kes o' him whiles kills the wuman, but he
wadna du that. Na, na, he's nae the warst: there's a heap waur nor him."

"Did ye see my mistress?" asked Malcolm.

"Ow ay, but she luikit sae angry at me, I cudna speyk. Him an' her's
ower thrang for her to believe onything again' 'im. An' whatever the
bairn 's to du wantin' a father!"

"Lizzy," said Malcolm, clasping the child again to his bosom, "I s' be a
father to yer bairn--that is, as weel's ane 'at's no yer man can be."
And he kissed the child tenderly.

The same moment an undefined impulse--the drawing of eyes probably--made
him lift his toward the house: half leaning from the open window of the
boudoir above him stood Florimel and Liftore, and just as he looked up
Liftore was turning to Florimel with a smile that seemed to say, "There!
I told you so! He is the father himself."

Malcolm replaced the infant in his mother's arms and strode toward the
house.

Imagining he went to avenge her wrongs, Lizzy ran after him. "Ma'colm!
Ma'colm!" she cried, "for my sake! He's the father o' my bairn!"

Malcolm turned. "Lizzy," he said solemnly, "I winna lay han' upon 'im."

Lizzy pressed her child closer with a throb of relief.

"Come in yersel' an' see," he added.

"I daurna! I daurna!" she said. But she lingered about the door.

CHAPTER LXX.

THE DISCLOSURE.

When the earl saw Malcolm coming, although he was no coward and had
reason to trust his skill, yet knowing himself both in the wrong and
vastly inferior in strength to his enemy, it may be pardoned him that
for the next few seconds his heart doubled its beats. But of all things
he must not show fear before Florimel. "What can the fellow be after
now?" he said. "I must go down to him."

"No, no! don't go near him: he may be violent," objected Florimel, and
laid her hand on his arm with a beseeching look in her face. "He is a
dangerous man."

Liftore laughed. "Stop here till I return," he said, and left the room.

But Florimel followed, fearful of what might happen, and enraged with
her brother.

Malcolm's brief detention by Lizzy gave Liftore a little advantage, for
just as Malcolm approached the top of the great staircase, Liftore
gained it. Hastening to secure the command of the position, and resolved
to shun all parley, he stood ready to strike. Malcolm, however, caught
sight of him and his attitude in time, and, fearful of breaking his word
to Lizzy, pulled himself up abruptly a few steps from the t