‘I also have much confidence in him, and I sincerely love him,’ said Mr. Macrae, to the delight of Logan.  He then paced silently up and down in deep thought.  ’You say that your scheme involves you in no personal danger?’ he asked.

’In none, or only in such as men encounter daily in several professions.  Merton and I like it.’

‘And you will not suffer in character if you fail?’

’Certainly not in character; no gentleman of my coat ever entered on enterprise so free from moral blame,’ said Logan, ’since my ancestor and namesake, Sir Robert, fell at the side of the good Lord James of Douglas, above the Heart of Bruce.’

He thrilled and changed colour as he spoke.

’Yet it would not do for me to be known to be connected with the enterprise?’ asked Mr. Macrae.

’Indeed it would not!  Your notorious opulence would arouse ideas in the public mind, ideas false, indeed, but fatally compromising.’

’I may not even subsidise the affair—­put a million to Mr. Merton’s account?’

’In no sort!  Afterwards, after he succeeds, then I don’t say, if Merton will consent; but that is highly improbable.  I know my friend.’

Mr. Macrae sighed deeply and remained pensive.  ‘Well,’ he answered at last, ‘I accept your very gallant and generous proposal.’

‘I am overjoyed!’ said Logan.  He had never been in such a big thing before.

‘I shall order my two best horses to be saddled after breakfast,’ said Mr. Macrae.  ‘You will bait at Inchnadampf.’

‘Here is my address; this will always find me,’ said Logan, writing rapidly on a leaf of his note-book.

’You will wire all news of your negotiations with the pirates to me, by the new wireless machine, when Giambresi brings it, and his firm in town will telegraph it on to me, at the address I gave you, in cypher.  To save time, we must use a book cypher, we can settle it in the house in ten minutes,’ said Logan, now entirely in his element.

They chose The Bonnie Brier Bush, by Mr. Ian Maclaren—­a work too popular to excite suspicion; and arranged the method of secret correspondence with great rapidity.  Logan then rushed up to Merton’s room, hastily communicated the scheme to him, and overcame his objections, nay, awoke in him, by his report of Mr. Macrae’s words, the hopes of a lover.  They came down to breakfast, and arranged that their baggage should be sent after them as soon as communications were restored.

Merton contrived to have a brief interview with Lady Bude.  Her joyous spirit shone in her eyes.

‘I do not know what Lord Fastcastle’s plan is,’ she said, ’but I wish you good fortune.  You have won the father’s heart, and now I am about to be false to my sex’—­she whispered—­’the daughter’s is all but your own!  I can help you a little,’ she added, and, after warmly clasping both her hands in his, Merton hurried to the front of the house, where the horses stood, and sprang into the saddle.  No motors, no bicycles, no scientific vehicles to-day; the clean wind piped to him from the mountains; a good steed was between his thighs!  Logan mounted, after entrusting Bouncer to Lady Bude, and they galloped eastwards.