wildered look; it canna be wrang to expose the wrangdoer.'

'But I'm sure Mr. Reddie's no the wrangdoer.' 'No, I dinna mean that. It's Richmond, if it's onybody; and if ye could-there's a bell!'

'That's the maister's bell. Wait awee, and keep quiet; and Peggie tripped away to answer the sum

mons.

Mrs. Campbell rose from her seat and walked through the kitchen wildly, occasionally wringing her hands. There was a strange light in her eye; and it would have been difficult to say whether she was not at that moment in the incipient stages of insanity. Her troubles were making sad havoc with both body and mind. She went several times to the door by which Peggie had gone out, and listened intently; and at last she ventured half-way up the stair, but hearing a noise of feet, she returned quickly to the kitchen, sat down by the fire, and rocked her body as if in mental agony.

She would fain have played the spy upon the spy upstairs; but either courage failed her, or conscience shamed her from the attempt.

Almost immediately Peggie staggered into the kitchen, haggard as a ghost. The sight of her made Mrs. Campbell start to her feet, and exclaim : 'Gudesake, Peggy, what's wrang ?

white's death!'

Ye're as

41

'Nae wonner, Mary,' answered the girl, sinking into a seat. 'Ye wanted me to find out about the man ye followed here. I hae heard something; and if it was about Jamie and his freens, Gude hae mercy on them! It's grusome!' And Peggie shuddered, while her companion sank back into her seat, faint with fright, and hardly able to utter in a ghastly whisper,

What was't ye heard, Peggie ?'

'When I gaed up the stair to answer the bell,' said the girl, 'I slippet cannily ben the lobby to the maister's door-it was a wee thing agee; and afore I could open to gang in, I heard a voice saying, "It's enough to bring them all to the gallows.""

'Did ye hear ony mair?'

'No; but I'm thinking that's eneugh.'

'Owre muckle, owre muckle,' rejoined the poor woman excitedly. I dreided there was something no richt in that man's hunting and howking about Jamie-my very dreams tauld me o't; and whiles, in the dark middle o' the nicht, I hear a warning voice-'

Hoots, Mary, ye maunna speak that way,' said Peggie, with a faint shiver of fear; maybe what I heard has naething to do wi' Jamie ava.'

Mrs. Campbell shook her head dolefully, apparently suffering greater mental distress from this evident confirmation of her worst suspicions.

The world seemed all bleak, and all against her; and she crept home under a deeper shadow than that of night.

CHAPTER V.

REPORTING PROGRESS.

RICHMOND found Mr. Finlay and Mr. Reddie already waiting his coming, both anxiously discussing a mass of evidence which had been accumulated by the other agents of the authorities. That evidence was, for the most part, a series of distortions, lies, and horror-head rumours. The two gentlemen, however, although capable enough of discerning the general worthlessness of many of the reports that lay before them, were yet sufficiently impressed by them to think that some vital points in the series might be true.

These reports were laid before Richmond, who, after examination, valued them at a very small coin. He spoke of them with contempt. This method did not quite please Messrs. Finlay and Reddie; for highly as these gentlemen were inclined to value the services of the spy, they thought it not improbable that men of lesser ability than himself might pick

up an important fact which had not come within the range of his operations. They deemed it, at all events, impolitic to sneer at even the symptoms of information regarding subjects so serious as treason and the peace of the city, and they somewhat resented Richmond's manner.

But the spy had his card to play, and he silenced his two critics by flinging down before them the copy of the oath which he had stolen from Mackinlay.

Mr. Reddie read the document first, and being a lawyer, he saw at a glance its superior legal value as a piece of evidence. Mr. Finlay next read it, while Mr. Reddie rang the bell for a servant to replenish the fire; and the member of Parliament seemed so impressed with the character of the paper, that he exclaimed hotly,

'Why, it's enough to bring them all to the gallows!'

'Hush!' said Mr. Reddie, as Peggie entered to perform her office. When the servant had retired, the master of the house continued: 'I look upon that document as the most important and decisive piece of evidence which has yet come to light in the course of this investigation. If it is authentic, which I presume it is'

There is no doubt of it,' interposed the spy.

'In that case, it presents the confederacy in a deadlier light than ever.'

'And it affords ample grounds, I think,' remarked Mr. Finlay, for almost any amount of anxiety which the authorities feel on the subject.'

'Possibly,' said Richmond. The affair certainly looks black on the surface; and the oath lends to it an evil aspect in a political point of view. But as the present power of the organisation is not by a long way equal to its pretensions, there is less immediate cause for fear.'

'But it is the peculiarity of pretensions to acquire power, when they deal with ignorance, embittered by real suffering or imagined wrong. Besides, the power for evil of secret societies consists partly in the ignorance and unreadiness of authority. Now, here is the point. Taking that document as a proof of what these desperate men would do, what,' asked Mr. Finlay, looking at Richmond, have we done to destroy their opportunity or anticipate their movements?'

That is the question!' echoed the town-clerk emphatically.

'Well, gentlemen, the reply, so far as any can yet be given, is this. The authorities, as you know, have attempted to alleviate the distress, though, as I warned you, their efforts have produced no material effect in the most dangerous quarters. A spirit of antagonism is rampant among the operative classes; still, my investigations into the character and dimen