"but no intentional. The first thing I meant to do this morning was to see your faither; but I hadna got half through wi' my breakfast when Girzie came here like a rampant idiot and drove everything clean out o' my head till ye came yoursel'. Is there onything else?"

He kept so near the line of truth that it was difficult to mark at what points he diverged.

"Mr. Carnegie," she said quietly, "would you leave me a minute wi' the Laird ?"

The lawyer looked at her doubtfully; but something in the calm face, suggestive of a purpose and of strength, decided him. He rose immediately and quitted the room, almost stumbling over Mrs. Begg, who had been standing with her ear at the door.

The Laird's eyes blinked with some curiosity as he waited for the issue of this unexpected arrangement.

She stepped close up to him, looking fixedly in his face; and she spoke in a low firm voice.

"What ye hae said looks sae like the truth that it may cheat other folk, and will, nae doubt; but it canna cheat me." 'Really, Mistress Gray, I dinna see your meaning."

His voice had something of the harshness in it Robin had noticed on the occasion of his last visit, when the Laird had been speaking to Mrs. Begg.

"I mean this: that the Colin was burnt by your orders; that Carrach is a murderer, if no by your orders at least through your schemes, and ye seek to shield him now at the cost o' an innocent man's life, to save yoursel' frae the harm his confession would do ye."

"You're a bauld woman, Mistress Gray "-(affecting indignation, but his thin lips trembling nevertheless).

"Ye shall find me sae, for day and night I'll follow ye frae this hour out until God pleases to do my man justice, in the eyes o' the world, whether he be dead or living."

"I'll take care to let the fiscal ken what ye say. Daft folk are no just left free to annoy decent and peaceable subjects as they may take it in their heads."

your

up wi' That would be ower muckle

"Ye stand your ground weel, sir, but I'll gie ye ae chance yet. I ken it wasna your hand that struck the blow-ye couldna do that. Ye would torture a puir wretch wi' lees and shame, and ye would look on and smile, and maybe say a prayer ower his dead throes. But ye wouldna hand to end his pain at ance. risk. But the guilt is on your shouthers for a' that, mair than on the shouthers o' a rough-witted chiel' like Carrach. If ye save yoursel' that's a' you care for. Weel, gie me the means o' saving my guidman, and I promise ye that I'll do naething till ye hae had time to win safe awa' frae the place.”

A pause, a strange breathless stillness in the room, and then he said deliberately—

wi'

"As I'm no guilty, Mistress Gray, I hae nae need to bargain for my life."

ye

She turned away disheartened, but not beaten.

He followed her to the door, and, with a sigh and a considerate dab of his head in her direction, as if recommending her to the care of her friends, he took leave of Mr. Carnegie.

"Ye'll tell the fiscal, should ye happen to meet him, that I want to see him particularly the-day," he said; "there maun be the fullest investigation into this business. I canna allow the aspersions Mistress Gray has cast on my character to go unnoticed, though they are ridiculous enough almost to confound themsel's. And by the by, as ye canna act for me in this matter, seeing that ye're on her side, would ye recommend me some trustworthy writer frae Ayr to look after my interests ? "

The lawyer promised, and stepping into the gig, in which Jeanie was already seated, he drove away. He was dissatisfied, and looked steadily at the road before them, not speaking a word until they were within sight of the Port.

"I'm afraid you hae allowed your suspicions against the Laird to carry ye a wee thing ower far," he remarked, touching the horse with his whip unnecessarily. "I own there was suspicion, or I would not have been with ye the day; but there was no proof; and it's my opinion now that the way he

represents the affair puts proof farther away from us than ever, although there's no saying what may turn up against Carrach."

She was a degree more disheartened by this, for it sounded to her somewhat like an intimation that he proposed forsaking her cause. But she only answered quietly"We'll see."

Mr. Carnegie was a worthy man; but he was threatened with the loss of an important client, and the Laird had been very plausible. He could not help doubting whether he had followed the wisest course for his own interests, notwithstanding his sincere desire to help Mrs. Gray.

CHAPTER XLV.

