ave found
you out to be to-day!" said the man reproachfully.

"Ay' I can staund muckle; but I canna staund murder!"

"It is not even certain that there has been any murder committed. The
coroner's jury have not yet brought in their verdict. Many people think
that the old man fell dead with a sudden attack of heart-disease, and in
falling, struck his head upon the top of that bronze statuette, which was
found lying by him."

"Ay! and that wad be likely eneuch! for na robber wou'd gae to kill a man
wi' siccan a weepon as that," said Rose, who had begun to recover her
composure.

Then the man began to question her in his turn:

"You brought the satchel safely?"

"Ay, I brought it safely."

"Where is it?"

"Lock the door and I'll get it."

The man locked the door. While his back was turned, Rose jumped out of
bed and slipped on a dressing-gown. Then she put her hand in between the
mattresses and drew out the bag.

"Have you examined its contents?" inquired the man.

"Na, I hanna opened it once," replied the girl, unhesitatingly telling a
falsehood.

"Oh! then I have a surprise for you. Sir Lemuel Levison was my banker. He
had my money, and also my jewels, in his charge. He delivered them to me
last night a few minutes before I brought them out and gave them to you.
You know I wished you to take them to London because--I meant to reject
Miss Levison at the altar, and after that, of course, I could not return
to the castle for anything. Don't you see?"

"Ay, I see! But stap! stap! Noo you mind me about the bag. When you
brought out the bag that night, I heard you and a man talking. You said
to the man, 'You hae brocht the curse o' Cain upon me.' Noo, an ye had
naething to do wi' the murder, what did ye mean by that?"

The man's face grew very dark. "She cross-questions me," he muttered to
himself. Then controlling his emotions, he affected to laugh, and said:

"How you do twist and turn things, Rose! One would think you were
interested in convicting me. But I had rather think that you are a little
cracked on this subject. I never used the words you think you heard. The
servant had brought me the wrong walking-stick, one that was too short
for me, and so I said, 'You have brought that cursed cane to me.'"

"Ou, _that_ indeed!" said the credulous girl, "But what did
_he_ mean when he said, 'It could na be helpit. The auld man
squealed?'"

"I don't know what he meant, nor do I know whether he used those wor