ared quarters with M'Iver in the castle, where every
available corner was occupied by his lordship's guests.

When these other guests were bedded, and the house in all our wing of
it was still, my comrade and I sat down to a tasse of brandy in our
chamber, almost blythe, as you would say, at the prospect of coming to
blows with our country's spoilers. We were in the midst of a most genial
crack when came a faint rap at the door, and in steps the goodman, as
solemn as a thunder-cloud, in spite of the wan smile he fixed upon his
countenance. He bore his arm out of his sleeve in a sling, and his hair
was un-trim, and for once a most fastidious nobleman was anything but
perjink.

"I cry pardon, gentlemen!" he said in Gaelic, "for breaking in on my
guests' privacy; but I'm in no humour for sleeping, and I thought you
might have a spare glass for a friend."

"It's your welcome, Argile," said I, putting a wand chair to the front
for him. He sat himself down in it with a sigh of utter weariness, and
nervously poking the logs on the fire with a purring-iron, looked sadly
about the chamber.

It was his wife's tiring-room, or closet, or something of that nature,
fitted up hastily for our accommodation, and there were signs of a
woman's dainty hand and occupation about it The floor was carpeted, the
wall was hung with arras; a varnish 'scrutoire, some sweet-wood boxes,
two little statues of marble, two raised silver candlesticks with
snuffers conform, broidery-work unfinished, and my lord's picture, in
a little gilded frame hanging over a dressing-table, were among its
womanly plenishing.

"Well, coz," said his lordship, breaking an awkward silence, "we have an
enormous and dastardly deed here to avenge."

"We have that!" said M'Iver. "It's a consolation that we are in the mood
and in the position to set about paying the debt. Before the glad news
came of your return, I was half afraid that our quarry would be too far
gone ere we set loose the dogs on him. Luckily he can be little farther
than Glenurchy now. Elrigmore and I had the honour to see the visitors
make their departure. They carried so much stolen gear, and drove so big
a prize of cattle, that I would not give them more than a twenty miles'
march to the day."

"Will they hang together, do you think?" asked his lordship, fingering a
crystal bottle for essence that lay on the 'scrutoire.

"I misdoubt it," said M'Iver. "You know the stuff, MacCailein? He may
have h