d all
knowledge of them. After my flight she was so mad as to wear the watch in
public, and to take it to a West End jeweller for repairs. Of course that
jeweller, like others, had a full description of the watch, recognized
the stolen property, and caused the arrest of the holder."

"We heard all that on the trial. Do not exhaust yourself by repeating
anything that has already come to our knowledge," said the duke.

"I refer to this only to explain the bitterness of the girl's feelings
toward me as the reason why I was obliged to keep concealed."

"But if the girl had been favorable toward you, would not it have been
equally dangerous for you to have shown yourself?"

"Oh! no; my disguise was too complete. Besides, if I had not been
disguised--you see in that neighborhood I had never been known as myself,
but had always been mistaken for you--and the people were not undeceived
up to that time. Give me a little more brandy. Ah! this spurring up a
jaded horse! You see it does not get into my head. It only keeps up my
sinking strength," added the man, after the duke had complied with his
request.

"I remained in the neighborhood to see the result of Rose Cameron's trial
for perjury. It was near the end of the term when she was arraigned at
Banff. She would certainly have been convicted, for it was in evidence
that she had sworn that the Marquis of Arondelle had been the confederate
of the thieves and murderers, and had himself received and delivered to
her the stolen booty; and her testimony was rebutted on the spot, not
only by the high character and standing of the marquis, but by witnesses
who proved an alibi for him. She would certainly have been convicted, I
say, had not an unexpected witness appeared in her behalf. John Potts,
the valet, who had been discharged from custody, came upon the stand,
took the oath, and testified to the existence of a perfect counterpart of
the Marquis of Arondelle, in the person of one John Scott, the companion
of the accused woman, who had always foolishly believed him to be the
young marquis himself. This testimony not only vindicated the accused
woman from the charge of perjury, but opened her eyes to the facts of the
case--namely, that I had never abandoned her to suffer in my stead while
I went off to marry another woman, as she had supposed--that my only sin
against her was in having allowed her to deceive herself in believing me
to be Lord Arondelle."

The man gasped as he c