him the undischarged pistol by the butt, the old fiendish rage
took possession of his soul, lending fire to his eye, and nerve to his
arm. He took the weapon and held it to his side; but as Brace turned
and walked down the path, he dashed after him.

"Stop!" he cried, hoarsely; "not yet--you have not yet escaped!" when,
as Brace turned, startled at the change that had come upon his rival,
the young man's heart quailed for a few moments, for he was standing
within six paces of the Viscount, who was taking deadly aim at his
breast.

Another second, and the aim might have proved mortal; but, as the pistol
exploded, a heavy body seemed to dart from the bushes beside the
Viscount, who was thrust aside, and the bullet grazed the bark of a huge
beech-tree a dozen yards in advance.

"Weel done, Peter, my lad!" cried a voice--"that was weel jumpit. Why,
ye murderin' loon, to shute at an unairmed man like that; and is it the
like of thee as is to have the Castle? Gude-sake, Maister Norton, dinna
ye hold me. I could shock all the braith out of his coward's bodie, I
could. Oh! ye may weel go," he cried, loudly, as the Viscount hurried
away. "We saw it all, Mr Brace, Peter here and me; but not soon enow
to stop the first shot. We saw him go doon, and for a wee my hairt was
in my mooth, for I thocht ye'd kilt him. But that was a bonny leap of
the lad's here, and disarrangit his aim, or, sir, I believe he'd have
hit ye. But Sir Mooray shall know what a viper he's got under his roof
before he's an hour older."

"No, not a word--not a single hint of this must be given to him!"
exclaimed Brace, firmly. "I will not win my way forward by such means.
Mr McCray, I ask it as a favour: let this be all buried."

"And it was verra like that ye were to being buried yersel'," grumbled
the old Scot; but after a good deal of arguing, Brace carried the day by
the use of Isa's name, and for her sake it was settled that the
proceedings should be kept as their own secret, unless Lord Maudlaine
should think proper to give a garbled account, in which case, in his own
defence, Brace might find it necessary to speak, when McCray promised
that he would "bear witness to the truth."

"I'll answer for the laddie here, sir," said McCray; "and noo we must
goo, for it winna do for us to be seen speaking to ye. Ye're a proper
lad, but I'm Sir Mooray's sairvant, and we mustn't foregather at all. I
think I see how matters air; but I'm going to talk