The chief of the Macnabs in Glasgow.' 'The fact is,' added Richmond, with a faint gleam of humour in his eye, 'poverty is the mother of civilisation.' The mither o' cevilisation!' exclaimed Jock, looking down at his windowed raggedness; 'it's mair the mither o' murder! and, by my faith!' he continued, flashing out daggers, if the sons o' poverty were as cauld-bluided as some rich folk I ken, there wad be a big grave needed some o' thae days!' 'Come now, John, no more of that. I have cured you of such folly, I hope.' 6 O, it's easy for sugar to be sweet; but it's hard to be puir, and no be sour.' Patience and good policy are sweeter than sugar; and a good name is better than riches.' 6 The words are Solomon's, but the tongue is Sandy Richmond's.' 'But the good will be John Makane's, if he keeps his promise, and walks in the way of welldoing.' 'That's what I'm no a'thegether sure about. Wi' Royalty rotten at the core, and a Government tyrannical and corrupt, I hae nae hope o' reform or justice without force.' Neither have I, John. But there are different kinds of force; and I believe there are forces now at work which will at last compel the concession of all you desire, without requiring you to fire a shot or thrust a pike.' 'I canna see't.' 'You take my word for it. Your present schemes, if continued, would only keep back the glorious day, without doing good to you. We have both the same cause at heart. Only help to stop this madness, and you will remember it as the best act ever you did for the good of the people and the people's cause.' 'Weel, I hae gi'en you my promise.' They parted; Jock's pocket one half-crown heavier, and Richmond with the strong hope-something less than certainty that the wild-thoughted conspirator would keep his promise, desert his friends, and thereby help to dismember the confederacy. Of one thing Richmond was sure. Whatever Makane might henceforth do, he could never, the spy thought, hold the same active relations with his club friends that he had hitherto held. In this he was so far right that Jock actually began to have a new feeling in reference to his friends. The ideas which Richmond, by continual reiteration, endeavoured to impress upon his mind, although received vaguely and confusedly, did nevertheless convey a modicum of genuine light, which gave Makane some notion of intellectual superiority. No doubt the effect of the new light was fitful; but the light was there, rankling in his mind like an undefined disease; and the more it acted upon the strong egotism of the man, it tended the more to produce those feelings which have from the beginning of time dismembered families, governments, and empires. CHAPTER XIII. A NIGHT OF FEARS. BUT if Richmond was uncertain about Makane, he had no doubt whatever that Campbell would serve his purpose thoroughly and effectively. Campbell's influence in the confederacy was deeper and more genuine, and the sudden withdrawal of his personal support and countenance would be like removing the copestone of an arch: the structure would collapse and fall to ruin. Thus mentally argued Richmond early on the evening of the 21st February, as he slowly returned from visiting some acquaintances in Cambuslang and Rutherglen. This was one of a series of visits which he was just then in process of making through the towns and villages round Glasgow. Apparently these were either friendly calls, or he was endeavouring to do a little business in some line of agency. But it curiously and invariably occurred during these visits. that all the exciting topics of the day seemed to thrust themselves into the conversation. Perhaps there was nothing in this; for, quite naturally, the questions that in any age glimmer, so to speak, on the tips of men's tongues, cannot remain still or silent, but will flame into speech at the least spark of suggestion. Richmond thus contrived to increase and freshen his acquaintance with the prevailing tone of sentiment on social and political matters among the operative classes. This was the more efficiently done, as he took particular pains to bring himself into contact with the leading spirits of the towns he visited. One feature in his character ought to be specially remembered, the ignorance of which has led to a vast amount of misapprehension regarding him. He was all things to all men. He went in with the current of their sentiments, in order the more definitely and completely to elict their inmost thoughts. For instance, at Paisley, in a conversation he chimed in with the narrow, sharp, needle-pointed dogmatism of Pinkie, who would have skewered the enemies of the popular cause without remorse, and hung them up as housewives hang up herrings on a spit. Pinkie imagined that Richmond would have done the same; but the spy only laughed in his sleeve at Pinkie. In talking at Pollokshaws with Walter Cranston, Richmond assumed a cautious and judicious tone, be cause Walter had the repute of being a man of wisdom. With old James Wilson of Strathaven he was historic and gravely patriotic. On the other hand, when speaking with John Baird of Condorrat, Richmond was all hope, enthusiasm, and impetuosity. He was equally so with Andrew Hardie, whom he encountered once or twice in a friend's house in Dukestreet. With men like Cowie of Kirkintilloch, Ferguson of Cambuslang-known better as 'Radical Tam' — Makane, Campbell, and others of the Glasgow group of Radical reformers, Richmond was as shrewdly adaptive and accommodating. All these men saw him at first through the most confiding spectacles, and imagined that he was wonderfully like themselves, which he really was, for the moment. In fact, Richmond was the political chameleon of his time, willing to please all men, if only he could pluck out the heart of their mystery, without revealing himself. He moved mentally in a larger orbit than those with whom he usually mingled. His weakness lay in dreaming that there was no wider circle of understanding than his own. Men like Mr. Finlay and Mr. Reddie, however, knew better, and could quietly smile upon Richmond acting the part of Providence in a drama, the full scope of which, with all his knowledge and natural cunning, he could but vaguely comprehend. It was perhaps the force of natural antagonism, |