in a twelve miles sail, on summer seas. Had
James's curiosity and avarice led him to ride away at once with Ruthven,
and three or four servants, the plot might have succeeded. We must
criticise the plot on these lines. Thus, if at all, had the Earl and his
brother planned it. But Fate interfered, the unexpected occurred--_but
the plot could not be dropped_. The story of the pot of gold could not
be explained away. The King, with royal rudeness, did not even reply to
the new argument of the Master. 'Without any further answering him,' his
Majesty mounted, Ruthven staying still in the place where the King left
him. At this moment Inchaffray, as we saw, met Ruthven, and invited him
to breakfast, but he said that he was ordered to wait on the King.

At this point, James's narrative contains a circumstance which,
confessedly, was not within his own experience. He did not know, he
says, that the Master had any companion. But, from the evidence of
another, he learned that the Master had a companion, indeed two
companions. One was Andrew Ruthven, about whose presence nobody doubts.
The other, one Andrew Henderson, was not seen by James at this time.
However, the King says, on Henderson's own evidence, that the Master now
sent him (about seven o'clock) to warn Gowrie that the King was to come.
Really it seems that Henderson was despatched rather later, during the
first check in the run.

It was all-important to the King's case to prove that Henderson had been
at Falkland, and had returned at once with a message to Gowrie, for this
would demonstrate that, in appearing to be unprepared for the King's
arrival (as he did), Gowrie was making a false pretence. It was also
important to prove that the ride of Ruthven and Henderson to Falkland and
back had been concealed, by them, from the people at Gowrie House. Now
this _was_ proved. Craigengelt, Gowrie's steward, who was tortured,
tried, convicted, and hanged, deponed that, going up the staircase, just
after the King's arrival, he met the Master, booted, and asked 'where he
had been.' 'An errand not far off,' said the Master, concealing his long
ride to Falkland. {44a} Again, John Moncrieff, a gentleman who was with
Gowrie, asked Henderson (who had returned to Perth much earlier than the
King's arrival) where he had been, and he said 'that he had been two or
three miles above the town.' {44b} Henderson himself later declared that
Gowrie had told him to keep his ride t