And soon the landlord himself entered, bearing a tray on which was arranged a choice bill of fare, the principal item of which was a roasted pheasant.

The duke who had scarcely tasted food during the twenty-four hours of his terrible anxiety, now that his anxiety was relieved, felt his appetite return, demanding refreshment at the rate of compound interest.

He sat down to the table.  The landlord waited on him.

The honest host of the Arondelle Arms was “dying,” so to speak, for a confidential conversation with his noble guest.  For some little time his respect for the Duke of Hereward held his curiosity in check; but at length curiosity conquered respect, and he burst forth with: 

“That wad be an unco impudent claim, the hizzie Rose Cameron tried to set up agin your grace, as I hear all the folk say out by—­the jaud maunn be clear daft.”

“It would be charitable to suppose that she is ‘daft,’ as you call it, landlord.  It would be well if a jury could be persuaded to think so, as, in that case, it would save her from the penalty of perjury.  But we will speak no more of the poor girl.  Take away the service, if you please,” said the duke, quietly.

The landlord, balked of his desire to gossip, bowed, and cleared the table.

It was not yet nine o’clock.  There were more than three hours to be passed before the express-train for London would reach Lone.

The duke, refreshed by his supper, felt no sense of weariness, no disposition to lie down and sleep away the three remaining hours of his stay.  His mind was in too excited a condition to think of sleep.  Neither could he read.

So, soon after he was left alone by the landlord, he arose and sauntered out through the private entrance into the night air.

The streets of the village were very quiet, for the reason that on this night the men were all collected at the Arondelle Arms, discussing the events of the day; and at this hour the women were all sure to be in their houses, putting their children to bed, setting bread to rise, or “garring th’ auld claithes luke amaist as guid as the new.”

The hamlet was very still under the starlit sky.

The Arondelle Arms, lighted up and musical, was the only noisy spot about it.

The mountains stood, grand and silent, like gigantic sentinels around it.

The lake, the island, and the castle of Lone lay beneath it.

A sudden impulse seized the duke to cross the bridge, and re-visit once more the home of his youth, the scene of his family’s disaster, the stage of that frightful tragedy which had shocked the civilized world.

He went down to the beach, and stepped upon the bridge.  Now, no floral wedding decorations wreathed the arches.  All was bare and bleak beneath the last October sky.

He crossed the bridge and entered on the grounds of the castle.  All here was sear under the late autumnal frosts.  He did not approach the castle walls.  He would not disturb the servants at this hour.  He walked about the grounds until he heard the clock in Malcolm’s Old Tower strike ten.  Then he turned his steps toward the hamlet.