e fear of that."

"What then is the difficulty--her mother?"

"Aye," said Claverhouse, "that is more like it. Yet though the Lady
Dundonald drills me and flytes me and preaches at me, I care not so
much. For like the hardships of life, that will come to an end.
Nevertheless, I own that at times I am tempted to take the lady at my
saddle-bow, and ride out from Paisley to return no more."

"You will not do that, John!" said Balmaghie quietly, with a certain
light of irony in his eye.

Claverhouse looked up quickly.

"How so, Balmaghie?" he said, and I saw through my little slant wicket
the pride grow in his eye.

"The forty thousand marks, John."

Claverhouse struck his hand on the table.

"Thank you----" he said coldly, and then for a moment was silent.

"There is no man that dare say that to me but yourself, Roger McGhie,"
he added.

"No," said the Laird of Balmaghie, sipping at his canary, "and that is
why you rode over to see me to-night, John--a silly old man in a dull
house, instead of guzzling at Kirkcudbright with Winram and the
burgesses and bailies thereof. You are a four-square, truth-telling man,
and yet hear little of it, save at the house of Balmaghie."

Claverhouse still said nothing, but stared at the table, from which the
cloth had been removed.

The elder man reached over and put his hand on the sleeve of the
younger.

"Why, John," he said softly, "pluck up heart and do nothing hastily--as
I know thou wilt not. Forty thousand marks is not to be despised. It
will help thee mightily with Freuch and Dudhope. It is worth having thy
ears soundly boxed once or twice for a persecutor, by a covenanting
mother-in-law."

"But that is not the worst of it, Roger," said Claverhouse, who had
gotten over his pique; "my enemies lay it against me to York and the
King, that I frequent a suspected and disloyal house. They will put me
down as they put down Aberdeen----"

At this moment I felt a hand upon my arm. It was that of Kate McGhie.
She drew me out of the closet where Alisoun had bestowed me, intending,
as she intimated, to come cosily in beside me when she had washed the
dishes. But Kate took me by the hand, and together we passed out into
the cool night. Wat met us by the outer gate. He was standing in the
shadow. There was then no time for me to tell Kate what I had heard
Claverhouse reveal to the laird of his intentions regarding Anton Lennox
and my brother Sandy. To which there was added a fu