“In such times of insubordination as these, my lord,” said Mr Cairns, “when every cadger thinks himself as good as an earl, it is more than desirable that not a single foothold should be lost. There _must_ be a general election soon, my lord. Besides, these men abuse your lordship’s late hospitality, declaring it has had the worst possible influence on the morals of the people.” A shadow of truth rendered this assertion the worse misrepresentation: no blame to the marquis had even been hinted at; the speakers had only animadverted on the fishermen who had got drunk on the occasion. “Still,” said the marquis, smiling, for the reported libel did not wound him very deeply, “what ground of right have I to interfere?” “The shore is your property, my lord--every rock and every buckie (_spiral shell_) upon it; the caves are your own--every stone and pebble of them: you can prohibit all such assemblies.” “And what good would that do? They would only curse me, and go somewhere else.” “Where could they go, where the same law wouldn’t hold, my lord? The coast is yours for miles and miles on both sides.” “I don’t know that it should be.” “Why not, my lord? It has belonged to your family from time immemorial, and will belong to it, I trust, while the moon endureth.” “They used to say,” said the marquis thoughtfully, as if he were recalling something he had heard long ago, “that the earth was the Lord’s.” “This part of it is Lord Lossie’s,” said Mr Cairns, combining the jocular with the complimentary in one irreverence; but, as if to atone for the freedom he had taken--“The Deity has committed it to the great ones of the earth to rule for him,” he added, with a devout obeisance to the delegate. Lord Lossie laughed inwardly. “You can even turn them out of their houses, if you please, my lord,” he superadded. “God forbid!” said the marquis. “A threat--the merest hint of such a measure is all that would be necessary.” “But are you certain of the truth of these accusations?” “My lord!” “Of course you believe them, or you would not repeat them, but it does not follow that they are fact.” “They are matter of common report, my lord. What I have stated is in every one’s mouth.” “But you have not yourself heard any of their sermons, or what do they call them?” “No, my lord,” said Mr Cairns, holding up his white hands in repudiation of the idea; “it would scarcely accord with my position to act the spy.” “So, to keep yourself immaculate, you take all against them for granted! I have no such scruples, however. I will go and see, or rather hear, what they are about: after that I shall be in a position to judge.” “Your lordship’s presence will put them on their guard.” “If the mere sight of me is a check,” returned the marquis, “extreme measures will hardly be necessary.”