the wild beast in the man
broke loose. He struck and escaped. But it was a sudden fit of anger,
probably repented of as soon as done, because it rendered unsafe a
useful disguise.

In the case of Sir Louis the plot was deeper laid. From the boy's
borrowing of the gun, I believe that Louis had made up his mind to
escape with his so-called uncle. But some condition or chance word of
Lalor's had caused a shadow of suspicion to arise in Louis's mind. He
had drawn back at the last moment. Whereupon, exasperated by failure,
and possibly shaken by hearing me thundering at the door, Lalor had
smitten, just as he had done in the case of Mr. Richard. Happily,
however, with less result. The necessary weapon was not to his hand.
The poisoned sword, with which he no doubt expected the boy to play till
he pricked himself, was lying with the handle turned away from him.

At any rate he missed his stroke. But it was only by a hair's breadth,
and had it not been for his own sword and my fleetness of foot, the
false Wringham Pollixfen might for the second time have vanished as
completely as before, while if Louis had died, no one would have
suspected as his murderer a man so important as his Excellency Lalor
Maitland, Member of Parliament for the county, and presently carrying
out the commission of the lieges within the precincts of the city of
Westminster.

As to Sir Louis, it was many months before we could obtain any account
of his experiences from him, and even then he shrank from all reference
to that night in the Wood Parlour. Indeed, he grew up to be a silent,
rather moody young man, and as soon as he could obtain permission from
the lawyers he went abroad, where at the University of Heidelberg he
settled himself with his books and fencing foils. All this happened ten
years ago, yet he manifested not the least desire to come home. His
affairs are safe in the hands of the Dumfries lawyers, while my
grandfather, not to all appearance aged by a day, cares on the spot for
his more immediate concerns. Sir Louis has, however, made Duncan the
Second laird of the farm and lands of Heathknowes, on the condition that
during the tenancy of my grandfather and grandmother they are to sit
rent free. Irma and I are still in the house above the meadows, and
Duncan has just begun to attend Dr. Carson at the High School. We have
been able to buy the Little White House, and have made many
improvements, including a couple of servants' bedrooms. B