ey; "but, if thou hadst concealed it, I
should, nevertheless, have found out thy riddle. Now, hearken to my
words. This Miles Bellenden hath means to subsist his garrison for a
month."

"This is not the case," answered Morton; "we know his stores are hardly
equal to a week's consumption."

"Ay, but," continued Burley, "I have since had proof, of the strongest
nature, that such a report was spread in the garrison by that wily and
grey-headed malignant, partly to prevail on the soldiers to submit to a
diminution of their daily food, partly to detain us before the walls of
his fortress until the sword should be whetted to smite and destroy us."

"And why was not the evidence of this laid before the council of war?"
said Morton.

"To what purpose?" said Balfour. "Why need we undeceive Kettledrummle,
Macbriar, Poundtext, and Langcale, upon such a point? Thyself must own,
that whatever is told to them escapes to the host out of the mouth of the
preachers at their next holding-forth. They are already discouraged by
the thoughts of lying before the fort a week. What would be the
consequence were they ordered to prepare for the leaguer of a month?"

"But why conceal it, then, from me? or why tell it me now? and, above
all, what proofs have you got of the fact?" continued Morton.

"There are many proofs," replied Burley; and he put into his hands a
number of requisitions sent forth by Major Bellenden, with receipts on
the back to various proprietors, for cattle, corn, meal, to such an
amount, that the sum total seemed to exclude the possibility of the
garrison being soon distressed for provisions. But Burley did not inform
Morton of a fact which he himself knew full well, namely, that most of
these provisions never reached the garrison, owing to the rapacity of the
dragoons sent to collect them, who readily sold to one man what they took
from another, and abused the Major's press for stores, pretty much as Sir
John Falstaff did that of the King for men.

"And now," continued Balfour, observing that he had made the desired
impression, "I have only to say, that I concealed this from thee no
longer than it was concealed from myself, for I have only received these
papers this morning; and I tell it unto thee now, that thou mayest go on
thy way rejoicing, and work the great work willingly at Glasgow, being
assured that no evil can befall thy friends in the malignant party, since
their fort is abundantly victualled, and I posses