"Waiter," said he, "why this disturbance? Cannot your farmers dine here without kicking up a riot?" "Oh, sir, it's the murder!" "What murder?" "The General, sir, who lives at Merton, sir, found stabbed in his own sitting-room, sir!" "Stabbed, do you say? It cannot be!" "Quite true, sir, as I'm a waiter! And they have got the murderer in custody." "Murderer! impossible! What mean you?" exclaimed the traveller, hastily. "Why, sir, the fellow that killed Sir Thomas is taken redhand, I think they call it." "Who is he?" "Just Tom Vallance, sir--an idle fellow, to be sure, but the last person that I would have thought would do such a thing." "What! the son of the old housekeeper?" "Yes. Do you know him, sir?" "Not I; but I've heard of his mother. What inducement could he have to commit so dreadful a crime?" "Revenge, sir! The General, some two or three weeks since, seized his gun, and, poor gentleman, abused Tom fearfully, for he was in one of his terrifics; and Tom told him the next time he was on his grounds he would do for him--at least so it is said." "Dreadful! And what was this Tom Vallance, as I think you call him?" "Nothing, sir. His mother is an industrious woman; and the lad was not that bad fellow neither--but dreadfully idle. He had a good education; but his father dying two years since, Tom left school; and his mother, in place of sending him back, kept him at home. She was so fond of him that she let him do whatever he liked." "How can she afford to maintain him?" "She is very industrious, sir; and, as she was daft fond of him, every penny she could scrape together went into his pockets." "Where is the accused?" "Tom, sir, do you mean? Why, before the sheriff, making his declaration." "Who succeeds the late baronet?" "His nephew--a very nice chap. He was often at Merton when a lad; but he has not been here for many years. He'll be better liked than his uncle, though the old fellow was not so bad neither. But I must go, sir, for I hear the bell ringing in the travellers'-room." So saying, he whipped his napkin under his arm, and withdrew with praiseworthy celerity. The unknown traveller paced slowly up and down the room, apparently very much perplexed in his mind. He muttered-- "Strange!--very strange!--caught in the room--a previous threat--all concurs." Shortly afterwards he again rang the bell, ordered in and paid his bill; and, taking a post-chaise to the next town, waited there only until the mail from Edinburgh to London stopped to change horses, and, having procured a seat, arrived in due time in the metropolis.