The Black Dwarf Chapter Thirteen

In which the inhabitants of Ellieslaw Castle convene to deliberate upon their grievances and the stirring cause of Scottish independence, amidst a banquet that mixes youthful ardour and sober resolve, setting the stage for a desperate and secretive enterprise. The assembly, though fractured by suspicion and discord, advances with hastened measures and solemn pledges, whilst private doubts and a sudden proposal for a matrimonial alliance add a personal and pressing weight to the night's dark designs.