Jeanie, on entering the lawyer's office, found herself in the presence of the fiscal and the Laird. The latter started at sight of Hutcheson, but recovered himself immediately, and said, in his sleek pawky way, that he was very glad to see him looking sae weel after his long voyage."

The fiscal greeted Jeanie with one of his cheery smiles. "The very person I was wanting to see," he exclaimed; come away, Mistress Gray, and look at this."

It was a paper he had in his hand, which he extended to her. At first she thought it was the paper which she had signed as a witness to Carrach's mark. In size and fold it was exactly similar; but there did not appear to be so much writing on it as she had observed on the other at the moment of signing it.

"Examine it closely, if you please, and tell me if that is your signature," the fiscal continued, "I have had some conversation with the Laird, and it seems you lay much stress on the production of this paper, although I cannot see how it will help you, for it is nothing more than an ordinary form of receipt."

"That's no the paper I signed," said Jeanie calmly, handing it back to the fiscal.

The Laird at that dabbed his head forward, smiled benignantly, and took a pinch of snuff with the emphasis of a man who resigns all hope of convincing a stubborn opponent.

"Not the paper," said the fiscal, without the least surprise, "how do you make that out? I have compared the signature with the one on your deposition, and another Mr. Carnegie has got, and they seem to me the same."

"Aye, the writing is like enough mine to cheat mysel' almost. But when I was signing the paper that I mean, I noticed there was a heap o' writing on't, and besides I noticed Carrach's mark. The pen had slipped wi' him in making his cross, and there were twa wee spots o' ink just above it." The fiscal darted a side glance at the Laird, smiling all the while. The Laird took another pinch of snuff with the former emphasis.

"I can do nae mair, Mister Smart," he exclaimed meekly, "ye'll just hae to do what ye think best. Ye will admit that I hae done everything in my power to assist the inquiry."

"Certainly, certainly," responded the fiscal, in quite a friendly tone, and that decided Jeanie to say nothing about Donald's confession so long as the Laird was there to distort it by one of his plausible explanations.

"Then ye dinna think it necessary" (smiling mildly at his own joke) "to put me in chains yet ?"

"I cannot see the chance of that ever becoming necessary.' Clearly the Laird had satisfied the fiscal as well as the lawyer, that the suspicions raised against him by the wife of the alleged criminal were groundless. He had been about to leave when Jeanie arrived, and he had stopped to learn the result of her examination of the receipt. He now bade them all good afternoon in the most kindly spirit, and departed.

He got his pony at the inn, and rode homeward, with a much longer face than usual, and with much more speed as soon as he got clear of the Port. Somehow that threat Jeanie had spoken when he had felt himself so secure from discovery was haunting him-"Day and night I'll follow ye frae this hour out until God pleases to do my man justice."

That was what she had said, and the words had clung to his memory with curious distinctness. In spite of himself, his mind repeated them again and again as he rode homeward in the rapidly darkening winter gloaming.

The Laird had barely quitted the lawyer's office, when Falcon entered it with singular excitement in his voice and man

ner.

He addressed himself abruptly to Mr. Carnegie, without appearing to notice the presence of others.

"Did you know Hugh Sutherland ?"

The lawyer opened his eyes at this sudden recalling of a man who had been dead nearly sixteen or seventeen years, and who had been away from the place six years or more previously.

"Do you mean the former laird of Clashgirn ?" "Yes-him."

"To be sure I ken'd him, but that's about twenty-five years syne. What about that ?”

"Would you know his handwriting ?"

"I could not say, it's such a long while since I saw it. But there was some correspondence between us regarding the case of Sutherland versus Johnstone, which was a question as to the miller's right to draw water from the burn above Cairnieford. As the case was one of great importance, I preserved all the documents, and among them letters I received from Mr. Sutherland whilst I was in Edinburgh, and before he joined me there."

66 Have you got them now ?"

"Yes-somewhere" (looking vaguely round the office, and at various deed-boxes).

"Look them out, they'll be needed."

