sel for the Crown to keep to
the point at issue while examining the witness," said the presiding
judge.

"Ou, ay! Ye are nae trying the Duk' o' Harewood, are ye nae? Aweel, then,
I'm thinking ye'll be trying him before a's ower!" put in Rose Cameron,
spitefully.

"Witness, tell the jury what occurred, within your own knowledge, while
you were in the grounds of Castle Lone," said Mr. Keir.

"And how will I tell onything right gin I am forbid to name the name o'
him wha wur maistly concernit?" demanded Rose Cameron.

"You are to give your own testimony in your own way, unless otherwise
instructed by the bench," said Mr. Keir.

"Aweel, then, first of a', I went to the castle by appointment to meet
Laird Arondelle, as he was then ca'd. I walked about and waited fu' an
hour before his lairdship cam' till me."

"At what hour was that?"

"I heard the castle clock aboon Auld Malcom's Tower strike eleven when I
cam' under the balcony o' the bride's chamber, whilk is nigh it. I waited
fu' half an hour there before his lairdship cam' stealing through the
shrubbery--De'il hae him, wha ha brocht a' this trouble on me!" exclaimed
the witness, vehemently, as her eyes, fairly blazing with blue fire,
fixed themselves on the face of the young duke.

The Duke of Hereward bore the searching glare quite calmly. He simply
leaned back in his chair, with folded arms and attentive face, on which
curiosity was the only expression.

"Mr. Keir," said the venerable Counsellor Guthrie, of the defence, "is
all this supposed to concern the case before the jury?"

"Ay, does it!" cried Rose Cameron, before the lawyer addressed could
reply. "Ay, does it, as ye will sune see, gin ye will gie me leave to
speak."

Meanwhile the Duke of Hereward took out his note-book and wrote these
lines:

"_Pray let the witness proceed without regard to her use of my name.
I think the ends of justice require that she be suffered to give her
testimony in her own way_. HEREWARD."

He tore this leaf out and passed it on to Mr. Guthrie, who read it with
some surprise, and then waved his hand to Mr. Keir, and sat down with the
air of a man who had complied with an indiscreet request, and washed his
hands of the consequences.

"The time of the court is being unnecessarily wasted. Let the examination
of the witness go on," said the presiding judge.

"It shall, my lord," answered the Queen's Counsel, with an inclination of
his white-wigged head. Then turning t