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Malcolm followed Colonel Munro to the royal tent, which was but a few hundred yards away. Gustavus had just returned after visiting the advanced lines round the city. On being told that Colonel Munro wished to speak to him on important business, he at once came to the entrance of his tent. "Allow me to present to you, sire, Malcolm Graheme, a very gallant young officer of my regiment.
"You used to have plenty of spirit in our old college days, Graheme, and I wonder at your rusting your life out here when there is a fair field and plenty of honour, to say nothing of hard cash, to be won in the Low Country.
"The change has done wonders for you, Malcolm," Nigel Graheme said. "Why, when you marched out you were a band of tottering scarecrows, and now your detachment looks as healthy and fresh as if they had but yesterday left Scotland; but come in, the bugle has just sounded to supper, and we are only waiting for the colonel to arrive.
"My child," she went on, as Thekla in obedience to her summons entered the apartment, "Malcolm Graheme has asked your hand of me. He tells me that he loves you truly, and is willing to take you as a penniless bride, and to carry you and me away with him far from these terrible wars to his native Scotland what say you, my love?"
Without a word the countess rose, and, taking the clothes which Malcolm produced from his doublet, retired to her chamber, followed by Thekla. "Malcolm Graheme," the count said, "it may be that we shall not meet again. The emperor is not tender with obstinate prisoners, and I have no strength to support long hardships.
In the one case honour would be satisfied and the reformers throughout Germany would feel that we had done our utmost to save their co-religionists, on the other hand there would be shame and disgrace." "There is much in what the duke says," Nigel Graheme remarked. "There is much," Munro rejoined; "but there is much also in the arguments of Horn.
I would kill myself now, but that I would fain avenge my wife and child on some of these murderers of Tilly's before I die." Malcolm felt that the case was far beyond any attempt at consolation. "If you come to the Swedish army ask for Ensign Malcolm Graheme of Reay's Scottish regiment, and I will take you to one of the German corps, where you will understand the language of your comrades."
"I am sure I don't want to get into them, colonel, and really I have never gone out of my way to do so, unless you call my march to help the Count of Mansfeld going out of my way. All the other things have come to me without any fault of my own." "Quite so, Graheme," the colonel said smiling; "that's always the excuse of the boy who gets into scrapes.
On the evening of their arrival in sight of the Imperialist army the two Grahemes supped with their colonel. Munro had but just arrived from the duke's quarters. "I suppose we shall fight tomorrow, Munro," Major Graheme said. "It is not settled," the colonel replied; "between ourselves the duke and Horn are not of one mind.
Upon the following morning Nigel Graheme told his visitors that he had determined to accept their offer, and would at once set to work to raise a company.
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