unate intrusion upon yours, which I suffered myself to be
entrapped into by my confidence in that false-face, Prestongrange; I
think shame to own to you that I was ever trusting to a lawyer." He
shrugged his shoulders with a very French air. "But indeed the man is
very plausible," says he. "And now it seems that you have busied
yourself handsomely in the matter of my daughter, for whose direction I
was remitted to yourself."

"I think, sir," said I, with a very painful air, "that it will be
necessary we two should have an explanation."

"There is nothing amiss?" he asked. "My agent, Mr. Sprott--"

"For God's sake moderate your voice!" I cried. "She must not hear till
we have had an explanation."

"She is in this place?" cries he.

"That is her chamber door," said I.

"You are here with her alone?" he asked.

"And who else would I have got to stay with us?" cries I.

I will do him the justice to admit that he turned pale.

"This is very unusual," said he. "This is a very unusual circumstance.
You are right, we must hold an explanation."

So saying, he passed me by, and I must own the tall old rogue appeared
at that moment extraordinary dignified. He had now, for the first time,
the view of my chamber, which I scanned (I may say) with his eyes. A bit
of morning sun glinted in by the window pane, and showed it off; my bed,
my mails, and washing dish, with some disorder of my clothes, and the
unlighted chimney, made the only plenishing; no mistake but it looked
bare and cold, and the most unsuitable, beggarly place conceivable to
harbour a young lady. At the same time came in on my mind the
recollection of the clothes that I had bought for her; and I thought
this contrast of poverty and prodigality bore an ill appearance.

He looked all about the chamber for a seat, and finding nothing else to
his purpose except my bed, took a place upon the side of it; where,
after I had closed the door, I could not very well avoid joining him.
For however this extraordinary interview might end, it must pass if
possible without waking Catriona; and the one thing needful was that we
should sit close and talk low. But I can scarce picture what a pair we
made; he in his great coat which the coldness of my chamber made
extremely suitable; I shivering in my shirt and breeks; he with very
much the air of a judge; and I (whatever I looked) with very much the
feelings of a man who has heard the last trumpet.

"Well?" says he.

And