hate his nephew. He has come between me and Christine
Cameron. Do you see now?"

"Oh! oh! oh! I see, I see! Well, James, you can have it for L100--as a
favor."

"I don't want it now. He could not have a harder man to deal with than
you are. You suit me very well."

"James, such business wont suit me. I can't afford to be brought into
notice. I would rather lose double the money than prosecute any
gentleman in trouble."

The older man had reasoned right--James dared not risk the note out of
sight, dared not trust to Starkie's prosecution. He longed to have the
bit of paper in his own keeping, and after a wary battle of a full
hour's length Andrew Starkie had his L89 back again, and James had the
note in his pocket-book.

Through the fog, and through the wind, and through the rain he went,
and he knew nothing, and he felt nothing but that little bit of paper
against his breast. Oh, how greedily he remembered Donald's handsome
looks and stately ways, and all the thousand little words and acts by
which he imagined himself wronged and insulted. Now he had his enemy
beneath his feet, and for several days this thought satisfied him, and
he hid his secret morsel of vengeance and found it sweet--sharply,
bitterly sweet--for even yet conscience pleaded hard with him.

As he sat counting his columns of figures, every gentle, forgiving
word of Christ came into his heart. He knew well that Donald would
receive his quarterly allowance before the bill was due, and that he
must have relied on this to meet it. He also knew enough of Donald's
affairs to guess something of the emergency that he must have been in
ere he would have yielded to so dangerous an alternative. There were
times when he determined to send for Donald, show him the frightful
danger in which he stood, and then tear the note before his eyes, and
leave its payment to his honor. He even realized the peace which would
flow from such a deed. Nor were these feelings transitory, his better
nature pleaded so hard with him that he walked his room hour after
hour under their influence, and their power over him was such as
delayed all action in the matter for nearly a week.

CHAPTER IV.

At length one morning David Cameron came into the bank, and having
finished his business, walked up to James and said, "I feared ye were
ill, James. Whatna for hae ye stayed awa sae lang? I wanted ye sairly
last night to go o'er wi' me the points in this debate at our kirk. We