mes seemed to come to a resolve, and began to make
apologies. He had an appointment of a private nature in the town (it was
with the French nobleman, he told me), and we would please excuse him
till about noon. Meanwhile, he carried his daughter aside to the far end
of the room, where he seemed to speak rather earnestly and she to listen
without much inclination.

"I am caring less and less about this man James," said Alan. "There's
something no' right with the man James, and I wouldna wonder but what
Alan Breck would give an eye to him this day. I would like fine to see
yon French nobleman, Davie; and I daresay you could find an employ to
yoursel', and that would be to speir at the lassie for some news of your
affair. Just tell it to her plainly--tell her ye're a muckle ass at the
off-set; and then, if I were you, and ye could do it naitural, I would
just mint to her I was in some kind of a danger; a' weemen-folk likes
that."

"I canna lee, Alan, I canna do it naitural," says I, mocking him.

"The more fool you!" says he. "Then ye'll can tell her that I
recommended it; that'll set her to the laughing; and I wouldna wonder
but what that was the next best. But see to the pair of them! If I didna
feel just sure of the lassie, and that she was awful pleased and chief
with Alan, I would think there was some kind of hocus-pocus about yon."

"And is she so pleased with ye, then, Alan?" I asked.

"She thinks a heap of me," says he. "And I'm no' like you: I'm one that
can tell. That she does--she thinks a heap of Alan. And troth! I'm
thinking a good deal of him mysel'; and with your permission, Shaws,
I'll be getting a wee yont amang the bents, so that I can see what way
James goes."

One after another went, till I was left alone beside the
breakfast-table; James to Dunkirk, Alan dogging him, Catriona up the
stairs to her own chamber. I could very well understand how she should
avoid to be alone with me; yet was none the better pleased with it for
that, and bent my mind to entrap her to an interview before the men
returned. Upon the whole, the best appeared to me to do like Alan. If I
was out of view among the sandhills, the fine morning would decoy her
forth; and once I had her in the open, I could please myself.

No sooner said than done; nor was I long under the bield of a hillock
before she appeared at the inn-door, looked here and there, and (seeing
nobody) set out by a path that led directly seaward, and by which I