Surprisingly, this painting by Landseer is not the sentimental animal painting it appears to be at first glance. It illustrates a literary text and was first exhibited with four lines from Sir Walter Scott’s narrative-poem 'The Lord of the Isles', which the artist has interpreted rather freely. The lines (459–462) appear in the 18th verse of the fifth canto and read:- 'O! many a shaft, at random sent,/ Finds mark the archer little meant!/ And many a word, at random spoken,/ May soothe or wound a heart that’s broken!' The lines appear at an exciting moment in the poem. Edith is in love with Ronald, Lord of the Isles, but her love is not returned. When Ronald hastens on horseback to Turnberry Castle, she rides with him disguised as his page, Amadine.