. The mill cannot grind with the water that is
past."

"And if the water be not past?" asked Leath fiercely.

"Mar found it so in the '15, and many honest gentlemen paid for his
mistake with their heads. My father's brother for one."

"Mar bungled it from start to finish. He had the game in his own hands and
dribbled away his chances like a coward and a fool."

"Perhaps, but even so, much water has passed under London Bridge since
then. It is sixty years since the Stuarts were driven out. Two generations
have slept on it."

"Then the third generation of sleepers shall be wakened. The stream is
coming down in spate," said Balmerino.

"I hear you say it," I answered dryly.

"And you shall live to see us do it, Mr. Montagu. The heather's in a blaze
already. The fiery cross will be speeding from Badenoch to the Braes of
Balwhidder. The clans will all rise whatever," cried Donald Roy.

"I'm not so sure about Mr. Montagu living to see it. My friends O'Sullivan
and De Vallery seem to think not," said Creagh, giving me his odd smile.
"Now, I'll wager a crown that----"

"Whose crown did you say?" I asked politely, handing him back his smile.

"The government cannot stand out against us," argued Balmerino. "The Duke
of Newcastle is almost an imbecile. The Dutch usurper himself is over in
Hanover courting a new mistress. His troops are all engaged in foreign
war. There are not ten thousand soldiers on the island. At this very
moment the King of France is sending fifteen thousand across in
transports. He will have no difficulty in landing them and London cannot
hold out."

"Faith, he might get his army here. I'm not denying that. But I'll promise
him trouble in getting it away again."

"The Highlands are ready to fling away the scabbard for King James III,"
said Donald Roy simply.

"It is in my mind that you have done that more than once before and that
because of it misguided heads louped from sturdy shoulders," I answered.

"Wales too is full of loyal gentlemen. What can the Hanoverians do if they
march across the border to join the Highlanders rolling down from the
North and Marshal Saxe with his French army?"

"My imagination halts," I answered dryly. "You will be telling me next
that England is wearying for a change back to the race of Kings she has
twice driven out."

"I do say it," cried Leath. "Bolingbroke is already negotiating with the
royal family. Newcastle is a broken reed. Hervey will not stand out.