find a feline pleasure in seeing how far he could taunt me to
go. He held me on the knife-edge of irritation, and perillous as was the
experiment he enjoyed seeing whether he could not drive me to give him
up.

"Miss Macleod's solution falls pat. Better leave to-morrow, Sir Robert. To
stay is dangerous."

"'Tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to drink; but I tell you, my
lord fool, 'out of this nettle danger, we pluck this flower safety,'" he
quoted.

"I see you always have your tag of Shakespeare ready; then let me remind
you what he has to say about the better part of valour," I flung back, for
once alert in riposte.

"A hit, and from the same play," he laughed. "But a retreat-- 'Tis not to
be thought of. No, no, Montagu! And it must be you'll just have to give me
up."

"Oh, you harp on that! You may say it once too often. I shall find a way
to get rid of you," I answered blackly.

"Let me find it for you, lad," said a voice from the doorway.

We turned, to find that Donald Roy had joined the party. He must have been
standing there unobserved long enough to understand my dilemma, for he
shot straight to the mark.

"Sir Robert, I'll never be denying that you're a bold villain, and that is
the one thing that will be saving your life this night. I'm no' here to
argie-bargie with you. The plain fact is just this; that I dinna care a
rap for you the tane gate or the tither (the one way or the other). I'd
like fine to see you dancing frae the widdie (gallows), but gin the lady
wants you spared I'll no' say her no. Mr. Englisher, you'll just gie me
your word to tak the road for the border this night, or I'll give a bit
call to Major Macleod. I wouldna wonder but he wad be blithe to see you.
Is it to be the road or the Macleod?"

I could have kissed the honest trusty face of the man, for he had lifted
me out of a bog of unease. I might be bound by honour, but Captain
Macdonald was free as air to dictate terms. Volney looked long at him,
weighed the man, and in the end flung up the sponge. He rose to his feet
and sauntered over to Aileen.

"I am desolated to find that urgent business takes me south at once, Miss
Macleod. 'Tis a matter of the gravest calls me; nothing of less importance
than the life of my nearest friend would take me from you. But I'm afraid
it must be 'Au revoir' for the present," he said.

She looked past the man as if he had not existed.

He bowed low, the flattery of deference in his fin