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clothing. She had covered herself again by
the time that he was naked and had extinguished the lamp and turned
back to her.
    As
he moved in beside her on the warm bed, she remained still, almost
breathless, but with her head turned away from him. He sought gently
to caress her, to soothe the tension from her. But before long he
desisted, achieving nothing and but taxing himself. He took her then,
but even so seeking to waken her passion, to rouse response, until
his own need overwhelmed him. She did not answer a word, a whisper,
or murmur of his, throughout.
    Afterwards,
for long, they both lay gazing up at the shadowy canopy, wordless,
listening while the curlews called wearily, endlessly, from die
Montrose marshes to the east. More than once the man almost spoke,
and then drew back from fruitless words.
    It
was she who at length broke the silence. 'You must bear with me,
James,' she said slowly, carefully. 'I am no wife for such as you, I
know well. But I try — God knows how I try! You are right, no
doubt. Tomorrow will be better, I promise you.'
    'Aye
- all the tomorrows, lassie. They will be better. Now that I am home
again, we shall start afresh, you and I. Who knows, the years may
prove well spent, for us. Who knows, in them I may have learned more
than just statecraft, the arts of rule and war, and the ways of a
wider world. Give me a chance to prove it, my dear.'
    'But
what have I learned?
Only that you have grown the further from me, James.'
    'Then
- help me to grow back, Magdalen,' he urged. Your help I need. Need,
girl.'
    He
felt her shake her head on the pillow. But also, presently, he felt
her relaxing a little, then more noticeably. In time, he slept, with
an arm around her soft, still body.
    It
was hours later before Magdalen Carnegie closed her eyes.

    4

    Things
were indeed better in the morning, and all the mornings
- since these two were determined that they should be. They learned
to live with each other again, to accept, to compromise, to withhold
judgment, to help, strengthen, even comfort. The two boys were their
greatest aid in this, as well as their prime inducement. With them as
link they drew almost close. Marriage, even successful marriage, has
been built on less than this.
    That
neither aimed quite so high as that was at once their safeguard and
their tragedy.
    The
fact that Magdalen was largely free, at last, of Kinnaird and her
family, undoubtedly greatly helped. Montrose had castles and estates
over the length and breadth of the land; more than that, branches of
his house and clan still more widely dispersed. After so long an
absence, it was necessary to visit all, make innumerable decisions on
the spot, put much to rights, show himself to his people. Almost
everywhere he went he took his Countess and his sons, to introduce
and display them, as was expected of him. Consequently they were not
much at Kinnaird, or at the town-house in Montrose either, during
that summer and autumn of 1636 — to the marked advantage of
their union.
    But
if matters personal and private were thus lightened somewhat in these
months, matters national and public were not. Everywhere James Graham
went the talk was the same, resentment, murmurings, the stirrings of
revolt. By and large, the people of Scotland, of all ranks and
degrees, were angry. They were loyal enough. Indeed, it was
remarkable how loyal they remained, considering that their king,
James the Sixth and his son Charles, had deserted them for London, so
clearly preferring everything English, and considering their old
realm scarcely worth even visiting. But to the Scot, religion was
highly personal and precious, not any mere formality, or separate
compartment of life which could be accepted or more or less shrugged
off for the sake of peace. The metaphysical implications of his
faith were part and parcel of his being. New forms of worship or
theology were not to be imposed on him from without, by king,
parliament or hierarchy - more especially from