he evil thereof.'

Merton descended the turnpike stair, holding on to the rope provided for
that purpose in old Scotch houses. He found Logan standing by the fire
in the hall. They were waited on by the old man, Bower. By tacit
consent they spoke, while he was present, of anything but the subject
that occupied their minds. They had quite an edible
dinner--cock-a-leekie, brandered haddocks, and a pair of roasted fowls,
with a mysterious sweet which was called a 'Hattit Kit.'

'It is an historical dish in this house,' said Logan. 'A favourite with
our ancestor, the conspirator.'

The wine was old and good, having been laid down before the time of the
late marquis.

'In the circumstances, Logan,' said Merton, when the old serving man was
gone, 'you have done me very well.'

'Thanks to Mrs. Bower, our butler's wife,' said Logan. 'She is a truly
remarkable woman. She and her husband, they are cousins, are members of
an ancient family, our hereditary retainers. One of them, Laird Bower,
was our old conspirator's go-between in the plot to kidnap the king, of
which you have heard so much. Though he was an aged and ignorant man, he
kept the secret so well that our ancestor was never even suspected, till
his letters came to light after his death, and after Laird Bower's death
too, luckily for both of them. So you see we can depend on it that this
pair of domestics, and their family, were not concerned in this new
abomination; so far, the robbery was not from within.'

'I am glad to hear that,' said Merton. 'I had invented a theory, too
stupid to repeat, and entirely demolished by the footmarks in the snow, a
theory which hypothetically implicated your old housekeeper. To be sure
it did not throw any doubt on her loyalty to the house, quite the
reverse.'

'What was your theory?'

'Oh, too silly for words; that the marquis had been only in a trance, had
come to himself when alone with the old lady, who, the doctor said, was
watching in the room, and had stolen away, to see how you would conduct
yourself. Childish hypothesis! The obvious one, body-snatching, is
correct. This is very good port.'

'If things had been as you thought possible, Jean Bower was not the woman
to balk the marquis,' said Logan. 'But you must see her and hear her
tell her own story.'

'Gladly,' said Merton, 'but first tell me yours.'

'When I arrived I found the poor old gentleman unconscious. Dr. Douglas
was in attendance. Abou