"He's been writing, seemingly," said the old Scot; "but he looked woondrous bad. But what ha'e we here, spillit a' ower the table-cover? Gude presairve us! if it isn't poother; and whaat would he be wanting with poother?" Sandy McCray's pondering was arrested by the sight of the dressing-case drawer partly opened; and pulling it out, and gazing within it for a few moments, he hurriedly closed it again, and hastened down-stairs, and out into the stable yard, where he was not long before he found Peter, his young lady's groom. Peter had coat and vest off, his braces tied round his waist, and his shirt sleeves rolled-up to the elbows, squaring away at a corn-sack stuffed full of hay, and stood up on a bin in the large stable. "One, two--one, two!" he kept on repeating; and, after a slight feint each time, he delivered a most tremendous blow, at the height of a man's face, right in the tightly-stuffed sack. "One, two, thud--one, two, thud!" went the blows, as the active little fellow sparred away, perspiring profusely the while, till he became aware of the old major-domo's presence, when he stopped short, abashed. "So ye're practising boxing, my lad, air ye? Gude-sake! gi'e up that, and lairne to wrastle and throw the caber and put the stane. But leuke here, my laddie: does it ever happen that my young leddy meets Mr Norton when she's oot? There--there, I dinna wush ye to betray ony one, laddie; but ye lo'e her weel, like we all do, and I hae a soospeeshun that a' isn't reet. Noo, I've been a gude friend to ye always, Peter, and eef there's iver been anything wrang, I've been like Sir Murray himsel' to all ye sairvants, and paid yer wage, and seen ye raised, and that no ane put upon ye; so now tell me, like a gude laddie, has there been any clishmaclaver with Maister Norton and my laird here?" Peter nodded shortly. "Gude lad; it's for the gude of all I ask ye, sae tell me all. Did they come to blows?" "Lordship hit Mr Norton with his whip," said Peter. "Weel, laddie?" said McCray, for the groom paused. "Mr Norton turns round like a shot; and `one, two'--that's the blow; and my lord goes over just like that sack--that's the cut, sir!" As he spoke, the groom rushed at the sack, and with one of his vigorous blows struck it right from the corn-bin to the ground. "Gude, lad--gude, lad, and weel planted!" said McCray. "But noo, keep yer ain counsel, and put on yer duds, and come wi' me." Then, slowly making his way from the stable, McCray muttered: "And that accoonts for the poother." Book 2, Chapter XVI. THE MEETING.