“‘A fine nicht for the time o’ year,’ I says to her, for nobody but the minister had spoken to me a’ day.

“‘A very fine nicht,’ says she, very frank, though she was breathing quick like as if she had been running, ’You’ll be police?’ says she.

“‘I am,’ says I, ‘and wha be you?’

“‘I’m just a puir gypsy lassie,’ she says.

“‘And what’s that in your hand?’ says I.

“‘It’s a horn I found in the wood,’ says she, ’but it’s rusty and winna blaw.’

“I laughed at her ignorance, and says I, ’I warrant I could blaw it,’

“‘I dinna believe you,’ says she.

“‘Gie me haud o’t,’ says I, and she gae it to me, and I blew some bonny blasts on’t.  Ay, you see she didna ken the way o’t.  ’Thank you kindly,’ says she, and she ran awa without even minding to take the horn back again.”

“You incredible idiot!” cried the sheriff.  “Then it was you who gave the alarm?”

“What hae I done to madden you?” honest Wearyworld asked in perplexity.

“Get out of my sight, sir!” roared the sheriff.

But the captain laughed.

“I like your doughty policeman, Riach,” he said.  “Hie, obliging friend, let us hear how this gypsy struck you.  How was she dressed?”

“She was snod, but no unca snod,” replied Weary. world, stiffly.

“I don’t understand you.”

“I mean she was couthie, but no sair in order.”

“What on earth is that?”

“Weel, a tasty stocky, but gey orra put on.”

“What language are you speaking, you enigma?”

“I’m saying she was naturally a bonny bit kimmer rather than happit up to the nines.”

“Oh, go away,” cried Halliwell; whereupon Weary-world descended the stair haughtily, declaring that the sheriff was an unreasonable man, and that he was a queer captain who did not understand the English language.

“Can I gae hame now, sheriff?” asked Langlands, hopefully.

“Take this fellow back to his cell,” Riach directed shortly, “and whatever else you do, see that you capture this woman.  Halliwell, I am going out to look for her myself.  Confound it, what are you laughing at?”

“At the way this vixen has slipped through your fingers.”

“Not quite that, sir, not quite that.  She is in Thrums still, and I swear I’ll have her before day breaks.  See to it, Halliwell, that if she is brought here in my absence she does not slip through your fingers.”

“If she is brought here,” said Halliwell, mocking him, “you must return and protect me.  It would be cruelty to leave a poor soldier in the hands of a woman of Thrums.”

“She is not a Thrums woman.  You have been told so a dozen times.”

“Then I am not afraid.”

In the round-room (which is oblong) there is a throne on which the bailie sits when he dispenses justice.  It is swathed in red cloths that give it the appearance of a pulpit.  Left to himself, Halliwell flung off his cloak and taking a chair near this dais rested his legs on the bare wooden table, one on each side of the lamp.  He was still in this position when the door opened, and two policemen thrust the Egyptian into the room.