 time (which
Burley rightly interpreted to mean an hour at the very least), and seized that
moment to withdraw Morton from the hearing of their colleagues, and to hold the
following argument with him: -
    »Thou art unwise, Henry Morton, to desire to sacrifice this holy cause to
thy friendship for an uncircumcised Philistine, or thy lust for a Moabitish
woman.«
    »I neither understand your meaning, Mr. Balfour, nor relish your allusions,«
replied Morton, indignantly; »and I know no reason you have to bring so gross a
charge, or to use such uncivil language.«
    »Confess, however, the truth,« said Balfour, »and own that there are those
within yon dark Tower, over whom thou wouldst rather be watching like a mother
over her little ones, than thou wouldst bear the banner of the Church of
Scotland over the necks of her enemies.«
    »If you mean, that I would willingly terminate this war without any bloody
victory, and that I am more anxious to do this than to acquire any personal fame
or power, you may be,« replied Morton, »perfectly right.«
    »And not wholly wrong,« answered Burley, »in deeming that thou wouldst not
exclude from so general a pacification thy friends in the garrison of
Tillietudlem.« »Certainly,« replied Morton, »I am too much obliged to Major
Bellenden, not to wish to be of service to him, as far as the interest of the
cause I have espoused will permit. I never made a secret of my regard for him.«
    »I am aware of that,« said Burley; »but, if thou hadst concealed it, I
should, nevertheless, have found out thy riddle. Now, hearken to my words. This
Miles Bellenden hath means to subsist his garrison for a month.«
    »This is not the case,« answered Morton; »we know his stores are hardly
equal to a week's consumption.«
    »Ay, but,« continued Burley, »I have since had proof of the strongest
nature, that such a report was spread in the garrison by that wily and
grey-headed malignant, partly to prevail on the soldiers to submit to a
diminution of their daily food, partly to detain us before the walls of his
fortress until the sword should be whetted to smite and destroy us.«
    »And why was not the evidence of this laid before the council of war?« said
Morton.
    »To what purpose?« said Balfour. »Why need we undeceive Kettledrummle,
