The　provost　answered　with　another　sagacious　shake　of　his　head；　that　would　have　done　honour　to　Lord　Burleigh　in　the　CRITIC。
  'Well；　then；'　continued　Fairford；'　is　it　not　possible　that；　in　the　mistaken　belief　that　Mr。　Latimer　was　a　spy；　he　may；　upon　such　suspicion；　have　caused　him　to　be　carried　off　and　confined　somewhere？　　Such　things　are　done　at　elections；　and　on　occasions　less　pressing　than　when　men　think　their　lives　are　in　danger　from　an　informer。'
  'Mr。　Fairford；'　said　the　provost；　very　earnestly；　'I　scarce　think　such　a　mistake　possible；　or　if；　by　any　extraordinary　chance；　it　should　have　taken　place；　Redgauntlet；　whom　I　cannot　but　know　well；　being　as　I　have　said　my　wife's　first　cousin　（fourth　cousin；　I　should　say）　is　altogether　incapable　of　doing　anything　harsh　to　the　young　gentlemanhe　might　send　him　ower　to　Ailsay　for　a　night　or　two；　or　maybe　land　him　on　the　north　coast　of　Ireland；　or　in　Islay；　or　some　of　the　Hebrides；　but　depend　upon　it；　he　is　incapable　of　harming　a　hair　of　his　head。'
  'I　am　determined　not　to　trust　to　that；　provost；'　answered　Fairford　firmly；　'and　I　am　a　good　deal　surprised　at　your　way　of　talking　so　lightly　of　such　an　aggression　on　the　liberty　of　the　subject。　　You　are　to　consider；　and　Mr。　Herries　or　Mr。　Redgauntlet's　friends　would　do　very　well　also　to　consider；　how　it　would　sound　in　the　ears　of　an　English　Secretary　of　State；　that　an　attainted　traitor　（for　such　is　this　gentleman）　has　not　only　ventured　to　take　up　his　abode　in　this　realmagainst　the　king　of　which　he　has　been　in　armsbut　is　suspected　of　having　proceeded；　by　open　force　and　violence；　against　the　person　of　one　of　the　lieges；　a　young　man　who　is　neither　without　friends　nor　property　to　secure　his　being　righted。'
  The　provost　looked　at　the　young　counsellor　with　a　face　in　which　distrust；　alarm；　and　vexation　seemed　mingled。　　'A　fashious　job；'　he　said　at　last；　'a　fashious　job；　and　it　will　be　dangerous　meddling　with　it。　　I　should　like　ill　to　see　your　father's　son　turn　informer　against　an　unfortunate　gentleman。'
  'Neither　do　I　mean　it；'　answered　Alan；　'provided　that　unfortunate　gentleman　and　his　friends　give　me　a　quiet　opportunity　of　securing　my　friend's　safety。　　If　I　could　speak　with　Mr。　Redgauntlet；　and　hear　his　own　explanation；　I　should　probably　be　satisfied。　　If　I　am　forced；　to　denounce　him　to　government；　it　will　be　in　his　new　capacity　of　a　kidnapper。　　I　may　not　be　able；　nor　is　it　my　business；　to　prevent　his　being　recognized　in　his　former　character　of　an　attainted　person；　excepted　from　the　general　pardon。'
  'Master　Fairford；'　said　the　provost；　'would　ye　ruin　the　poor　innocent　gentleman　on　an　idle　suspicion？'
  'Say　no　more　of　it；　Mr。　Crosbie；　my　line　of　conduct　is　determinedunless　that　suspicion　is　removed。'
  'Weel；　sir；'　said　the　provost；　'since　so　it　be；　and　since　you　say　that　you　do　not　seek　to　harm　Redgauntlet　personally；　I'll　ask　a　man　to　dine　with　us　to…day　that　kens　as　much　about　his　matters　as　most　folk。　　You　must　think；　Mr。　Alan　Fairford；　though　Redgauntlet　be　my　wife's　near　relative；　and　though；　doubtless；　I　wish　him　weel；　yet　I　am　not　the　person　who　is　like　to　be　intrusted　with　his　incomings　and　outgoings。　　I　am　not　a　man　for　thatI　keep　the　kirk；　and　I　abhor　PoperyI　have　stood　up　for　the　House　of　Hanover；　and　for　liberty　and　propertyI　carried　arms；　sir；　against　the　Pretender；　when　three　of　the　Highlandmen's　baggage…　carts　were　stopped　at　Ecclefechan；　and　I　had　an　especial　loss　of　a　hundred　pounds'
