“I will tell you first of all, Mr. Balfour of Shaws, as one friend to another,” said Alan, “that if I were going to kill a gentleman, it would not be in my own country, to bring trouble on my clan; and I would not go wanting sword and gun, and with a long fishing-rod upon my back.” “Well,” said I, “that’s true!” “And now,” continued Alan, taking out his dirk and laying his hand upon it in a certain manner, “I swear upon the Holy Iron I had neither art nor part, act nor thought in it.” “I thank God for that!” cried I, and offered him my hand. He did not appear to see it. “And here is a great deal of work about a Campbell!” said he. “They are not so scarce, that I ken!” “At least,” said I, “you cannot justly blame me, for you know very well what you told me in the brig. But the temptation and the act are different, I thank God again for that. We may all be tempted; but to take a life in cold blood, Alan!” And I could say no more for the moment. “And do you know who did it?” I added. “Do you know that man in the black coat?” “I have nae clear mind about his coat,” said Alan cunningly, “but it sticks in my head that it was blue.” “Blue or black, did ye know him?” said I. “I couldnae just conscientiously swear to him,” says Alan. “He gaed very close by me, to be sure, but it’s a strange thing that I should just have been tying my brogues.” “Can you swear that you don’t know him, Alan?” I cried, half angered, half in a mind to laugh at his evasions. “Not yet,” says he; “but I’ve a grand memory for forgetting, David.” “And yet there was one thing I saw clearly,” said I; “and that was, that you exposed yourself and me to draw the soldiers.” “It’s very likely,” said Alan; “and so would any gentleman. You and me were innocent of that transaction.” “The better reason, since we were falsely suspected, that we should get clear,” I cried. “The innocent should surely come before the guilty.” “Why, David,” said he, “the innocent have aye a chance to get assoiled in court; but for the lad that shot the bullet, I think the best place for him will be the heather. Them that havenae dipped their hands in any little difficulty, should be very mindful of the case of them that have. And that is the good Christianity. For if it was the other way round about, and the lad whom I couldnae just clearly see had been in our shoes, and we in his (as might very well have been), I think we would be a good deal obliged to him oursel’s if he would draw the soldiers.” When it came to this, I gave Alan up. But he looked so innocent all the time, and was in such clear good faith in what he said, and so ready to sacrifice himself for what he deemed his duty, that my mouth was closed. Mr. Henderland’s words came back to me: that we ourselves might take a lesson by these wild Highlanders. Well, here I had taken mine. Alan’s morals were all tail-first; but he was ready to give his life for them, such as they were.