take her
away to be your miserable wife? Why did you ever come near the poor,
sweet innocent? And then, after all her suffering, to insult her with
your cruel, base suspicions, so unmanly--so false!"

"Curse the woman! Am I to strike her in the mouth?" raged Sir Murray,
in a hoarse whisper; for there were voices to be heard outside--
evidently those of the servants, alarmed by the wild shriek, and once
the door was softly tried.

"Na--na, Sir Mooray!" said McCray; "nae blows to a woman. The puir
thing's daft wi' grief and passion, and greeting after her lady; but
she'll be better therectly. Whush, then, Jenny, let's gang our gait,
and leave the laird to himsel'."

"If you touch me again, McCray, I'll alarm the house!" cried Jane; and
the great Scot fell back once more, as going closer to Sir Murray
Gernon, she continued, hoarsely:

"You've been making your plans for long enough, and this is a part of
them! It will blind some people, but it won't me. I've been watching,
as well as you; for my heart bled to see the poor, ill-used, neglected,
tortured thing pining away, day after day! But Heaven will judge you
for this, and bring down punishment upon you! She knew it was coming:
she shuddered, and talked of dying, and begged of me to be a mother to
her poor little one, and I swore I would; and I will, poor humble
servant as I am! But right makes me strong, while wrong makes you weak
and a coward, so that you are afraid, and obliged to listen to me. I'm
not afraid of your fierce looks, for it shall all out, if I go to the
magistrates myself. Hunting round, looking for her, you false, cruel
traitor! Do you think you could deceive me? You listened for some
purpose to the cruel lies of that wretch Gurdon, who ought to have had
his tongue cut out; and now that you have planned and plotted, you think
we are all cheated, but you are wrong. I don't care who hears me, I
will speak, and I say it now. Look at him, McCray: you are a bold,
honest man, before whom he cowers--this great baronet, with his title--
like a beaten hound! I tell you that for weeks past he has been trying
to poison--"

With an exclamation of rage Sir Murray rushed at her; but she never
flinched.

"To poison my dear lady!" exclaimed Jane.

"Hush--hush! for Heaven's sake, hush, woman!" cried Sir Murray; and in
an instant he had placed his hand over her mouth.

But it was only for an instant; McCray had dragged him from her, as,
reeling