? He valued it above all things, nor would he have parted
with it but with life. At this moment, I almost think the last long twenty
years of my life a dream, and that I am still a captain in Monro's
regiment. You must come and dine with me, and explain how this came into
your possession."

"With pleasure," replied William. "It is a sad account, I have to give, and
I am most impatient to learn something of its possessor. Alas! I fear I
must feel too great an interest in him."

"The early friend I allude to," replied the old man, "was an honour to his
country. A braver or more generous heart, no officer in the army possessed.
This you will acknowledge when I have told you all. Alas! poor Seaton!
shall I ever see you again?"

Thus conversing, they reached the house of Colonel Gordon, one of the
principal flats of a house in the High Street. After they had dined,
William gave a distinct account of his birth and the death of his mother,
and a modest outline of himself. His hearer listened to him with the
greatest interest, only interrupting him at the account of his mother's
death by an exclamation of horror.

"Henry Seaton," he cried, "had no hand in this, I could pledge my head for
him. I am strongly impressed, young man, with the idea, that my friend has
been cruelly injured, and his generous heart wounded past recovery by this
deed of darkness. Savage monsters! worse than demons! would to God I had
you in my power!" And he walked about the room in a state of violent
excitement. "William," said he again, "I have no doubt you are the son of
Henry Seaton, my more than brother; and, so far as is in my power, I shall
assist you in the discovery of your parents, and avenge the murder of your
mother. I shall now give you my story:--I was an ensign in Munro's regiment
of Scots, serving in Flanders, when your father (for I have no doubt that
he was such) joined us, early in the spring of the year 1706, a short time
before the battle of Ramilies. We were both of the same company, and of
congenial minds; so that we soon became bosom friends, and were ever as
much as possible in each other's society. In battle we fought side by side,
without being jealous of each other's fame. In our first battle, that of
Ramilies, the Scots had more than their share of the loss, and I had the
misfortune to be shot in the leg early in the action. When I fell, your
father saved me from the sword of the enemy, and bore me out of the line at
the ha