"You took advantage of a girl's soft heart to put her in a position that was indefensible," I told him with bitter bluntness. "Save this of throwing yourself on her mercy there was no other way of approaching her. Of the wisdom of the serpent you have no lack. I congratulate you, Sir Robert. But one may be permitted to doubt the manliness of such a course." The pipers struck up a song that was the vogue among our party, and a young man passed the entrance of the room singing it. "Oh, it's owre the border awa', awa', It's owre the border awa', awa', We'll on an' we'll march to Carlisle Ha', Wi' its yetts, its castles, an' a', an' a'." The audacious villain parodied it on the spot, substituting two lines of his own for the last ones. "You'll on an' you'll march to Carlisle Ha', To be hanged and quartered an' a', an' a'," he hummed softly in his clipped English tongue. "Pity you won't live to see it," I retorted tartly. "You're still nursing that maggot, are you? Debating with yourself about giving me up, eh? Well that's a matter you must settle with your conscience, if you indulge in the luxury of one." "You would never give him up, Kenneth," said Aileen in a low voice. "Surely you would not be doing that." "I shall not let him stay here. You may be sure of that," I said doggedly. The girl ventured a suggestion timidly. "Perhaps Sir Robert will be leaving to-morrow--for London mayhap." Volney shook his head decisively. "Not I. Why, I have but just arrived. Besides, here is a problem in ethics for Mr. Montagu to solve. Strength comes through conflict, so the schools teach. Far be it from me to remove the cause of doubt. Let him solve his problem for himself, egad!" He seemed to find a feline pleasure in seeing how far he could taunt me to go. He held me on the knife-edge of irritation, and perillous as was the experiment he enjoyed seeing whether he could not drive me to give him up. "Miss Macleod's solution falls pat. Better leave to-morrow, Sir Robert. To stay is dangerous." "'Tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to drink; but I tell you, my lord fool, 'out of this nettle danger, we pluck this flower safety,'" he quoted. "I see you always have your tag of Shakespeare ready; then let me remind you what he has to say about the better part of valour," I flung back, for once alert in riposte. "A hit, and from the same play," he laughed. "But a retreat-- 'Tis not to be thought of. No, no, Montagu! And it must be you'll just have to give me up." "Oh, you harp on that! You may say it once too often. I shall find a way to get rid of you," I answered blackly. "Let me find it for you, lad," said a voice from the doorway. We turned, to find that Donald Roy had joined the party. He must have been standing there unobserved long enough to understand my dilemma, for he shot straight to the mark.