“I meant—­I meant,” said the man, hesitating, “that I would let the preparations for the wedding go on to the very altar, and then before the altar I would reject the bride!  I had heard something about her.”

“Ah!  I thought ye did it a’ for spite!”

“But Rose, I never thought you were such an utter coward as I have found you out to be to-day!” said the man reproachfully.

“Ay’ I can staund muckle; but I canna staund murder!”

“It is not even certain that there has been any murder committed.  The coroner’s jury have not yet brought in their verdict.  Many people think that the old man fell dead with a sudden attack of heart-disease, and in falling, struck his head upon the top of that bronze statuette, which was found lying by him.”

“Ay! and that wad be likely eneuch! for na robber wou’d gae to kill a man wi’ siccan a weepon as that,” said Rose, who had begun to recover her composure.

Then the man began to question her in his turn: 

“You brought the satchel safely?”

“Ay, I brought it safely.”

“Where is it?”

“Lock the door and I’ll get it.”

The man locked the door.  While his back was turned, Rose jumped out of bed and slipped on a dressing-gown.  Then she put her hand in between the mattresses and drew out the bag.

“Have you examined its contents?” inquired the man.

“Na, I hanna opened it once,” replied the girl, unhesitatingly telling a falsehood.

“Oh! then I have a surprise for you.  Sir Lemuel Levison was my banker.  He had my money, and also my jewels, in his charge.  He delivered them to me last night a few minutes before I brought them out and gave them to you.  You know I wished you to take them to London because—­I meant to reject Miss Levison at the altar, and after that, of course, I could not return to the castle for anything.  Don’t you see?”

“Ay, I see!  But stap! stap!  Noo you mind me about the bag.  When you brought out the bag that night, I heard you and a man talking.  You said to the man, ‘You hae brocht the curse o’ Cain upon me.’  Noo, an ye had naething to do wi’ the murder, what did ye mean by that?”

The man’s face grew very dark.  “She cross-questions me,” he muttered to himself.  Then controlling his emotions, he affected to laugh, and said: 

“How you do twist and turn things, Rose!  One would think you were interested in convicting me.  But I had rather think that you are a little cracked on this subject.  I never used the words you think you heard.  The servant had brought me the wrong walking-stick, one that was too short for me, and so I said, ‘You have brought that cursed cane to me.’”

“Ou, that indeed!” said the credulous girl, “But what did he mean when he said, ’It could na be helpit.  The auld man squealed?’”

“I don’t know what he meant, nor do I know whether he used those words.  Probably he did not; and you mistook him as you have mistaken me.  But I am really tired of being so cross-questioned, Rose.  Look me in the face, and tell me whether you really believe me to be guilty or not?” he said, in his most frank and persuasive manner.