ng man had withdrawn himself, for
had he remained longer in these parts, and had the high sheriff at
Carlisle not proceeded against him, he himself, though much against
his inclination, might have felt it his duty as a servant of God and
the King to put the oath of allegiance to him.

"I do not say positively that I should have done so," he said, in a
confidential parenthesis, "but I fear I could not have resisted that
duty."

"Dree out the inch when ye've tholed the span," cried Matthew; "I'd
nivver strain lang at sic a wee gnat as that."

Without condescending to notice the interruption, his reverence
proceeded to say he had recently learned that it had been the
intention of the judges on the circuit to recommend Angus Ray, the
lamented departed, as a justice for the district. This step had been
in contemplation since the direful tragedy which had recently been
perpetrated in their midst, and of which the facts remained still
unexplained, though circumstantial evidence pointed to a solution of
the mystery.

When saying this the speaker turned, as though with an involuntary and
unconscious gaze, towards the spot where Rotha stood. He had pushed
past the girl on coming through the porch without acknowledging her
salutation.

"And if Angus Ray had lived to become a justice," continued the
Reverend Nicholas, "it very likely must have been his duty before God
and the King to apprehend his son Ralph on a charge of treason."

Robbie Anderson, who was standing by, felt at that moment that it
would very likely be _his_ duty before long to take the priest by
certain appendages of his priestly apparel, and carry him less than
tenderly to a bed more soft than odorous.

"It must have been his duty, I repeat," said his reverence, speaking
with measured emphasis, "before God and the King."

"Leave God oot on't," shouted Matthew. "Ye may put that in when ye get
intil yer pulpit, and then ye'll deceive none but them that lippen
till ye. Don't gud yersel wi' God's name."

"It is written," said his reverence, "'It is an abomination to
kings to commit wickedness; for the throne is established by
righteousness.'"

"Dus'ta think to knock me doon wi' the Bible?" said Matthew with a
touch of irreverence. "I reckon ony cock may crouse on his own
middenheed. Ye mind me of the clerk at Tickell, who could argify none
at all agen the greet Geordie Fox, so he up and broke his nose wi' a
bash of his family Bible."

This final rejoin