He bowed to the assembly, and walked, with a composed
yet severe air, up to his station at the head of the room. Young
Badenoch stood there; and as Wallace approached he fiercely grasped his
sword. "Proud upstart!" cried he, "betrayer of my father! set a foot
further toward this chair, and the chastisement of every arm in this
council shall fall on you for your presumption!"
"It is not in the arms of thousands to put me from my right," replied
Wallace, calmly putting forth his hand and drawing the regent's chair
toward him.
"Will ye bear this?" cried Badenoch, stamping with his foot, and
plucking forth his sword; "is the man to exist who thus braves the
assembled lords of Scotland?" While speaking, he made a desperate
lunge at the regent's breast; Wallace caught the blade in his hand, and
wrenching it from his intemperate adversary, broke it into shivers, and
cast the pieces at his feet; then, turning resolutely toward the
chiefs, who stood appalled, and looking on each other, he said, "I,
your duly elected regent, left you only a few days ago, to repel the
enemy whom the treason of Lord March would have introduced into these
very walls.
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