A SACRIFICE.

"Content am I, if Heaven shall give
But happiness to thee-

And as wi' thee I'd wish to live,

For thee I'd bear to dee."-Burns.

HUTCHESON was lounging at the lawyer's door when the gig drove up.

"You're soon back," ejaculated Mr. Carnegie.

"Hae ye seen him ?" cried Jeanie, reaching eagerly toward the man.

"I got word o' him sooner nor I expected, and that's how I'm so soon back."

66 Hae

ye seen him ?" she repeated.

Aye, mistress, I hae, and I'm looking for him here every minute."

"Where is he ?"

"That I dinna ken.

He just tauld me to say he would be here as soon as he could get through wi' what he had to do." "Are ye sure he'll come ?"

What would he no come for? The minute I acquainted him that it was you wha had sent for him, he bade me come back here and wait for him."

Mr. Carnegie took Jeanie into the little parlour where they had breakfasted, and left her there, whilst he disposed of various matters of business in his office. He promised that the moment Falcon arrived she should see him.

She had not very long to wait; but her feverish impatience made the minutes drag slowly. She had parted with him only a few days ago, bitterly praying that they might never meet again; and here she was burning with desire for his appearance. What an age of suffering she had passed through during those five days, and how far that night on which they had parted seemed to have receded! Measured by the anguish she had endured, those days were years. The period of happiness slips by, leaving only a faint trace behind in pleasant memories: but misery cuts deep tracks in our hearts marking its slow and tortuous passage.

At length there were footsteps in the lobby. Mr. Carnegie's voice sounded with unusual distinctness, the door was opened, and a man entered.

Grainger!—and yet not Grainger, but Jeames Falcon !

The only difference she could distinguish between the two was that this man's face was bare, and Grainger's had been half covered by a bushy beard. Everything else, the figure, the blue flannel shirt, the hat with its broad brim which had been always drawn so far over his brow, that together with what had seemed his sulky habit of sinking his chin on his breast, had prevented her forming any idea of the character of his features-all appeared to be the same as Grainger's. And yet the uncovered head and face she saw now were certainly Falcon's.

She had started up on his entrance, but she remained silent staring at him in wonder. Was it possible that she had been several hours in his presence and yet had failed to recognize him? She could not understand that. But it was not so wonderful after all. She had been really very little near the man on board the schooner; he had spoken to her only in the briefest and gruffest manner; she had been all the time excited, with her mind fixed intently on one object-escape;

and, most important, she had been under the impression that Falcon was dead. Under the circumstances, it was little marvel that she had failed to identify him.

He had halted near the door, and stood as if expecting her to speak; but, finding her dumb, he broke the silence himself. "You sent for me, and I hae come, Mistress Gray, as I said I would, only when you yoursel' prayed me to come to you."

His voice was low and sad, but quite steady. It was the first time he had addressed her by her married name, and it sounded oddly in her ears. But it intimated with what resolute will he had set himself to recognize the barrier which had risen between them. How much he had suffered before he had taught himself to pronounce that name calmly she could guess from the slight hesitation of his tongue at the word, but a stranger would scarcely have noticed it.

That form of address reminded her of the serious work before her and stirred her to action.

"I sent for ye, Jeames Falcon," she answered, and there was tenderness as well as firmness in her tone, "to ask ye to help me to save my guidman frae a death o' shame."

He made no response; his lips were closed tightly, and a faint spasm twitched his features.

She approached him, trembling with eager hope and fear, watching his face intently.

"Ye winna refuse me that, Jeamie ?" she pleaded softly. "Ye winna refuse to satisfy Robin how muckle he has wranged baith you and me in his thoughts, by proving yoursel' his best friend in the hour o' his sair need ?"

His head sunk further on his breast, and yet he made no reply.

66 For my sake, Jeamie; for the sake o' a' I hae tholed on your account, and you on mine, dinna refuse me this last service."

He almost broke down at that, and he shaded his eyes with his hand whilst he spoke huskily

"Me save him!—that's a hard job ye ask me to undertake,