"Ye may weel ask that. I've been walking up an' doon the arth like Satan in Holy Writ, but wi' less success, I'm theenking. Nae siller in ma pocket, and a price,--as ye may say,--on the heid o' me." "You know that you are wanted then," said Elspeth with eagerness. "Aye, but no for daeing wrang, dear. Losh me," he chuckled, being revived by the drink, "there's fame for ye, me being asked for in a' the papers o' the three kingdoms. "How is it you never turned up before?" asked Kind. "Weel!" said Gowrie, winking one eye and holding out his glass to be replenished, "I wisnae very sure it wud be wise tae gang tae those in authority. The reward wudnae gang into ma pockets. I lay low in Great Babylon, the which ye ken is London, and got ma bite an sup fra the few shullings I got----" "From Mr. Herries' pockets," finished Elspeth. "Father, you acted shamefully, robbing Angus." "Angus is it," snapped the old man, ignoring the accusation, "and for why dae ye, ma ain child, ca' him Angus?" "That's my business," retorted the girl, flushing. Gowrie watched her cunningly. "Aye, aye, young life and young luve, ma dearie. Weel, and shall nae a wumon depart fra her faither and be one wi' her husband an'----" "I never said that!" cried the girl angrily. "Hoots, lassie, I'm nae blind, foreby yon limmer at the inn tauld me ye'd taken a gait o' yer own. An' me," cried Gowrie, raising his voice in indignation, "coming tae the inn for a bite and a sup, wi' nae siller tae pay, believing my ain child wud wark off the bill." "She's had enough of that," said Kind roughly, "she was quite right to leave. She is stopping with Armour the policeman, and goes with me when we leave this place." "And wi' Herries?" "We don't know where he is," said Kind smartly, seeing that Elspeth hesitated to tell the white fib. "An' hoo, then, can ye luve him?" demanded Gowrie cunningly. "I loved him when he slept at the inn," returned the girl, "he helped with the bucket; the first person who was ever kind to me." "Eh, Romeo and Juliet, o' Wully Shakespeare," chuckled Gowrie, "the bard wisnae sae far wrang in his gab o' luve at first sight. Wull yon lad marry ye, Elspeth, dae ye theenk?" "What makes you think that we are engaged?" she asked evasively. "My lassie," said the old man chuckling, "I ken the waiys o' wumon, none better. In the Patmos in the weelderness, where I wis hiding, I read the papers, and saw aboot yon escape. Thinks I, Elspeth hes mair to do wi' this nor meets the eye. Didnae I see the blink of yer een when Herries wis chatting in the tap-room. He couldnae ha' escaped by himsel. Nae, nae, where there's a mon, there a wumon, sae I joost pit twa and twa togither. Aye, he's yer mon, lassie."