eemed to say to him. And yet as a man and a loyal subject
how could he possibly decline to assist in an effort to foil the King's
enemies? Reluctantly he descended from the car, and once he was on the
road, Mr Taylor gave him no time for further debate.

"Come on!" he whispered eagerly; and then turning to the chauffeur,
"come along too, James!"

Close by there was a gate in the fence, and they all three went through
this and quietly crossed the short stretch of grass between the road
and the cliffs, Mr Taylor and the minister walking in front and the
chauffeur following close at their heels. Now that the car was silent,
they could hear the soft lapping of the water at the cliff foot, but
that and the fall of their feet on the short crisp turf were the only
sounds.

Mr Burnett peered hard into the darkness, but he could see absolutely
nothing. All at once he realised that they were getting very close to
the brink, and that if there were any one in front they would certainly
be silhouetted against the sky. There could not possibly be any use in
going further; why then did they continue to advance? At that a clear
and terrifying instinct of danger seized him. He turned round sharply,
and uttered one loud ringing cry.

He was looking straight into the chauffeur's face, and it seemed as
though he were looking into his own, distorted by murderous intention.
Above it the man's hand was already raised. It descended, and the
minister fell on the turf with a gasp. He knew no more of that night's
adventure.

IV.

MR DRUMMOND'S VISITOR.

Upon a secluded road in the quiet suburb of Trinity stood the residence
of Mr Robert Drummond. It was a neat unpretentious little villa graced
by a number of trees and a clinging Virginia creeper, and Mr Drummond
was a neat unpretentious little gentleman, graced by a number of
virtues, and a devoted Mrs Drummond. From the upper windows of his
house you could catch a glimpse of the castled and templed hills of
Edinburgh on the one side, and the shining Forth and green coasts of
Fife on the other. The Forth, in fact, was close at hand, and of late
Mr Drummond had been greatly entertained by observing many interesting
movements upon its waters.

He had looked forward to exhibiting and expounding these features to
his friend Mr Burnett, and felt considerably disappointed when upon the
morning of the day when the minister should have come, a telegram
arrived instead. It ra