"It is no joke, Cairnieford, but sober earnest, and it's the most unpleasant bit of business I hae ever had to do." "What do ye mean? What hae I done ?"

"I hope you will be able to prove that you have not done it; but at present the proof is strong against ye."

"Proof o' what?"

"You are charged with the murder of James Falcon."

Robin was like one struck dumb; and for an instant his huge form quivered. Then, with an angry roar like that of an infuriated bull, he flung the fiscal from him.

"It's an infernal lee, and ye shall never make me a prisoner on sic a charge. Haud aff, or it'll be the waur for ye. I hated the man, and when I found him and my wife thegither the deevil was strong in me to fell him on the spot. But I ran awa' frae the place sae that I mightna be tempted mair than I could bear, and I haena seen him since. I'll answer for a' that I hae done in ony court; but ye shall not drag me to a jail like a common thief sae lang as I hae pith in thir twa arms to keep ye aff."

"Your resistance only makes the thing look worse against ye," said the fiscal, not in the least disturbed, notwithstanding the fury and gigantic strength of the man who opposed his

arrest.

The minister interfered to prevent what threatened to be a serious affray.

"If you are innocent, Cairnieford, go with Mr. Smart quietly. That will be the best and firmest denial you can give to the charge which he feels compelled to make against you. Be calm, I beseech you, and do not by your rashness add to the difficulties of your position. For your own sake, for your wife's sake, be careful what you do."

At the remembrance of his wife his vigour deserted him ; his whole form seemed to collapse, and he covered his face with his hands, sobbing.

"Aye, there's the sting o't," he cried bitterly. "To think that a' this comes o' carin' ower muckle about her.

Aweel, aweel, what needs I care for life or onything that may

ance.

befa' me? The warst and the best o't is that we can only dee I'll gae wi' ye, fiscal, peaceably. Do ye want to put me in airns? Here, put your handcuffs on my wrists and your shackles on my feet-dae wi' me as you like; I dinna mind onything noo."

His chin sank on his breast; and his countenance presented the dull expressionless cast of utter indifference to whatever portion fate might have in store.

"There will be no necessity for such desperate precautions,” said the fiscal in a friendly tone; “you'll only have to come over to the inn wi' me to-night, and you'll hae to let Geordie Armstrong sleep in the same room wi’ you—that's a'; and I gie ye my word that ye shall be treated wi' a' the respect due to a man wha may be able to prove himself innocent."

"Thank ye" (indifferently).

“And until you hae failed to do that,” broke in the minister, “do not think that your friends will forsake ye.”

“Friends!—I hae few o'them; but gin I had thousands they could never gie me back the peace I hae lost, or clear the guid name that's trampled i' the mire this night."

He accompanied the fiscal without another word, but with his head bowed as if he could never raise it again to encounter the gaze of his fellow-men.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE WORST OF IT.

"An eiry night, a cheerless day,

A lanely hame at gloamin' hour;

When o'er the heart come thoughts o' wae,

Like shadows on Glenfillan's tower."-G. Allan.

SHE had been expecting the blow, and she met it stoutly. There was no display of weakness, no visible sign of the terror at her heart, when Adam reached the house late that night in stern ill-humour-which was not improved by the

extra glass of raw whisky he had taken at the inn, where he had got the news-with the information that Robin had been arrested.

Adam was hard and unforgiving toward Robin; but, having no opportunity of venting his wrath upon him, he seemed to fancy that the next best thing was to speak as harshly to Jeanie as if it had been all her fault in marrying such a man. He did not show this when sober; but that extra glass had filled up his indignation until it overflowed upon the first object he approached.

She let his ill-humour pass without a word; indeed, she was too much occupied by the more important matter of his tidings to heed him.

Then Geordie Armstrong arrived by breakfast-time next morning to summon her to the presence of the fiscal. With lips tightly clenched and head a little bowed she received his message, but she uttered no cry of alarm. She had never seemed stronger or calmer in her life than when she proceeded to put on her plaid, and started for the Port.

Her father was summoned too, but she did not wait for him. She only stayed to leave some directions with one of the lassies about her mother, and departed at once, as if she were eager to know the worst and have done with it.

She walked the distance, and Geordie Armstrong, who accompanied her, was amazed by the firmness and rapidity of her steps. She seemed to gain rather than lose strength as she proceeded. The movement exhilarated her, and changed the deathly pallor of her face to a warm flush. But her lips were still clenched, her head a little bowed, and she would not speak.

At every step she felt as if she were beating down some part of the accusation against her husband. She would not believe him guilty, no matter what proof might be adduced. She would hold him blameless in spite of all that others might say, in spite of all her own knowledge of the events and the fatal inference to which they pointed so directly. She would hold him blameless, and she would devote her life to satisfy

the world that he was innocent, in spite of all the wrong he had done her.

These were the thoughts which inspired her with a vigour and calmness that caused those who saw her to marvel. But, underlying all, there was a tremulous fear which she strove fiercely to thrust aside.

With the generous impulse of a good woman, the moment she heard of his peril she put away the anger she was entitled to feel towards him, and the reflection of the miserable future he had left for her, and thought only of how she might best serve him. Although they were separated, and nothing could ever bring them together again, she turned bravely to the task to which gratitude and love urged her to save him.

In front of the inn she saw the Laird's pony, and that she took to be a bad omen, for Clashgirn carried ill-luck wherever he went to everybody but himself.

As she was about to enter the room where the fiscal was in attendance with his clerk, Rob Keith came forth. He looked confused and startled at sight of her, and slunk away like a dog with its tail between its legs, glad to have escaped an expected whipping. She just gave one quick glance toward him and entered the room.

The fiscal had expected to see a woman in tears at least, if not in a state of hysterical agitation; and he was consequently astonished to see her standing there so quietly waiting for him to speak.

"You are Mrs. Gray ?" he said; and the clerk's pen proceeded to scratch busily.

"Yes, sir" (modestly).

"And do ye know why I have asked you to come here ?" "Ye hae sent for me, and I'm here. Ye'll tell me what ye want wi' me, I suppose."

"Then you do not know that your husband has been arrested?"

"I ken that, and I ken what for, and I'm ready to answer anything ye speir at me to the best of my ability."

This was the most willing witness the fiscal had ever come

across; and, like all men who are accustomed to view life from one side-and the worst-of its character, he was perplexed, and immediately began to seek a motive for conduct which was somewhat beyond his experience.

"Well, Mrs. Gray," he went on presently in his cheeriest tone, "I'm a friend o' your guidman's. Let that be distinctly understood between us, and you'll easily see that the questions I'm going to ask ye are as much for his own benefit as because they come in the way of my duty."

"I'm glad ye're his friend, sir," and she looked at him as if she could not quite reconcile his friendship with his present position.

"It's a melancholy affair," he said, catching her look and its meaning," and puts us all in an awkward predicament. But I hope we'll soon get out o't. Now, I'll be plain wi' you, and no try to blind you wi' a roundabout way of questioning you, and I expect you to be as plain and straightforward in your

"Sit down then, and make yourself as comfortable as you

can.

She obeyed him, clasping her hands on her lap, and keeping her eyes fixed on him, watching every movement of his features.

"You were at Askaig on Tuesday last?"

She told him of the false message she had received, exactly as she had told her husband.

"And whilst ye were there, Cairnieford arrived, and had some words with you and James Falcon ?"

"Yes" (breathing with difficulty).

"You were left alone in the house, and you went out. What caused you to quit the house on such a night?

"I wanted to get home."

"It was not anything you heard that caused you to go out?'