ch he was detracting.

'I know as much of these Fairfords as I do of you,' he replied.

'As much,' said I, 'and as little; for you can neither estimate their
real worth nor mine. I know you saw them when last in Edinburgh.'

'Ha!' he exclaimed, and turned on me an inquisitive look.

'It is true,' said I; 'you cannot deny it; and having thus shown you
that I know something of your motions, let me warn you I have modes of
communication with which you are not acquainted. Oblige me not to use
them to your prejudice.'

'Prejudice me!' he replied. 'Young man, I smile at, and forgive your
folly. Nay, I will tell you that of which you are not aware, namely,
that it was from letters received from these Fairfords that I first
suspected, what the result of my visit to them confirmed, that you were
the person whom I had sought for years.'

'If you learned this,' said I, 'from the papers which were about my
person on the night when I was under the necessity of becoming your
guest at Brokenburn, I do not envy your indifference to the means of
acquiring information. It was dishonourable to'--

'Peace, young man,' said Herries, more calmly than I might have
expected; 'the word dishonour must not be mentioned as in conjunction
with my name. Your pocket-book was in the pocket of your coat, and did
not escape the curiosity of another, though it would have been sacred
from mine, My servant, Cristal Nixon, brought me the intelligence after
you were gone. I was displeased with the manner in which he had acquired
his information; but it was not the less my duty to ascertain its truth,
and for that purpose I went to Edinburgh. I was in hopes to persuade
Mr. Fairford to have entered into my views; but I found him too much
prejudiced to permit me to trust him. He is a wretched, yet a timid
slave of the present government, under which our unhappy country is
dishonourably enthralled; and it would have been altogether unfit and
unsafe to have entrusted him with the secret either of the right which
I possess to direct your actions, or of the manner in which I purpose to
exercise it.'

I was determined to take advantage of his communicative humour, and
obtain, if possible, more light upon his purpose. He seemed most
accessible to being piqued on the point of honour, and I resolved to
avail myself, but with caution, of his sensibility upon that topic. 'You
say,' I replied, 'that you are not friendly to indirect practices, and
disapprove of th