Historical memoirs of Rob Roy and the Clan Macgregor

286 NOTICES OF LADY GRANGE.
This conversation was interrupted by the
appearance of Macdonald and Macleod, who
were anxious to ascertain the state of the
weather ; but as it was very bad, they were
urged to remain for that day. A rude break-
fast was placed before them, of which all par-
took, while the old woman attended the lady in
her room.
When the repast was finished, the brigands
retired to consider how they were to effect the
escape of Lady Grange, and elude the vigilance
of her conductors, who kept a watchful eye
over her and all their motions, as if suspicious of
their purpose. They were desirous of remov-
ing her by stratagem, rather than by force, her
conductors being strong, and apparently deter-
mined men, but all this was overheard by the
Frazers, who communicated it to their masters.
This excited in them great alarm, as a dis-
covery seemed to have been made, that would
be ruinous to their project, and their suspicions
fell on the old woman ; but they could find no
opportunity of bribing her to be quiet.
The day passed mournfully with Lady
Grange, and with her conductors in gloomy un-
certainty ; while the banditti were merry in
the anticipation of their scheme, and frequently