He turned ashy pale,
while his silence granted to Lord Loch-awe the necessity of imploring
Sir William Wallace to again stretch out his arm in their behalf. With
this embassy the venerable chief had returned exultingly to
Ballochgeich; and the so lately branded Wallace, branded as the
intended betrayer of Scotland, was solicited by his very accusers to
assume the trust of their sole defense!
"Such is the triumph of virtue!" whispered Edwin to his friend, as he
vaulted on his horse.
A luminous smile from Wallace acknowledged that he felt the tribute
and, looking up to Heaven ere he placed his helmet on his head, he said:
"Thence comes my power! and the satisfaction it brings, whether
attended by man's applause or his blame, he cannot take from me. I
now, perhaps for the last time, arm this head for Scotland. May the
God in whom I trust again crown it with victory, and forever after bind
the brows of our rightful sovereign with peace!"
While Wallace pursued his march, the regent was quite at a stand,
confounded at the turn which events had taken, and hardly knowing
whether to make another essay to collect forces for the support of
their former leader, or to follow the refractory counsels of his lords,
and await in inactivity the issue of the
expected battle.
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