Allies. But the reason of this you may also learn
some day."

"Yours,"
"BONAVENTURE DE LISSAC"
"(Colonel des Voltigeurs de la Garde, et
aide-de-camp de S.M.I. L'Empereur Napoleon.")

I whistled when I came to those words written under his name; for though
I had long made up my mind that our lodger could be none other than one
of those wonderful soldiers of whom we had heard so much, who had forced
their way into every capital of Europe, save only our own, still I had
little thought that our roof covered Napoleon's own aide-de-camp and a
colonel of his Guard.

"So," said I, "de Lissac is his name, and not de Lapp. Well, colonel or
no, it is as well for him that he got away from here before Jim laid
hands upon him. And time enough, too," I added, peeping out at the
kitchen window, "for here is the man himself coming through the garden."

I ran to the door to meet him, feeling that I would have given a deal to
have him back in Edinburgh again. He came running, waving a paper over
his head; and I thought that maybe he had a note from Edie, and that it
was all known to him. But as he came up I saw that it was a big, stiff,
yellow paper which crackled as he waved it, and that his eyes were
dancing with happiness.

"Hurrah, Jock!" he shouted. "Where is Edie? Where is Edie?"

"What is it, man?" I asked.

"Where is Edie?"

"What have you there?"

"It's my diploma, Jock. I can practise when I like. It's all right.
I want to show it to Edie."

"The best you can do is to forget all about Edie," said I.

Never have I seen a man's face change as his did when I said those
words.

"What! What d'ye mean, Jock Calder?" he stammered.

He let go his hold of the precious diploma as he spoke, and away it went
over the hedge and across the moor, where it stuck flapping on a
whin-bush; but he never so much as glanced at it. His eyes were bent
upon me, and I saw the devil's spark glimmer up in the depths of them.

"She is not worthy of you," said I.

He gripped me by the shoulder.

"What have you done?" he whispered. "This is some of your
hanky-panky! Where is she?"

"She's off with that Frenchman who lodged here."

I had been casting about in my mind how I could break it gently to him;
but I was always backward in speech, and I could think of nothing better
than this.

"Oh!" said he, and stood nodding his head and looking at me, though I
knew very well that he could neith