"I should like to oblige you, madam," said the officer, "but my orders admit of no discretion. As you are, you must be delivered to the Commandant at once." "Very well, then. I will give you my word," said I, "if you will allow me to ride quietly by your side, to make no effort to escape your custody." "Your word!" said the officer. "The word of one Carthew, a traitor?" "The word of Lady Katharine Clanranald, daughter of the Earl of Clanranald, carrying messages from His Majesty, the King, to Governor Ramesay and Lord Chief Justice Forfair," I answered quite calmly. The officer stared. "So that's the solution of the mystery," he exclaimed. "Very well, madam, I accept your word. If you will wait here a moment until my horse is saddled, we will proceed." His trust in my honour touched me. In a short time, his horse was brought around. He spoke to a squad of cavalry, and I riding by his side, we cantered through the streets and up toward the castle. General Ramesay and Sir Alexander Forfair were closeted together. So soon as the officer declared who was the prisoner he brought, I was instantly admitted. It was the same chamber, I afterwards learned, in which Sir Hugh had submitted to the questioning. The two gentlemen were alone. The officer was dismissed. I was courteously invited to a seat and the questioning began. "You are, I take it," said Sir Alexander, "Lady Katharine Clanranald?" "I am, sir." "You stopped the King's messenger on the King's Highway a fortnight ago?" "I did, sir." "You robbed him of the royal warrant for the execution of your father. This warrant was destroyed." "I cannot deny it." "Afterward by cajolery, or bribery, or whatever female arts or influence you possess, you suborned an honest soldier, you won him away from his duty, you made him a traitor to his King, and faithless to his cause." "Sir," said I, "if to be touched by the misfortunes of a daughter who risked life and reputation to save her father, especially when the warrant had been destroyed before he reached me; and if to extend compassion to a woman wounded, helpless, and at his mercy be to fail in his duty, to betray his trust, to be a traitor to his King, then I suppose that I cannot deny the charge against Sir Hugh." "Do you deny, madam," asked the Chief Justice sternly, "that it was all arranged between you; that the scheme was concocted in the inn, that you and he connived together by superficial wounds, perhaps self-inflicted, to give your own interpretation to the facts?" Oh, how fierce was his look at poor me! "On my solemn word, sir, as my father's daughter, I do deny that. I did deliberately rob Sir Hugh Richmond, but without his knowledge beforehand. We had met in friendly converse the night before and had conceived a mutual regard for each other." General Ramesay smiled, and even a flicker of humour appeared on the face of Sir Alexander. I resented it hotly.