  'Scots；'　interrupted　Fairford。　　'You　forget　you　told　me　all　this　before。'
  'Scots　or　English；　it　was　too　much　for　me　to　lose；'　said　the　provost；　so　you　see　I　am　not　a　person　to　pack　or　peel　with　Jacobites；　and　such　unfreemen　as　poor　Redgauntlet。'
  'Granted；　granted；　Mr。　Crosbie；　and　what　then？'　　said　Alan　Fairford。
  'Why；　then；　it　follows；　that　if　I　am　to　help　you　at　this　pinch；　if　cannot　be　by　and　through　my　ain　personal　knowledge；　but　through　some　fitting　agent　or　third　person。'
  'Granted　again；'　said　Fairford。　　'And　pray　who　may　this　third　person　be？'
  'Wha　but　Pate　Maxwell　of　Summertreeshim　they　call　Pate…in…　Peril。'
  'An　old　Forty…five　man；　of　course？'　　said　Fairford。
  'Ye　may　swear　that；'　replied　the　provost'as　black　a　Jacobite　as　the　auld　leaven　can　make　him；　but　a　sonsy；　merry　companion；　that　none　of　us　think　it　worth　while　to　break　wi'　for　all　his　brags　and　his　clavers。　　You　would　have　thought；　if　he　had　had　but　his　own　way　at　Derby；　he　would　have　marched　Charlie　Stuart　through　between　Wade　and　the　Duke；　as　a　thread　goes　through　the　needle's　ee；　and　seated　him　in　Saint　James's　before　you　could　have　said　haud　your　hand。　　But　though　he　is　a　windy　body　when　he　gets　on　his　auld…warld　stories；　he　has　mair　gumption　in　him　than　most　peopleknows　business；　Mr。　Alan；　being　bred　to　the　law；　but　never　took　the　gown；　because　of　the　oaths；　which　kept　more　folk　out　then　than　they　do　nowthe　more's　the　pity。'
  'What！　　are　you　sorry；　provost；　that　Jacobitism　is　upon　the　decline？'　　said　Fairford。
  'No；　no；'　answered　the　provost'I　am　only　sorry　for　folks　losing　the　tenderness　of　conscience　which　they　used　to　have。　　I　have　a　son　breeding　to　the　bar；　Mr。　Fairford；　and；　no　doubt；　considering　my　services　and　sufferings；　I　might　have　looked　for　some　bit　postie　to　him；　but　if　the　muckle　tykes　come　inI　mean　a'　these　Maxwells；　and　Johnstones；　and　great　lairds；　that　the　oaths　used　to　keep　out　lang　synethe　bits　o'　messan　doggies；　like　my　son；　and　maybe　like　your　father's　son；　Mr。　Alan；　will　be　sair　put　to　the　wall。'
  'But　to　return　to　the　subject；　Mr。　Crosbie；'　said　Fairford；　'do　you　really　think　it　likely　that　this　Mr。　Maxwell　will　be　of　service　in　this　matter？'
  'It's　very　like　he　may　be；　for　he　is　the　tongue　of　the　trump　to　the　whole　squad　of　them；'　said　the　provost；　'and　Redgauntlet；　though　he　will　not　stick　at　times　to　call　him　a　fool；　takes　more　of　his　counsel　than　any　man's　else　that　I　am　aware　of。　　If　Fate　can　bring　him　to　a　communing；　the　business　is　done。　　He's　a　sharp　chield；　Pate…in…Peril。'
  'Pate…in…Peril！'　　repeated　Alan；　'a　very　singular　name。'
