and Lady Cochrane eyed her daughter keenly--"or has
he been saying evil of our house and the cause?"

"Claverhouse has said no evil of any man that I can mind of, mother,"
replied Jean coldly; "and what he did say about Mr. Henry Pollock
would have rather pleased than angered you. He does not discourse
without ceasing, as certain do when they come to the castle, about the
times and all the black troubles; he seems to me rather to avoid
matters of debate, I suppose because they would give offence. I doubt
whether you could quarrel with him if you met him."

"What, then, is the substance of his talk--for, if all stories be
true, it is not much he knows of anything but war and wicked people?
What has he for a godly maiden to hear?"

"Nothing worth mentioning, mayhap"--and Jean spoke with almost studied
indifference--"what is going on in London, and how the great ladies of
the Court are dressed, and the clever things the king says, and how
the Duke of York loves sport, and suchlike. It would please you to
hear him, for ye have seen the Court."

"Once, Jean, and never again by God's mercy, for it is a spring of
corruption from which pours every evil work, where no man can live
clean, and no chaste woman should ever go. The like of it has not been
seen for wickedness since the daughter of Herodias danced before Herod
and his lewd courtiers, and obtained the head of John the Baptist on a
charger for her reward. Black shame upon John Graham! Cruel he is, but
I thought he would not pollute any girl's ears with such immodest
tales." And Lady Cochrane was beginning to lose control of herself.

"Colonel Graham said never a word which it were unbecoming a maiden to
hear, and especially a daughter of Lady Cochrane." And Jean grew hot
with indignation. "His talk was about the ceremonies and the dresses;
there was no mention of any wrongdoings. Nor was his speech always of
London, for he touched on many other things, and seemed to me to have
right thoughts, both of how men should live and die. For example, he
said, that though Mr. Henry Pollock and he differ, Mr. Henry was a
good and brave gentleman."

"Did he, indeed?" and Lady Cochrane was very scornful. "Doubtless that
was very cunning on his part, and meant to tickle your ears. But ye
know, Jean, that if by evil chance, or rather, let us say, a dark
ordering of the Lord, he had caught Mr. Henry here, like a bird in the
snare of the fowler, he would have given him a short tria