pistols, sounded the barrels one by
one with the ramrods, and then placed one in each pocket of his coat,
and slowly left the room, encountering, as he did so, the quiet,
thoughtful countenance of shrewd old Sandy McCray, who watched him out
into the pleasure-grounds, and then, having seen that his lordship's
valet was in the housekeeper's room, walked swiftly up-stairs, and into
the bed-room the Viscount had just vacated.

"He's been writing, seemingly," said the old Scot; "but he looked
woondrous bad. But what ha'e we here, spillit a' ower the table-cover?
Gude presairve us! if it isn't poother; and whaat would he be wanting
with poother?"

Sandy McCray's pondering was arrested by the sight of the dressing-case
drawer partly opened; and pulling it out, and gazing within it for a few
moments, he hurriedly closed it again, and hastened down-stairs, and out
into the stable yard, where he was not long before he found Peter, his
young lady's groom. Peter had coat and vest off, his braces tied round
his waist, and his shirt sleeves rolled-up to the elbows, squaring away
at a corn-sack stuffed full of hay, and stood up on a bin in the large
stable.

"One, two--one, two!" he kept on repeating; and, after a slight feint
each time, he delivered a most tremendous blow, at the height of a man's
face, right in the tightly-stuffed sack. "One, two, thud--one, two,
thud!" went the blows, as the active little fellow sparred away,
perspiring profusely the while, till he became aware of the old
major-domo's presence, when he stopped short, abashed.

"So ye're practising boxing, my lad, air ye? Gude-sake! gi'e up that,
and lairne to wrastle and throw the caber and put the stane. But leuke
here, my laddie: does it ever happen that my young leddy meets Mr
Norton when she's oot? There--there, I dinna wush ye to betray ony one,
laddie; but ye lo'e her weel, like we all do, and I hae a soospeeshun
that a' isn't reet. Noo, I've been a gude friend to ye always, Peter,
and eef there's iver been anything wrang, I've been like Sir Murray
himsel' to all ye sairvants, and paid yer wage, and seen ye raised, and
that no ane put upon ye; so now tell me, like a gude laddie, has there
been any clishmaclaver with Maister Norton and my laird here?"

Peter nodded shortly.

"Gude lad; it's for the gude of all I ask ye, sae tell me all. Did they
come to blows?"

"Lordship hit Mr Norton with his whip," said Peter.

"Weel, laddie?" said McCray