now to avenge hermurder."
The night being far advanced, Halbert retired, at the invitation ofthis young woman, to repose on the heather-bed of her husband who wasnow absent with Wallace. The rest of the peasantry withdrew to theircoverts, while she and some other women, whose anxieties would notallow them to sleep, sat at the cavern's mouth watching the slowlymoving hours.
The objects of their fond and fervent prayers, Wallace and his littlearmy, were rapidly pursuing their march. It was midnight--all wassilent as they hurried through the glen, as they ascended with flyingfootsteps the steep acclivities that led to the cliffs which overhungthe vale of Ellerslie. Wallace must pass along their brow. Beneathwas the tomb of his sacrificed Marion! He rushed forward to snatch onelook, even of the roof which shrouded her beloved remains.
But in the moment before he mounted the intervening height, a soldierin English armor crossed the path, and was seized by his men. One ofthem would have cut him down, but Wallace turned away the weapon."Hold, Scot!" cried he, "you are not a Southron, to strike thedefenseless. The man has no sword."
The reflection on their enemy which this plea of mercy containedreconciled the impetuous Scots to the clemency of their leader. Therescued man, joyfully recognizing the voice of Wallace, exclaimed, "Itis my lord! It is Sir William Wallace that has saved my life a secondtime!"
"Who are you?" asked Wallace; "that helmet can cover no friend of mine."
"I am your servant Dugald," returned the man; "he whom your brave armsaved from the battle-ax of Arthur Heselrigge."
"I cannot ask you how you came by that armor; but if you be yet a Scotthrow it off and follow me."
"Not to Ellerslie, my lord," cried he; "it has been plundered andburned to the ground by the Governor of Lanark."
"Then," exclaimed Wallace, striking his breast, "are the remains of mybeloved Marion forever ravished from my eyes? Insatiate monster!"
"He is Scotland's curse," cried the veteran of Largs. "Forward, mylord, in mercy to your country's groans!"
Wallace had now mounted the craig which overlooked Ellerslie. His oncehappy home had disappeared, and all beneath lay a heap of smokingashes. He hastened from the sight, and directing the point of hissword with a forceful action toward Lanark, re-echoed with supernaturalstrength, "Forward!"
With the rapidity of lightning his little host flew over the hills,reached the cliffs which divided them from the town, and leaped downbefore the outward trench of the castle of Lanark. In a moment Wallacesprung so feeble a barrier; and with a shout of death, in which thetremendous slogan of his men now joined, he rushed upon the guard thatheld the northern gate.
Here slept the governor. These opponents being slain by the firstsweep of the Scottish swords, Wallace hastened onward, winged withtwofold retribution. The noise of battle was behind him; for theshouts of his men had aroused the garrison and drawn its soldiers,half-naked, to the spot. He reached the door of the governor. Thesentinel who stood there flew before the terrible warrior thatpresented himself. All the mighty vengeance of Wallace blazed in hisface and seemed to surround his figure with a terrible splendor. Withone stroke of his foot he drove the door from its hinges, and rushedinto the room.
What a sight for the now awakened and guilty Heselrigge! It was thehusband of the defenseless woman he had murdered come in the power ofjustice, with uplifted arm and vengeance in his eyes? With a terrificscream of despair, and an outcry for the mercy he dared not expect, hefell back into the bed and sought an unavailing shield beneath itsfolds.
"Marion! Marion!" cried Wallace, as he threw himself toward the bed andburied the sword, yet red with her blood, through the coverlid, deepinto the heart of her murderer. A fiend-like yell from the slainHeselrigge told him his work was done; and drawing out the sword hetook the streaming blade in his hand. "Vengeance is satisfied," criedhe; "thus, O God! do I henceforth divide self from my heart!" As hespoke he snapped the sword in twain, and throwing away the pieces, putback with his hand the impending weapons of his brave companions, whohaving cleared the passage of their assailants, had hurried forward toassist in ridding their country of so detestable a tyrant.
"Tis done," cried he. As he spoke he drew down the coverlid anddiscovered the body of the governor weltering in blood. The ghastlycountenance, on which the agonies of hell seemed imprinted, glaredhorrible even in death.
Wallace turned away; but the men exulting in the sight, with a shout oftriumph exclaimed, "So fall the enemies of Sir William Wallace!"
"Rather to fall the enemies of Scotland!" cried he; "from this hourWallace has neither love nor resentment but for her. Heaven has heardme devote myself to work our country's freedom or to die. Who willfollow me in so just a cause?"
"All!-with Wallace forever!"
The new clamor which this resolution excited, intimidated a fresh bandof soldiers, who were hastening across the courtyard to seek the enemyin the governor's apartments. But on the noise they hastily retreated,and no exertions of their officers could prevail on them to advanceagain, or even to appear in sight, when the resolute Scots with Wallaceat their head soon afterward issued from the great gate! The Englishcommanders seeing the panic of their men, and which they were less ableto surmount on account of the way to the gate being strewn with theirslain comrades, fell back into the shadow of the towers, where by thelight of the moon, like men paralyzed, they viewed the departure oftheir enemies over the trenches.