!" and wept and sobbed, and
fondled the old man, and clutched him about the neck, with a passion of
a child in terror.

And then he caught sight of his wife (you would have thought for the
first time), where she stood weeping to hear him, and in a moment had
fallen at her knees. "And O my lass," he cried, "you must forgive me,
too! Not your husband--I have only been the ruin of your life. But you
knew me when I was a lad; there was no harm in Henry Durie then; he
meant aye to be a friend to you. It's him--it's the old bairn that
played with you--O, can ye never, never forgive him?"

Throughout all this my lord was like a cold, kind spectator with his
wits about him. At the first cry, which was indeed enough to call the
house about us, he had said to me over his shoulder, "Close the door."
And now he nodded to himself.

"We may leave him to his wife now," says he. "Bring a light, Mr.
Mackellar."

Upon my going forth again with my lord, I was aware of a strange
phenomenon; for though it was quite dark, and the night not yet old,
methought I smelt the morning. At the same time there went a tossing
through the branches of the evergreens, so that they sounded like a
quiet sea, and the air puffed at times against our faces, and the flame
of the candle shook. We made the more speed, I believe, being surrounded
by this bustle; visited the scene of the duel, where my lord looked upon
the blood with stoicism; and passing farther on toward the
landing-place, came at last upon some evidences of the truth. For, first
of all, where was a pool across the path, the ice had been trodden in,
plainly by more than one man's weight; next, and but a little farther, a
young tree was broken, and down by the landing-place, where the traders'
boats were usually beached, another stain of blood marked where the body
must have been infallibly set down to rest the bearers.

The stain we set ourselves to wash away with the sea-water, carrying it
in my lord's hat; and as we were thus engaged there came up a sudden
moaning gust and left us instantly benighted.

"It will come to snow," says my lord; "and the best thing that we could
hope. Let us go back now; we can do nothing in the dark."

As we went houseward, the wind being again subsided, we were aware of a
strong pattering noise about us in the night; and when we issued from
the shelter of the trees, we found it raining smartly.

Throughout the whole of this, my lord's clearness of mind, n