“I think I can give you a little comfort in that too--it’s not him in the first place, nor yet in the second. But he was there--and he was one of them, or supposed to be one of them. Mistress Ogilvy,” said the old gentleman, slowly and with emphasis, “we must be very merciful. A young lad gets mixed in with a set of these fellows--he has no thought what it’s going to lead to--then by the time he knows he’s so in with them, he has a false notion that his honour’s concerned. He thinks he would be a kind of a traitor if he deserted them,--and all the more when there’s danger concerned. I have some experience, as you will perhaps have heard,” he said, after a pause, with a break in his voice. “God help us all!” she said, putting out her hand, her eyes dim with tears. He took it and grasped it, his hand trembling too. “You may know by that I will do my very best for him,” he said, “as if he were my own.” Then resuming his business tones, “I would neither hide him nor put him forward, Mrs Ogilvy, if I were you. I would keep him at home as much as possible. And if the spirit moves him to come and tell me all about it---- Has he told you----?” “Something--about not being one to stand an examination even if he should get off, and about some man--some man that might come after him: but he will not explain. I said, Was it a man he had wronged? and he cried with a great No! that it was one that had wronged him.” “Ah! that’ll just be one of them: but let us hope none of these American ruffians will follow Robert here. No, no, that could not be; but, dear me, what a risk for you to run in that lonely house. I always said the Hewan was a bonnie little place, and I could understand your fancy for it, but very lonely, very lonely, Mrs Ogilvy. Lord bless us! if anything of that kind were to happen----! But no, no; across half the continent and the great Atlantic--and for what purpose? They would never follow him here.” “I have never been frighted of my house, Mr Somerville; and now there is my son Robbie in it, a strong man, bless him!--and Andrew the gardener--and plenty of neighbours less than half a mile off--oh, much less than half a mile.” “Do you keep money in the house?” “Money! very little--just enough for my quarter’s payments, nothing to speak of--unless when William Tod at the croft comes up to pay me my rent.” “Then keep none,” said Mr Somerville; “just take my word and ask no questions--keep none. It’s never safe in a lonely house; and let in no strange person. A man might claim to be Robert’s friend when he was no friend to Robert. But your heart’s too open and your faith too great. Send away your money to the bank and lock up your doors before the darkening, and keep every strange person at a safe distance.”