is My
commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you.'"

I was silent. I did not like the idea at all.

"You must talk to Keith about it before we leave the house," said
Ephraim. "But I am afraid it will be of no use. We have all tried in
vain."

I said no more.

"Well, Cary,--will you undertake it?"

"Ephraim," I said, looking up at last, "I cannot bear to think of
sacrificing Colonel Keith. I could do it, I think, for anything but
that. It would be hard work, no doubt, at the best; but I would go
through with it to save Angus. But cannot it be done in some other
way?"

Ephraim shook his head.

"We can see no other way at all. There are only three men who could do
it--Colonel Keith, Mr Raymond, and myself; and Keith is far the best
for personal reasons. Beside the matter of height, he has, or at any
rate could easily put on, a slight Scots accent, which we should find
difficult, and might very likely do it wrong. He is acquainted with all
the places and people that Angus is; we are not. And remember, it is
not only the getting Angus out of the place that is of consequence:
whoever takes his place must personate Angus for some hours, till he can
get safely away. [Note 3.] Only Keith can do this with any chance of
success. As to sacrifice, why, soldiers sacrifice themselves every day,
and he is a soldier. I can assure you, it seems to him a natural,
commonplace affair. He is very anxious to do it."

"He must be fonder of Angus--" I stopped.

"Than we are?" answered Ephraim, with a smile. "Perhaps he is. But I
think he has other reasons, Cary."

"What made you think of me?"

"Well, we must have a girl in the affair, and we were very much puzzled
whom to ask. If Miss Keith had been here, we should certainly have
asked her."

"Annas? Oh, how could she?" I cried.

"She has pluck enough," said Ephraim. "Of course, Miss Drummond would
have been the most natural person to play the part, but Keith would not
hear of that, and Raymond doubted if she were a suitable person. With
her, the Scots accent would be in the way, and rouse suspicion; and I am
not sure whether she could manage such a thing in other respects. Then
we thought of Hatty and you; but Hatty, I suppose, is out of the
question at present."

"Oh yes, quite," said I.

"She would have been the very one if she had been well and strong. She
has plenty of go and dash in her. But Raymond and Keith both wanted
you."