n
hand over any part or the whole of this money to you, if he pleases
to do so."

If any circumstance could have increased the uneasiness of the
spendthrift, it would have been this resolution of the banker and
trustee.

John Scott begged Sir Lemuel Levison to reconsider his resolution, and
not return his capital to the donor, who, in his impoverished condition,
might, for all he knew, choose to resume his gift entirely, and
appropriate it to his own uses.

But the banker was inflexible, and the next day set out for Lone,
carrying John Scott's fortune locked up in the iron box, besides other
treasures in money and jewels, secured in other receptacles.

John Scott was in despair.

At length, a daring plan occurred to his mind. His evil life had brought
him into communication with some outlaws of society of both sexes, with
whom, however, he would not willingly have been seen in daylight, or in
public. One of these--a brutal ruffian and thief, with whose haunts and
habits he was well acquainted--he sought out. He gave him an outline of
his scheme, telling him of the great treasures in jewels and other bridal
presents that would be laid out in the drawing-room at Lone on the night
of the sixth of June, in readiness for the wedding display on the morning
of the seventh.

The man Murdockson listened with greedy ears.

The tempter then told him of the iron box, inscribed with his own name,
and containing _important papers_ which it was necessary he should
recover, and proposed that if Murdockson would promise to purloin the
iron box from the chamber of Sir Lemuel Levison, and bring it safely
to him, John Scott, _he_ would engage to leave the secret passage
to the castle open for the free entrance of the adventurers.

Murdockson hesitated a long time before consenting to engage in an
enterprise which, if it promised great profit, also threatened great
dangers.

At length, however, fired by the prospect of the fabulous wealth said to
lie exposed in the form of bridal presents displayed in Castle Lone, Mr.
Murdockson promised to form a party and go down to Lone to reconnoitre,
and if he should see his way clear, to undertake the job.

The plan was carried out to its full and fatal completion.

Disguised as Highland peasants, Murdockson and two of his pals went down
to Lone to inspect the lay.

They mingled with the great crowd of peasantry and tenantry that had
collected from far and near to view the grand pagean