dissension which is now turning our swords against our own
bowels. I had scarce patience with the hired gladiator, and yet could
hardly help laughing at the extremity of his impudence."

"Your lordship will forgive me," said Anderson, "if I recommend to
you, in the present circumstances, to conceal at least a part of this
generous indignation; we cannot, unfortunately, do our work without the
assistance of those who act on baser motives than our own. We cannot
spare the assistance of such fellows as our friend the soldado. To use
the canting phrase of the saints in the English Parliament, the sons of
Zeruiah are still too many for us."

"I must dissemble, then, as well as I can," said Lord Menteith, "as I
have hitherto done, upon your hint. But I wish the fellow at the devil
with all my heart."

"Ay, but still you must remember, my lord," resumed Anderson, "that
to cure the bite of a scorpion, you must crush another scorpion on the
wound--But stop, we shall be overheard."

From a side-door in the hall glided a Highlander into the apartment,
whose lofty stature and complete equipment, as well as the eagle's
feather in his bonnet, and the confidence of his demeanour, announced to
be a person of superior rank. He walked slowly up to the table, and made
no answer to Lord Menteith, who, addressing him by the name of Allan,
asked him how he did.

"Ye manna speak to her e'en now," whispered the old attendant.

The tall Highlander, sinking down upon the empty settle next the fire,
fixed his eyes upon the red embers and the huge heap of turf, and seemed
buried in profound abstraction. His dark eyes, and wild and enthusiastic
features, bore the air of one who, deeply impressed with his own
subjects of meditation, pays little attention to exterior objects.
An air of gloomy severity, the fruit perhaps of ascetic and solitary
habits, might, in a Lowlander, have been ascribed to religious
fanaticism; but by that disease of the mind, then so common both in
England and the Lowlands of Scotland, the Highlanders of this
period were rarely infected. They had, however, their own peculiar
superstitions, which overclouded the mind with thick-coming fancies, as
completely as the puritanism of their neighbours.

"His lordship's honour," said the Highland servant sideling up to Lord
Menteith, and speaking in a very low tone, "his lordship manna speak to
Allan even now, for the cloud is upon his mind."

Lord Menteith nodded, and took no