tor reproachfully; "don't talk so
to the boy. He's speaking the truth, I'll vouch for it. Afraid? Rob
Gowan's boy afraid? Pooh! he's made of the wrong sort of stuff."

"Yes, sir," cried the boy, in a voice hoarse with emotion, "I was
afraid,--not last night, for I did not know he was going; but when he
begged and prayed of me to run away with him, and join the people rising
for the Pretender, I was afraid to go and disgrace my mother and
father--and myself."

"Well done! well said, Frank, my lad!" cried the doctor, taking him by
one hand to begin patting him on the back. "That's a knock down for
you, Murray. Now, sir, you've got to apologise to our young friend
here--beg his pardon like a man."

"If I have misjudged him, I beg his pardon humbly--like a man," said
Captain Murray coldly. "I hope I have; but I cannot help thinking that
he must have been aware of his companion's flight. Mr Gowan, your
parole is at an end, sir. You will keep closely to these rooms."

"Bah!" cried the doctor; "why don't you say you are going to have him
locked up in the black hole. Murray, I'm ashamed of you. It's bile,
sir, bile, and I must give you a dose."

"I am going now, doctor," said the captain coldly.

"Which means I am to come away, if I don't want to be locked up too.
Very well, I have nothing to do here. There, shake hands, Frank. Don't
you mind all this. He believes this now; but he'll soon see that he is
wrong, and come back and shake hands. Your father knew how to choose
his friends when he chose Captain Murray. He's angry, and, more than
that, he's hurt, because he thinks you have deceived him; but you have
not, my lad. Doctors can see much farther into a fellow than a soldier
can, and both of your windows are as wide-open and clear as crystal.
There, it will be all right."

He gave the boy's shoulder a good, warm, friendly grip, and followed the
captain out of the room. The door was locked, some orders were given to
the sentry, Frank heard the descending steps, and after standing gazing
hard at the closed door for some minutes he dropped into the chair by
the table, the one in which he had had such a struggle to keep awake.
Then he placed his arms before him, and let his head go down upon them,
feeling hot, bitter, and indignant against Captain Murray, and as if he
were the most unhappy personage in the whole world.

A quarter of an hour must have passed before he started up again with a
proud look