  'Aye；　and　it　was　in　as　queer　a　way　he　got　it；　but　I'll　say　naething　about　that；'　said　the　provost；　'for　fear　of　forestalling　his　market；　for　ye　are　sure　to　hear　it　once　at　least；　however　oftener；　before　the　punch…bowl　gives　place　to　the　teapot。And　now；　fare　ye　weel；　for　there　is　the　council…bell　clinking　in　earnest；　and　if　I　am　not　there　before　it　jows　in；　Bailie　Laurie　will　be　trying　some　of　his　manoeuvres。'
  The　provost；　repeating　his　expectation　of　seeing　Mr。　Fairford　at　two　o'clock；　at　length　effected　his　escape　from　the　young　counsellor；　and　left　him　at　a　considerable　loss　how　to　proceed。　The　sheriff；　it　seems；　had　returned　to　Edinburgh；　and　he　feared　to　find　the　visible　repugnance　of　the　provost　to　interfere　with　this　Laird　of　Birrenswork；　or　Redgauntlet；　much　stronger　amongst　the　country　gentlemen；　many　of　whom　were　Catholics　as　well　as　Jacobites；　and　most　others　unwilling　to　quarrel　with　kinsmen　and　friends；　by　prosecuting　with　severity　political　offences　which　had　almost　run　a　prescription。
  To　collect　all　the　information　in　his　power；　and　not　to　have　recourse　to　the　higher　authorities　until　he　could　give　all　the　light　of　which　the　case　was　capable；　seemed　the　wiser　proceeding　in　a　choice　of　difficulties。　　He　had　some　conversation　with　the　procurator…fiscal；　who；　as　well　as　the　provost；　was　an　old　correspondent　of　his　father。　　Alan　expressed　to　that　officer　a　purpose　of　visiting　Brokenburn；　but　was　assured　by　him；　that　it　would　be　a　step　attended　with　much　danger　to　his　own　person；　and　altogether　fruitless；　that　the　individuals　who　had　been　ringleaders　in　the　riot　were　long　since　safely　sheltered　in　their　various　lurking…holes　in　the　Isle　of　Man；　Cumberland；　and　elsewhere；　and　that　those　who　might　remain　would　undoubtedly　commit　violence　on　any　who　visited　their　settlement　with　the　purpose　of　inquiring　into　the　late　disturbances。
  There　were　not　the　same　objections　to　his　hastening　to　Mount　Sharon；　where　he　expected　to　find　the　latest　news　of　his　friend；　and　there　was　time　enough　to　do　so；　before　the　hour　appointed　for　the　provost's　dinner。　　Upon　the　road；　he　congratulated　himself　on　having　obtained　one　point　of　almost　certain　information。　　The　person　who　had　in　a　manner　forced　himself　upon　his　father's　hospitality；　and　had　appeared　desirous　to　induce　Darsie　Latimer　to　visit　England；　against　whom；　too；　a　sort　of　warning　had　been　received　from　an　individual　connected　with　and　residing　in　his　own　family；　proved　to　be　a　promoter　of　the　disturbance　in　which　Darsie　had　disappeared。
  What　could　be　the　cause　of　such　an　attempt　on　the　liberty　of　an　inoffensive　and　amiable　man？　　It　was　impossible　it　could　be　merely　owing　to　Redgauntlet's　mistaking　Darsie　for　a　spy；　for　though　that　was　the　solution　which　Fairford　had　offered　to　the　provost；　he　well　knew　that；　in　point　of　fact；　he　himself　had　been　warned　by　his　singular　visitor　of　some　danger　to　which　his　friend　was　exposed；　before　such　suspicion　could　have　been　entertained；　and　the　injunctions　received　by　Latimer　from　his　guardian；　or　him　who　acted　as　such；　Mr。　Griffiths　of　London；　pointed　to　the　same　thing。　　He　was　rather　glad；　however；　that　he　had　not　let　Provost　Crosbie　into　his　secret　further　than　was　absolutely　necessa