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Amazed and confounded, he was about to descend, when he heard the lower door again open. But here a sudden instinct bade him pause, turn, and reascend to the upper landing. There he calmly relit his candle, and made his way down to the corridor that overlooked the central hall. The sound of suppressed voices–speaking with the exhausted pauses that come from spent excitement–made him cautious again, and he halted. It was the card party slowly passing from the billiard-room to the hall.

“Ye owe it yoursel’–to your wife–not to pit up with it a day longer,” said the subdued voice of Sir Alan. “Man! ye war in an ace o’ havin’ a braw scandal.”

“Could ye no’ get your wife to speak till her,” responded Macquoich, “to gie her a hint that she’s better awa’ out of this? Lady Deeside has some influence wi’ her.”

The consul ostentatiously dropped the extinguisher from his candlestick. The party looked up quickly. Their faces were still flushed and agitated, but a new restraint seemed to come upon them on seeing him.

“I thought I heard a row outside,” said the consul explanatorily.

They each looked at their host without speaking.

“Oh, ay,” said Macquoich, with simulated heartiness, “a bit fuss between the Kilcraithie and yon Frenchman; but they’re baith goin’ in the mornin’.”

“I thought I heard MacSpadden’s voice,” said the consul quietly.

There was a dead silence. Then Macquoich said hurriedly:–

“Is he no’ in his room–in bed–asleep,–man?”

“I really don’t know; I didn’t inquire,” said the consul with a slight yawn. “Good night!”

He turned, not without hearing them eagerly whispering again, and entered the passage leading to his own room. As he opened the door he was startled to find the subject of his inquiry–Jock MacSpadden–quietly seated in his armchair by his fire.

“Jock!”

“Don’t be alarmed, old man; I came up by that staircase and saw the door open, and guessed you’d be returning soon. But it seemed you went ROUND BY THE CORRIDOR,” he said, glancing curiously at the consul’s face. “Did you meet the crowd?”

“Yes, Jock! WHAT does it all mean?”

MacSpadden laughed. “It means that I was just in time to keep Kilbraithie from chucking Delfosse down that ravine; but they both scooted when they saw me. By Jove! I don’t know which was the most frightened.”

“But,” said the consul slowly, “what was it all about, Jock?”

“Some gallantry of that d—-d Frenchman, who’s trying to do some woman-stalking up here, and jealousy of Kilcraithie’s, who’s just got enough of his forbears’ blood in him to think nothing of sticking three inches of his dirk in the wame of the man that crosses him. But I say,” continued Jock, leaning easily back in his chair, “YOU ought to know something of all this. This room, old man, was used as a sort of rendezvous, having two outlets, don’t you see, when they couldn’t get at the summer-house below. By Jove! they both had it in turns–Kilcraithie and the Frenchman–until Lady Macquoich got wind of something, swept them out, and put YOU in it.”

The consul rose and approached his friend with a grave face. “Jock, I DO know something about it–more about it than any one thinks. You and I are old friends. Shall I tell you WHAT I know?”

Jock’s handsome face became a trifle paler, but his frank, clear eyes rested steadily on the consul’s.

“Go on!” he said.

“I know that this flower which I am wearing was the signal for the rendezvous this evening,” said the consul slowly, “and this paper,” taking it from his pocket, “contained the time of the meeting, written in the lady’s own hand. I know who she was, for I saw her face as plainly as I see yours now, by the light of the same fire; it was as pale, but not as frank as yours, old man. That is what I know. But I know also what people THINK they know, and for that reason I put that paper in YOUR hand. It is yours–your vindication–your REVENGE, if you choose. Do with it what you like.”

Jock, with unchanged features and undimmed eyes, took the paper from the consul’s hand, without looking at it.

“I may do with it what I like?” he repeated.

“Yes.”

He was about to drop it into the fire, but the consul stayed his hand.

“Are you not going to LOOK at the handwriting first?”

There was a moment of silence. Jock raised his eyes with a sudden flash of pride in them and said, “No!”

The friends stood side by side, grasping each other’s hands, as the burning paper leaped up the chimney in a vanishing flame.

“Do you think you have done quite right, Jock, in view of any scandal you may hear?”

“Quite! You see, old man, I know MY WIFE–but I don’t think that Deeside KNOWS HIS.”