it over he saw that it might well be so.  There was indeed ample time for her to have made the journey two or three times while he had been lying in prison at Port Patrick awaiting a ship.  She would be sure, when the news reached her of his capture, that he would be taken to Edward at Carlisle, and that he would be either executed there or at Berwick.  It was then by no means impossible, strange and wondrous as it appeared to him, that Marjory should be in Berwick.

She was attired in the garment of a peasant woman of the better class, such as the wife of a small crofter or farmer, and remembering how she had saved his life before at Dunstaffnage, Archie felt that she had come hither to try to rescue him.

Archie’s heart beat with delight and his eyes filled with tears at the devotion and courage of Marjory, and for the first time since he had been hurried into the boat on the night of his capture a feeling of hope entered his breast.  Momentary as the glance had been which he had obtained of the face of Marjory’s companion, Archie had perceived that it was in some way familiar to him.  In vain he recalled the features of the various servants at Aberfilly, and those of the wives and daughters of the retainers of the estate; he could not recognize the face of the woman accompanying Marjory as belonging to any of them.  His wife might, indeed, have brought with her some one from the estates at Ayr whom she had known from a child, but in that case Archie could not account for his knowledge of her.  This, however, did not occupy his mind many minutes; it was assuredly one whom Marjory trusted, and that was sufficient for him.  Then his thoughts turned wholly to his wife.

Any one who had noticed the prisoner’s demeanor for the last few days would have been struck with the change which had come over it.  Hitherto he had stood often for hours leaning motionless, with his arms crossed, in the corner of his cage, with head bent down and listless air, his thoughts only being busy; now he paced restlessly up and down his narrow limits, two steps each way and then a turn, like a caged beast; his hands were clenched, his breast heaved, his breath came fast, his head was thrown back, often he brushed his hand across his eyes, and rapid words came from his lips.

The sun sank.  An hour later a jailer brought his jug of water and piece of bread, and then, without a word, retired, leaving, as usual, the door into the cell open, but carefully locking and barring the inner door.  Archie had a longer walk now, from the front of the cage to the back of the cell, and for three hours he paced up and down.  Sometimes he paused and listened attentively.  The sounds in the town gradually died away and all became still, save that he could hear the calls of the warder on the battlement above him.  The night was a very dark one and he could scarcely make out the gleam of water in the moat below.