the apartment and made a fire in the grate, and brought me water to
wash myself, and a good breakfast of coffee and fried bacon. When I
was made comfortable he left me alone again, and only disturbed me
during the rest of the day to bring in my meals or more fuel for
the fire.

Chapter XXXIX. An Unprofessional Inquiry.

Whatever the common opinion among the people of Stromness may have
been with regard to the death of Colin Lothian, there was one who,
all along, never allowed himself to doubt my innocence. Dominie
Drever had his private views on the matter, and he was not over
eager to communicate them to other persons. He even kept them from
myself in a great measure, and only gathered such information
regarding my movements as Captain Flett and my people at Lyndardy
were able to supply. There were some other aspects of the case,
quite apart from myself, that he was anxious to make clear, and
with this purpose in view he had gone quietly about the town
gathering evidence and summoning an array of important witnesses.

Not until late on this Sunday afternoon did he come to see me; and
then our interview lasted but for a few moments. Macfarlane showed
him in just as I was finishing my tea and settling myself cosily
before the fire.

"Ah, Halcro, my lad!" he exclaimed in his breezy way, "I see they
are making you comfortable here. I hope you find it no great
hardship to be cooped up here, eh? It's hardly so bad as your
experience on the Falcon, I should think?"

"No, sir, and I hope it will not last so long either," I said,
taking the hand he offered me.

"Little fear o' that," said he. "Mr. Duke will send you home i' the
morning; but it's as well you should stay here until the evidence
is complete. Bailie Thomson will not agree to your being set at
liberty before the inquiry."

"And when is the inquiry to be?" I asked.

"At ten o'clock tomorrow morning," said Mr. Drever. "You see,
Halcro, they're not to put you on your trial in any formal way.
That could only take place at Kirkwall, or before the procurator
fiscal. But the roads are all blocked wi' snow, and there's no
getting to Kirkwall just now. Even the St. Magnus smugglers, and
another gang that Mr. Fox arrested yestreen up at Sandwick, have to
be imprisoned here until the roads are opened up. But it will be
easy to prove your innocence. Thora will make that perfectly clear,
as ye will see."

"Thora!" I exclaimed. "Then Thora has been found?"