creaked stealthily on its hinges, and the former voice again whispered sharply,

'Beware o' Richmond the Spy!'

'Gude save us, wha's that?' asked Campbell.

'It is some cursed fool!' said Richmond, rising like the Spirit of Vengeance; but I'll follow him this time, though I should chase him to'

Rushing from the room, and leaping to the bottom of the stair, he caught sight of a figure disappearing into the street, after which he himself disappeared.

Left to himself, Campbell burst into a ringing fit of laughter, in which he was immediately joined by Pate Fox, who walked into the room.

It was as if two mice had tricked the God Jupiter into a flaming passion, and sent him packing round Olympus.

CHAPTER XIV.

THREADS OF INCIDENT.

NEXT day-that is, the 22d February 1817Pate Fox began early in the morning to twist a web, and as he twisted he hummed a tune, or chuckled merrily to himself, as if recollecting some bit of hu

mour or clever trick like that which he had played upon Richmond the night before.

Makane and Campbell sat at their looms weaving busily, if not merrily. Both were more thoughtful than usual; for they had each resolved that the meeting which was to be held that night would be the last they would attend, supposing the meetings were to continue, which was at least doubtful.

Bob Lintie happened to be out of a web at this time; but he was not out of tune; for during the most of that day he sat at home with four companions-his wife, his daughter, his fiddle, and his flute-trying to beat some music out of his brain for a song which his friend Sandy Rodger the poet had recently composed.

Alan Dalziel sat disconsolate at Millheugh-his mind sadly clouded with grief and consternation. The death of the man whom he had all along loved and regarded as his father was itself a severe blow; but taken in connection with the death-bed confession, it was almost too hard for the young man to bear. Lewis Dundas remained, and took upon himself the responsibility of the funeral arrangements. Alan and his mother (so-called) were much together. during the day, and mingled with many sobs and tears, he heard from her lips the story of his own advent in Millheugh nearly twenty years before.

Mr. Dundas had contrived to send down to Glas

gow news of the death of Alan's father; but in the note, which was addressed to Miss Walkingshaw, he gave a brief account of Alex Dalziel's confession, requesting her, however, not to confide it to Christine in the mean time. But the single fact of the death was sufficient of itself to melt the heart of the tender girl. The relation of affection and love in which she and Alan stood to each other, made her feel the blow almost as keenly as if her own father had died. It chanced opportunely that on the day at which our story has arrived, Christine received a visit from May Lintie, to whom she could more readily and completely unbosom her sorrow than to Miss Walkingshaw. Beautiful it was to see these two fair creatures folded breast to breast, in the sweetness of perfect affection and sympathy, though their usually radiant faces were somewhat pale, as if a pair of red rosebuds had become white lilybuds under the shadow of death's passing wing.

Richmond had recovered his equanimity. The wild-goose chase upon which Pate Fox had sent him the night previous, had frightfully discomposed him; but having cooled his temper by taking a longish walk in the western part of the city, he crept to the house of Mr. Reddie, and had another conference with Mr. Finlay and the town-clerk. They showed him the report which had been received that morning of the secret committee of the House of Lords;

and his opinion, that its publication would have considerable effect in damping the spirit of the secret societies, agreeing with their own impression, highly gratified them, which helped to raise his own spirits. Richmond's own report was considered the most satisfactory that he had yet made; the more so as he appended to it the prophecy, that, in a single day more, they would be furnished with proof that the experiments in treason, at which the authorities were shaking in their shoes, had disappeared in smoke. Mr. Finlay and his companion seemed to become infected with Richmond's confidence, and they looked as if their labour in connection with this peculiar affair was already accomplished.

A few days before this, Lord Sidmouth, as Home Secretary, had received a communication from Mr. Finlay at Glasgow, which appeared to be so serious, that his lordship, as in duty bound, took counsel regarding it with other members of the Cabinet, and particularly with Lords Liverpool and Castlereagh. The attention of these three ministers was concentrated upon a small document, the principal enclosure in the Glasgow packet, which elicited various expressions of concern, and the more they handled and studied it, produced in them feelings of decision and determination.

In the first place, my lords,' said Liverpool mildly, ‘is there any doubt as to the authenticity

of this oath, or regarding the fact of its administration ?'

'Not the smallest doubt of either, my lord,' Sidmouth replied. The evidence on both heads supplied by Mr. Finlay, the member for Glasgow, is ample and conclusive.'

'Then what are the authorities doing in a matter so unusually serious?'

'From Mr. Finlay's account,' answered Sidmouth, smiling in faint derision, they are endeavouring to dismember the secret associations by genial and peaceful means.'

6 But how?'

'If I understand these papers,' said Castlereagh, 'the authorities have employed a person who shall perform the office of schoolmaster to the plotters, teach them the evil of their ways, pat them on the head, and bid them return to their looms and be good boys for the future.'

The ministers smiled at Castlereagh's irony.

'The schoolmaster has always been a great personage in Scotland. Is he succeeding in this case?' 'All that can be said,' replied Sidmouth, is that there is hope he may succeed.'

'And in the mean time,' said Castlereagh, 'before hope can ripen into fact, these fine scholars will probably break into open mutiny, murder the schoolmaster, and set fire to the school."