'at he comes to see whiles; an' twa or three nichts ago,
I heard them lauchin' thegither. Sae I hearkened. They war baith some
fou, I'm thinkin'. I cudna tell ye a' 'at they said. That's a punishment
noo, gin ye like--to see and hear the warst o' yer ain ill doin's. He
tellt the limmer a heap o' his lord's secrets. Ay, he tellt her aboot
me, an' hoo I had gane and droont mysel'. I could hear 'maist ilka word
'at he said; for ye see the flurin' here 's no verra soon', and I was
jist 'at I cudna help hearkenin'. My lord's aff the nicht, as I tell ye.
It's a queer gait, but a quaiet, he thinks, nae doobt. Gin onybody wad
but tell her hoo mony een the baron's made sair wi' greitin'!'

'But hoo's that to be dune?' said Robert.

'I dinna ken. But I hae been watchin' to see you ever sin' syne. I hae
seen ye gang by mony a time. Ye're the only man I ken 'at I could speyk
till aboot it. Ye maun think what ye can do. The warst o' 't is I canna
tell wha she is or whaur she bides.'

'In that case, I canna see what's to be dune.'

'Cudna ye watch them aboord, an' slip a letter intil her han'? Or ye cud
gie 't to the skipper to gie her.'

'I ken the skipper weel eneuch. He's a respectable man. Gin he kent what
the baron was efter, he wadna tak him on boord.'

'That wad do little guid. He wad only hae her aff some ither gait.'

'Weel,' said Robert, rising, 'I'll awa' hame, an' think aboot it as I
gang.--Wad ye tak a feow shillin's frae an auld frien'?' he added with
hesitation, putting his hand in his pocket.

'Na--no a baubee,' she answered. 'Nobody sall say it was for mysel' I
broucht ye here. Come efter me, an' min' whaur ye pit doon yer feet.
It's no sicker.'

She led him to the door. He bade her good-night.

'Tak care ye dinna fa' gaein' doon the stair. It's maist as steep 's a
wa'.'

As Robert came from between the houses, he caught a glimpse of a man in
a groom's dress going in at the street door of that he had left.

All the natural knighthood in him was roused. But what could he do? To
write was a sneaking way. He would confront the baron. The baron and the
girl would both laugh at him. The sole conclusion he could arrive at was
to consult Shargar.

He lost no time in telling him the story.

'I tauld ye he was up to some deevilry or ither,' said Shargar. 'I can
shaw ye the verra hoose he maun be gaein' to tak her frae.'

'Ye vratch! what for didna ye tell me that afore?'

'Ye wadna hear aboot ither fowk's a