I was a tried and veteran soldier, a seasoned man of the world, yet the passion that I had so suddenly developed for this splendid woman might have amazed even me, had I been capable of considering it from any point of detachment. I had met with many women in my life, some good and some bad,--the latter, I am afraid, predominating; and I had been drawn in touch with all classes from the peasant to the great dame of the court, but I had never seen anybody who united in her own proper person so many, or I believe I may say all, of the qualities I loved in woman as Katharine Clanranald. Not only her beauty, which was incomparable and unsurpassable, but her wit, her bravery, her address, her--but the reader who has read her story, even though she so modestly told it herself, knoweth all this as well as I. Do you wonder that I felt reckless, friend, who read this rougher and blunter chronicle of mine, or that I came to instant and desperate resolution there on the shore? The King basely, treacherously, but perhaps as monarchs went in those days, not unroyally, had taken my wife; I would take her back, I swore. I would pluck that coward fox from his very throne and, if I found a hair of her head had been injured, his life should pay for it, if I were to be hung, drawn, and quartered the next moment. I took a solemn oath to it by the Living God, as I stood there on the bluff. It all happened this way. We were married in the morning, there was naught to keep us in Scotland, where Master Dunner--a gentleman, truly, even if an advocate--with Master Abadie's assistance, to whom I was much indebted, foreseeing the turn of affairs, had everything in readiness, every resource that the Earl could reasonably come at instantly available. The quicker we escaped from the reach of so uncertain a monarch as James II., the better. All men knew him well enough, but I knew him best of all, for I had served long in his Guards, so we planned instant departure. By good fortune we found a stout ship was sailing from Cockenzie for the Low Countries that very night. It was necessary to ride thither to take passage upon her. Master Dunner cast his fortunes in with those of his patron and kinsman, the Earl, and had elected to go with us. As we were proscribed people and found not many clamouring for service with us, we chose to go as we were, without servants or further tendance than what we ourselves could easily furnish each to the other. My wife laughingly pointed out that I could appropriately play lady's-maid to her since she had played soldier laddie to me, and though my blunt fingers were better fitted to pistol butt and sword grip, I had no doubt that I could pass a lashing for her stays or join together a hook and eye, if main strength and determination and good will were necessary qualifications.