He turned to Jeanie, and catching her hand he pressed it tightly.

in

66

"I think the means to force the truth from the Laird are my hands now," he said agitatedly; "wait here till I come back, and if you, sir," (to the fiscal) can be here three hours from this, I'll have some important information to give you, I expect. I want you to come with me, Hutcheson."

"I will be here at the time you mention," said the fiscal; "I have plenty to occupy me till then. But where are you going in such haste ?"

"To seek McWhapple."

"You'll find him at home, I believe."

CHAPTER XLVIII.

REYNARD UNEARTHED.

"Mesh'd in the net himself had twined,
What subterfuge could Denzil find?

He told me with reluctant sigh

That hidden here the tokens lie."-Scott.

THE candles were lit in the Laird's room, and a bright fire imparted a warm glow of comfort to everything around. The

1

Laird himself was seated in his big chair busy with a book of accounts. Whatever nervousness he might have displayed when he first learned that he was suspected of complicity with Carrach, he was now as calm and methodical as when he felt his respectability most impregnable; and his yellow visage with the pale blinking eyes was as expressionless.

The door was rudely pushed open without warning and Falcon entered. He was flushed with rapid walking, and his eyes glistening with unabated excitement, although he was making violent efforts to control it.

The Laird looked up quietly, and, observing who had made this unceremonious entrance, methodically closed his account book, wiped his pen, and spoke—

"Od, it's extraordinar'! I didna expect the pleasure o' seeing you. A fine habble you hae brought us a' into." Falcon had closed the door, and he stepped up to the table opposite the Laird. The latter leaned back on his chair, clasping his hands before him, and blinkingly, but unmoved, meeting the penetrating gaze fixed on him.

"You're no looking weel," observed the Laird complacently, as the other did not speak, "and you seem out o' breath. Will you hae a dram ?"

This equanimity irritated him; but he was determined not to lose command of his temper, and so answered decisively and with forced calmness

"I require nothing, thank you, but your close attention to what I have to say."

"Ye'll get that; but ye may as weel sit down."

Falcon, instead of accepting the invitation, looked at the man, amazed and puzzled that he could remain apparently so completely undisturbed when ruin and the gallows were at his elbow. He drew a long breath, renouncing all attempt to solve the problem at that moment, and proceeded abruptly—

66 Have you made up your mind what to do about Cairnieford? Are you to speak out what you know and save him, or are you to hold your tongue and let him take his chance? That's the first thing I want to know."

"Od, it's extraordinar"!" (with a mild expression of amused astonishment). You're on that tack too. Weel, I would hae thought that you wouldna hae been sorry to find Mistress Gray a widow."

"No matter what you would hae thought, and, extraordinary as it may seem to you," (growing firmer and more self-possessed as he proceeded) "I mean to help him out of his scrape, and I mean you to give me the power to do so."

"Really? Do ye think I carry his free pardon in my pouch ?"

"You carry it in your knowledge of what Carrach has done and what you directed him to do."

"Would a wheen auld bills o' lading and maybe an auld log or twa be ony use to ye ?"

"You are disposed, to treat the matter lightly, sir, but you will find it serious enough before it ends."

"To my thinking it's serious enough enow to thae wha are interested-I'm no."

"You will be when I tell you that Donald has confessed." The Laird's head dabbed quickly forward, and immediately he leaned back again, smiling meekly; but the thin lips were not quite so firm as they had been. Evidently he had forgotten Donald, or he would have anticipated the danger and been prepared for it.

"Weel, what has he confessed ?"-(quietly)-" that he saw me ding the lad ower the Bite ?"

"He has confessed enough to implicate you to such an extent that it will not be easy for you to clear yourself."

"We'll see about that when we ken what he's got to say against me."

"You know very well what he has got to say about you; and now answer my question-are you to speak before it is too late and save Cairnieford ?"

"Once for all then, I have nothing to say that will help him."

And he took a pinch of snuff with the emphatic air of a man who declines to say a word more on any consideration.