the man in black, "both
in intellect and station, think we shall surely win; there are clever
machinators among us who have no doubt of our success."

"Well," said I, "I will set the landlord aside, and will adduce one who
was in every point a very different person from the landlord, both in
understanding and station; he was very fond of laying schemes, and,
indeed, many of them turned out successful. His last and darling one,
however, miscarried, notwithstanding that by his calculations he had
persuaded himself that there was no possibility of its failing--the
person that I allude to was old Fraser . . ."

"Who?" said the man in black, giving a start, and letting his glass fall.

"Old Fraser, of Lovat," said I, "the prince of all conspirators and
machinators; he made sure of placing the Pretender on the throne of these
realms. 'I can bring into the field so many men,' said he; 'my son-in-
law, Cluny, so many, and likewise my cousin, and my good friend;' then
speaking of those on whom the government reckoned for support, he would
say, 'So-and-so are lukewarm; this person is ruled by his wife, who is
with us; the clergy are anything but hostile to us; and as for the
soldiers and sailors, half are disaffected to King George, and the rest
cowards.' Yet, when things came to a trial, this person whom he had
calculated upon to join the Pretender did not stir from his home, another
joined the hostile ranks, the presumed cowards turned out heroes, and
those whom he thought heroes ran away like lusty fellows at Culloden; in
a word, he found himself utterly mistaken, and in nothing more than
himself; he thought he was a hero, and proved himself nothing more than
an old fox; he got up a hollow tree, didn't he, just like a fox?

"'L' opere sue non furon leonine, ma di volpe.'"

The man in black sat silent for a considerable time, and at length
answered, in rather a faltering voice, "I was not prepared for this; you
have frequently surprised me by your knowledge of things which I should
never have expected any person of your appearance to be acquainted with,
but that you should be aware of my name is a circumstance utterly
incomprehensible to me. I had imagined that no person in England was
acquainted with it; indeed, I don't see how any person should be, I have
revealed it to no one, not being particularly proud of it. Yes, I
acknowledge that my name is Fraser, and that I am of the blood of that
family or clan, of which