to mind. Perhaps Mr. Henry was less
guarded; or it is just possible the Master found the means to examine my
correspondence, and himself read the letter from Troyes: in revenge for
which this cruel jest was perpetrated on Mr. Burke in his extreme
necessity. The Master, for all his wickedness, was not without some
natural affection; I believe he was sincerely attached to Mr. Burke in
the beginning; but the thought of treachery dried up the springs of his
very shallow friendship, and his detestable nature appeared
naked.--E. McK.)

FOOTNOTE:

[6] _Note by Mr. Mackellar._--Plainly Secundra Dass.--E. McK.

CHAPTER VIII

THE ENEMY IN THE HOUSE

It is a strange thing that I should be at a stick for a date--the date,
besides, of an incident that changed the very nature of my life, and
sent us all into foreign lands. But the truth is, I was stricken out of
all my habitudes, and find my journals very ill redd-up,[7] the day not
indicated sometimes for a week or two together, and the whole fashion of
the thing like that of a man near desperate. It was late in March at
least, or early in April 1764. I had slept heavily, and wakened with a
premonition of some evil to befall. So strong was this upon my spirit
that I hurried downstairs in my shirt and breeches, and my hand (I
remember) shook upon the rail. It was a cold, sunny morning, with a
thick white frost; the blackbirds sang exceeding sweet and loud about
the house of Durrisdeer, and there was a noise of the sea in all the
chambers. As I came by the doors of the hall, another sound arrested
me--of voices talking. I drew nearer, and stood like a man dreaming.
Here was certainly a human voice, and that in my own master's house, and
yet I knew it not; certainly human speech, and that in my native land;
and yet, listen as I pleased, I could not catch one syllable. An old
tale started up in my mind of a fairy wife (or perhaps only a wandering
stranger), that came to the place of my fathers some generations back,
and stayed the matter of a week, talking often in a tongue that
signified nothing to the hearers; and went again, as she had come, under
cloud of night, leaving not so much as a name behind her. A little fear
I had, but more curiosity; and I opened the hall-door, and entered.

The supper-things still lay upon the table; the shutters were still
closed, although day peeped in the divisions; and the great room was
lighted only with a single taper and the shin