re
on the laird himself--just say something about the Revolution, and see
what a look she can gie you.'

I shall leave you to stand all the shots from that battery, provost.'
replied Fairford. 'But speak out like a man--Do you think Summertrees
means fairly by me?'

'Fairly--he is just coming--fairly? I am a plain man, Mr. Fairford--but
ye said FAIRLY?'

'I do so,' replied Alan, 'and it is of importance to me to know, and
to you to tell me if such is the case; for if you do not, you may be an
accomplice to murder before the fact, and that under circumstances which
may bring it near to murder under trust.'

'Murder!--who spoke of murder?' said the provost; no danger of that, Mr.
Alan--only, if I were you--to speak my plain mind'--Here he approached
his mouth to the ear of the young lawyer, and, after another acute pang
of travail, was safely delivered of his advice in the following abrupt
words:--'Take a keek into Pate's letter before ye deliver it.'

Fairford started, looked the provost hard in the face, and was silent;
while Mr. Crosbie, with the self-approbation of one who has at length
brought himself to the discharge of a great duty, at the expense of a
considerable sacrifice, nodded and winked to Alan, as if enforcing his
advice; and then swallowing a large glass of punch, concluded, with
the sigh of a man released from a heavy burden, 'I am a plain man, Mr.
Fairford.'

'A plain man?' said Maxwell, who entered the room at that moment, with
the letter in his hand,--'Provost, I never heard you make use of the
word but when you had some sly turn of your own to work out.'

The provost looked silly enough, and the Laird of Summertrees directed
a keen and suspicious glance upon Alan Fairford, who sustained it with
professional intrepidity.--There was a moment's pause.

'I was trying,' said the provost, 'to dissuade our young friend from his
wildgoose expedition.'

'And I,' said Fairford, 'am determined to go through with it. Trusting
myself to you, Mr. Maxwell, I conceive that I rely, as I before said, on
the word of a gentleman.'

'I will warrant you,' said Maxwell, 'from all serious consequences--some
inconveniences you must look to suffer.'

'To these I shall be resigned,' said Fairford, 'and stand prepared to
run my risk.'

'Well then,' said Summertrees, 'you must go'--

'I will leave you to yourselves, gentlemen,' said the provost, rising;
'when you have done with your crack, you will find me at my