t were not seemly that my guests should be
disturbed by the rude shots and villanous reek of the fusil."

Sholto bowed stiffly and waited the further pleasure of his master.
Then the two young men went out without Maud Lindesay having uttered a
word, or manifested the least surprise at the advancement which had
befallen the heir of the master armourer of Carlinwark.

As soon as the door had closed upon the two maidens, the Earl turned a
face suddenly grave and earnest on his young captain of the guard.

"What think you," he said, "was this appearance real?"

"Real enough to leave these upon the floor," answered Sholto, pointing
to sundry gouts and drops of blood upon the turret stairs.

The Earl took the lamp from his hand and earnestly scrutinised each
step in a downward direction. The spots ran irregularly as if the
wounded beast had shaken his head from side to side as he ran. They
turned along towards the corridor where at the first alarm Sholto had
found the Earl, and in the very midst of it abruptly stopped. While
Sholto and William Douglas were examining the floor, they both looked
over their shoulders, uneasily conscious of a regard upon them, as if
some one, unseen himself, had been looking down from behind.

"Do you place your men as I told you," said the Earl, abruptly, "and
bring me a truckle bed out of the guardroom. I shall remain in this
closet till morning. But do you keep a special lookout on the floor
above, that the repose of my sister and her friend be not again
disturbed."

Sholto bowed without speech, and hastening down to the guardroom he
commanded two of his best bowmen to follow him with their apparatus,
while he himself snatched up the low truckle couch which custom
assigned to the captain of the guard should he desire to rest himself
during the night, and on which Landless Jock had always passed the
majority of his hours of duty. This he carried to the Earl, and
placing it in the angle he saw his youthful master stretch himself
upon it, wrapped in his cloak and with a naked sword ready to his
hand.

"A good and undisturbed slumber to you, my lord," said Sholto, curtly,
as he went out.

He saw that his two men were duly posted upon the lower landing of the
stair, and then betook himself to the upper floor where slept the
little Maid of Galloway.

He walked slowly to the end of the passage scrutinising every recess
and closet door, every garde-robe and wall press from which it was
p