.

"No," said I, "nor do I want to hear it."

"With your permission, Mr. Balfour, I will tell it you, whatever," says
Alan. "The man, ye should ken, was cast upon a rock in the sea, where it
appears the Good People were in use to come and rest as they went
through to Ireland. The name of this rock is called the Skerryvore, and
it's not far from where we suffered shipwreck. Well, it seems the man
cried so sore, if he could just see his little bairn before he died!
that at last the king of the Good People took peety upon him, and sent
one flying that brought back the bairn in a poke[20] and laid it down
beside the man where he lay sleeping. So when the man woke, there was a
poke beside him, and something into the inside of it that moved. Well,
it seemed he was one of these gentry that think aye the worst of things;
and for greater security he stuck his dirk throughout that poke before
he opened it, and there was his bairn dead. I am thinking to myself, Mr.
Balfour, that you and the man are very much alike."

"Do you mean you had no hand in it?" cried I, sitting up.

"I will tell you first of all, Mr. Balfour of Shaws, as one friend to
another," said Alan, "that if I were going to kill a gentleman, it would
not be in my own country, to bring trouble on my clan; and I would not
go wanting sword and gun, and with a long fishing-rod upon my back."

"Well," said I, "that's true!"

"And now," continued Alan, taking out his dirk and laying his hand upon
it in a certain manner, "I swear upon the Holy Iron I had neither art
nor part, act nor thought in it."

"I thank God for that!" cried I, and offered him my hand.

He did not appear to see it.

"And here is a great deal of work about a Campbell!" said he. "They are
not so scarce, that I ken!"

"At least," said I, "you cannot justly blame me, for you know very well
what you told me in the brig. But the temptation and the act are
different, I thank God again for that. We may all be tempted; but to
take a life in cold blood, Alan!" And I could say no more for the
moment. "And do you know who did it?" I added. "Do you know that man in
the black coat?"

"I have nae clear mind about his coat," said Alan cunningly; "but it
sticks in my head that it was blue."

"Blue or black, did ye know him?" said I.

"I couldna just conscientiously swear to him," says Alan. "He gaed very
close by me, to be sure, but it's a strange thing that I should just
have been tying my brogues."