nd he drew her towards
him, and kissed her forehead gently and reverently.

"I'm a great, awkward-looking chid, Jenny Barker, but I've got a man's
heart in me. Ye've been sair deceived, and I don't blame ye a bit for
being true and faithful to your jo; but, now that's all over, lassie,
try and comfort your heart with the thought that there's another man in
the world who, while he loves the ground ye tread on, loves ye, too, sae
weel, that he won't say word more till he can see that it winna be
distasteful to ye. And now, good night, bairn. Let me get my spade,
and I'll be off. Keep yer ain counsel, and I'll keep it too; and ye may
depend that Jock Gurdon will never say word about it."

With a pleasant, quiet smile upon his broad, honest face, Sandy McCray
took his spade and turned to go, when Jane laid her hand upon his arm to
detain him.

"What is it, bairn?" said Sandy.

"I'm afraid--" whispered Jane, earnestly.

"Afraid? and why?" asked Sandy.

"Afraid those bad men may be watching for you," whispered Jane.

"Heaven bless ye for that, lassie!" cried McCray, with the tears of
pleasure starting into his eyes, as, catching her in his arms, he kissed
her heartily. "Ye'll send me away a happier man than I've been for
months, seeing that douce-tongued carl hanging round ye. Go to your
bed, lassie--go to your bed, and sleep soundly; and I should like to see
the face of either of them come within reach of my spade!"

A minute later, and the gardener was listening to the cautious fastening
of the door; and then, boldly stepping out on to the lawn, he looked
around. But there was, as he had felt, no danger at hand, and soon
after he was seated in his cottage, waiting patiently for the dawn, not
trusting himself to sleep; and long before another gardener appeared,
the last trace of disturbed flower-stand and bed had been removed, so
that not another soul at Merland Castle knew of John Gurdon's treachery.

"But I'll e'en keep my eyes wide," said Alexander to himself; "for it
strikes me that the rascal may come again."

"Maybe I ought to tell the laird, and put him on his guard, for the bit
of siller in the butler's pantry is a sair temptation to a rogue,"
muttered McCray, as he pondered about the matter; "but I dinna see how
I'm going to tell a bit without telling the whole, and getting the
lassie into grief. So I'll just say nae word to a soul, but take a
leuke round of a neet, and have a peep at the lassie's