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"I had rather this than a thousand rix-dollars," said he, as I sat up and leaned on my arm. "Have they left us?" I asked, with no particular interest in the answer. It could work little difference whatever it might be. "I thought I saw one of them turn on me with a knife." "You did," said M'Iver.
M'Iver lifted me to my feet, and we stood a little to think what we should do. My own mind had no idea save the one that we were bound to keep in touch with the company whose prisoners we were, but M'Iver hinted at an alternative scarce so honest namely, a desertion and a detour to the left that would maybe lead us to the Campbell army before active hostilities began.
"The result," M'Iver hurried to exclaim, but putting out his breast with a touch of vanity, "of a private rencontre, an affair of my own with a Reay gentleman, and not to be laid to my credit as part of the war's scaith at all."
"A poor town indeed," admitted M'Iver, readily, "but it might be worse. It can be built anew. There's nothing in nature, from a pigsty to a name for valour and honour, that a wise man may not patch up somehow." MacLachlan's retort to this opening was on the tip of his tongue; but his haste made him surrender a taunt as likely to cause trouble.
With good judgment enough our captors put a small advance-guard ahead, a score of Airlie's troopers, swanky blaspheming persons, whose horses pranced very gaily up Glen Tarf, guided by John Lom. M'Iver and I walked together with the main body, quite free and unfettered, sometimes talking with affability to our captors.
In the chamber behind the window that Mac-Lachlan threw his peebles at, were his cousin and the child, as M'Iver speedily learned, and he trounced him from the neighbourhood with indignities. "What set you on the man?" I asked John when I came back after learning this. "What do you think?" said he.
"Perhaps not," said the cleric, drily; "but what if a general has only a sort of savage army at his call? The gentry of your clan " "What about MacCailein?" I asked, wondering that there was no word of the chief. "Go on with your story," said M'Iver, sharply, to the cleric.
You know what the story is, and your whole conduct in front of my charges shows you take the very lightest view of the whole horrible crime." "Say away, madame," said M'Iver, assuming an indifference his every feature gave the lie to. "I'm no better nor no worse than the rest of the world. That's all I'll say." "You have said enough for me, then," said the girl.
Being then in his tail, I dined with him and his friends the day before he died, and he spoke with exceeding cheerfulness of that hour M'Iver and I found him in bed in Inneraora. "You saw me at my worst," said he, "on two occasions; bide till to-morrow and you'll see me at my best I never unmasked to mortal man till that day Gordon put you out of my room."
"It's a simple question," said the Marquis; "am I to think it needs too straightforward an answer for John Splendid to give it?" "I'm as frank as my neighbours," said M'Iver. "Well, sir, do not check the current of my candour by any picking and choosing of words.
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