u had every chance," said the Paymaster, who nowadays found more
courage to retort when his brother's shortness and contempt annoyed him.

"More chance, of course I had," said the Cornal. "I'm thinking you had
mighty little from yon lady."

"Anyway, here's her daughter to seek," said the Paymaster, feeling
himself getting the worst of the encounter; "my own notion is that she's
on the road to Edinburgh. They say she had aye a crave for the place;
perhaps there was a pair of breeches there behind her. Anyway, she's
making an ass of somebody!"

Gilian threw down the letter and stood to his feet with his face white.
"You're a liar!" said he.

No shell in any of their foreign battles more astounded the veterans he
was facing with wide nostril and a face like chalk.

"God bless me, here's a marvel!" cried the Cornal when he found voice.

"You--you--you damned sheep!" blurted the Paymaster. "Do you dare speak
to me like that? For tuppence I would give you my rattan across the
legs." His face was purple with anger; the stock that ran in many folds
about his neck seemed like a garotte. He lifted up his hand as if to
strike, but his brother caught his arm.

"Let the lad alone," said he. "If he had a little more of that in his
make I would like him better."

Together they stood, the old men, facing Gilian with his hands clenched,
for the first time in his life the mutineer, feeling a curious heady
satisfaction in the passion that braced him like a sword and astounded
the men before him.

"It's a lie!" he cried again, somewhat modifying his accusation. "I know
where she is, and she's not in Edinburgh nor on her way to it."

"Very well," said the Paymaster, "ye better go and tell Old Islay where
she is; he's put about at the loss of a daughter-in-law he paid through
the nose for, they're saying."

The blow, the last he had expected, the last he had reason to look for,
struck full and hard. He was blind then to the old men sneering at him
there; his head seemed charged with coiling vapours; his heart, that had
been dancing a second ago on the wave of passion, swamped and sank. He
had no more to say; he passed them and left the room and went along the
lobby to the stair-head, where he stood till the vapours had somewhat
blown away.

CHAPTER XXXII--AN OLD MAID'S SECRET

Miss Mary bustled about her kitchen with a liveliness that might
have deceived any one but Gilian, who knew her to be in a tremendous
perturbatio