or, 'you did not trust to your
refreshing your men at Cairnvreckan; whatever my house contains is at the
command of persons employed in the service.'

'It was not of creature-comforts I spake,' answered the Covenanter,
regarding Major Melville with something like a smile of contempt;
'howbeit, I thank you; but the people remained waiting upon the precious
Mr. Jabesh Rentowel for the out-pouring of the afternoon exhortation.'

'And have you, sir,' said the Major, 'when the rebels are about to spread
themselves through this country, actually left a great part of your
command at a fieldpreaching?'

Gilfillan again smiled scornfully as he made this indirect answer--'Even
thus are the children of this world wiser in their generation than the
children of light!'

'However, sir,' said the Major, 'as you are to take charge of this
gentleman to Stirling, and deliver him, with these papers, into the hands
of Governor Blakeney, I beseech you to observe some rules of military
discipline upon your march. For example, I would advise you to keep your
men more closely together, and that each in his march should cover his
file-leader, instead of straggling like geese upon a common; and, for
fear of surprise, I further recommend to you to form a small
advance-party of your best men, with a single vidette in front of the
whole march, so that when you approach a village or a wood'--(here the
Major interrupted himself)--'But as I don't observe you listen to me, Mr.
Gilfillan, I suppose I need not give myself the trouble to say more upon
the subject. You are a better judge, unquestionably, than I am of the
measures to be pursued; but one thing I would have you well aware of,
that you are to treat this gentleman, your prisoner, with no rigour nor
incivility, and are to subject him to no other restraint than is
necessary for his security.'

'I have looked into my commission,' said Mr. Gilfillan,' subscribed by a
worthy and professing nobleman, William, Earl of Glencairn; nor do I find
it therein set down that I am to receive any charges or commands anent my
doings from Major William Melville of Cairnvreckan.'

Major Melville reddened even to the well-powdered ears which appeared
beneath his neat military sidecurls, the more so as he observed Mr.
Morton smile at the same moment. 'Mr. Gilfillan,' he answered, with some
asperity, 'I beg ten thousand pardons for interfering with a person of
your importance. I thought, however, that as you ha