ose who dare to say that one hair of their women is out
of its place. Who, then, would dare to say this or that about thy
granddaughter?"

"Rahal Ragnor could speak safely to me."

Then there was silence for a few moments and Rahal sat with her
doubled-up left hand against her lips, gazing out of the window.
Vedder did not disturb her. He waited patiently until she said:

"If I tell thee what was told me, wilt thou visit the story upon my
husband, or myself, or any of my children?"

Vedder took a signet ring from his finger and kissed it. "Rahal," he
said, "I have kissed this ring of my fathers to seal the promise I
shall make thee. If thou wilt give me thy confidence in this matter of
Sunna Vedder, it shall be for thy good, and for the good of thy
husband, and for the good of all thy children, as far as Adam Vedder
can make it so."

"I ask a special promise for my son Boris, for he is concerned in this
matter."

"Boris can take good care of Boris: nevertheless, I promise thee that
I will not say or look or do, with hands or tongue, anything that will
injure, or even annoy, Boris Ragnor. Unto the end of my life, I
promise this. What may come after, I know not. If there should be a
wrong done, we will fight it out elsewhere."

"Thy words are sufficient. Listen, then! There is a family, in the
newest and best part of the town, called McLeod. They are yet strange
here. They are Highland Scotch. Many say they are Roman Catholics.
They sing Jacobite songs, and they go not to any church. They have
opened a great trading route; and they have brought many new customs
and new ideas with them. A certain class of our people make much of
them; others are barely civil to them; the best of our citizens do not
notice them at all. But they have plenty of money, and live
extravagantly, and the garrison's officers are constantly seen there.
Do you know them?"

"I have heard of them."

"McLeod has a large trading fleet, and he has interfered with the
business of Boris in many ways."

"Hast thou ever seen him? Tell me what he is like."

"I have seen him many times. He is a complete Highlander; tall,
broad-shouldered and apparently very strong, also very graceful. He
has high cheekbones, and a red beard, but all talk about him, and many
think him altogether handsome."

"And thou? What dost thou think?"

"When I saw him, he was in earnest discussion with one of his men, and
he was not using English but sputtering a torrent