Katherine leaped to her feet, and drew close over her head the cloak her lover had placed around her. She had become pale at the announcement of the pursuers' arrival, but she was firm and decisive in her movements.

The door suddenly opened, and Hislop entered with much confusion in his manner.

"Your horse is dead, sir," he said, under his breath, and closing the door after him.

"Dead!" ejaculated the fugitives together.

66

Ay, dead, sir, and a bonnie beast he was tae; but ye hae ridden him owre sair. He wad neither take bite nor sup when we got him into the stable; he just drappit doon pechan' his life out, and he died just as I was wetting his mou' wi' some o' the best Malmsey.'

"Why did you not call me sooner?" said Bertrand, angrily.

"I didna want to disturb ye, sir; and maybe it was as weel, for there are twa gentlemen hae just ridden into the yard, and the youngest o' them saw your horse, and said he would swear it was Lamington's. By that he ken'd that ye and the lady were in the house, and they're seeking ye up and down."

"Where are they?"

"One o' them's keeping guard in the lobby, and the ither's turning every room he's come tae tapsalteerie. But ye just unlock yon door ahint ye wi' the key ye see hanging on it, and it opens on a stair that'll tak' ye doon tae the kitchen, and the guidwife will try to slip ye oot, while I try tae get that chiel tae quit the lobby."

"Where are their horses?'

"In the stable-yard."

Bertrand seized the key from the nail on which it hung, and opened the narrow door which gave to the private staircase.

Katherine uttered an exclamation of amaze, and Bertrand drew back a pace, for the moment the door was opened they were confronted by Sir Robert Cochrane !

Searching the house, Cochrane had discovered the entrance to the staircase in the kitchen, and followed it with this result.

CHAPTER III.

THE BROKEN SWORD.

"But hark, what means yon faint halloo ?
The chase is up-but they shall know
The stag at bay's a dangerous foe."

SCOTT.

THERE was a peculiarly cold smile on Cochrane's sallow visage, and a gratified glitter in his eyes, as he noted the effect his unexpected appearance created. He spoke with a tone of satiric civility, affecting to treat the whole transaction as only a jest which had been carried a little too far.

"You have afforded us excellent sport, Master Gordon," he said, showing a row of white teeth, through which the words passed hissingly, "and you, too, mistress, we have to thank you for this merry game of hide-and-seek; but I am afraid, the hiders being found, the game must end."

"Stand aside, sir," cried Lamington, fiercely; "we are in no mood for jests, and least of all from you.'

Cochrane did not move, and he addressed himself directly to Katherine.

"Madam, as your husband, and as one holding some position that may not be lightly tarnished, I must beg you to accompany me straight to your home. We will forget this little excursion you have made, somewhat against my will, and we will try to keep all knowledge of it from those who might judge it more harshly than I wish to do."

Her face crimsoned, and an angry light shone in her eyes. Contempt, scorn, and defiance were in her look as she answered him

"The title you claim was obtained by force. No word or look of mine gave assent to the bond which you hold over me. Foully and cruelly it was thrust upon me, and the dear Virgin be my witness now that I renounce it utterly-I spurn it from me, and no power on earth shall ever make me yield to it."

The cold smile-cruel and satanic almost in expressionbecame more marked on Cochrane's face.

"You are my wife, madam, despite your brave renunciation of my title to call you so. But, however strong you may feel in your determination now, I doubt not that in time you will learn wisdom and forswear this girlish passion-ay, and regret it too."

He spoke with irritating coolness and confidence.

She would have answered again, but Gordon prevented her.

"Hush, Katherine! have no more words with him. This fellow understands no argument of goodness or justice; but there is one law he understands—that of necessity-and we must put him to it."

Whilst he had been speaking, Cochrane, though watching him closely, had bent his head as if listening for the sound of some one coming, and he was apparently satisfied with the result.

"You are a valiant gentleman, Master Gordon," he said, sneeringly; "you have proved yourself worthy of the name you bear, and I own that I would rather have called you friend than foe. Since that may not be, I salute you with all due respect as a worthy enemy in the field or in the council chamber. But, as a gentleman, I think you can scarcely deny my right to remove that lady."

Gordon with difficulty restrained himself during the delivery of these cynical remarks, and he answered impatiently-

"Fine words, sir, will not prove your right; but you have a sword, and it may. On guard."

Giving Cochrane no more time than to place himself in a position of defence, Gordon assailed him with rapid and vigorous passes which only an experienced swordsman could have parried. Cochrane seemed to be more intent at first upon discovering the peculiar method of his opponent's play, than upon giving thrust for thrust. For the moment his coolness and his purely defensive action seemed to give him the advantage. But at the instant when he seemed to have discovered the trick of his antagonist's fence, and was about to avail himself of that knowledge in a deadly lounge, Lamington, by a dexterous swirl of his sword, wrenched Cochrane's out of his hand.

Cochrane stood astounded, and at the mercy of his enemy. The sword point was at his breast, when Katherine threw herself upon her lover's arm.

"Not yet, Bertrand," she cried, "not in my sight. Let him live until the world knows his baseness, and some vulgar hand strikes him to the earth."

Gordon sheathed his weapon, and picked up from the floor that of Cochrane.

"If you were capable of gratitude," he said, sternly, "I would bid you be grateful to this lady for your wretched life. As it is, I am content to obey her wish, unworthy as you are of one merciful thought. But thus I show my scorn of your knighthood."

So saying, he broke the sword across his knee, and flung the pieces at the man's feet.

"You have given me a lesson," said the defeated man, or rather hissed, for his teeth were clenched and more displayed than usual, "and I thank you. I will not forget it. I know your trick, and it will not serve you a second time."

"By St. Michael, the second time will ring the deathknell of one of us. Take up your sword, broken though it be; it is a worthier weapon than you have any right to wear. Now, stand aside."

Gripping him by the arm, he whirled him across the floor. At the same time Hislop, who had contrived to hide himself from Cochrane's view by stooping behind one of the chairs in the obscurity of the corner, darted forward and extinguished the cresset, throwing the chamber into complete darkness.

Gordon's hand was fortunately on the door, and he passed through, drawing Katherine after him. He took the precaution to remove the key from the inside, and so locked the door when he got out, making their outwitted enemy a prisoner.

They descended a dark narrow flight of stairs, and suddenly found themselves in the kitchen of the hostelry, which was occupied only by Dame Hislop, and a man who was stretched on a wooden settle, fast asleep and snoring loudly.

The dame was a broad-shouldered, big-boned woman, with rather harsh features, but with good-humoured eyes that softened them even to a kindly look.

"Oh, sirs," she exclaimed, in an undertone, "but this is the maist awsome night that ever was. Dinna ye hear the racket that's in the toon and gathering about our house, as if the deil himsel' had ta'en quarters in it, and the folk were gaun to drive him out wi' flaming swords and a smell o' his ain brimstone? We'll hae the big drum beating in a minute, and the whale toon will be skelpin' about in its sark."

These observations were made rather to herself than to her guests, whose presence she seemed scarcely to observe until she had finished. Her words drew the attention of Katherine and Lamington to the disturbance without, which in the excitement of the encounter with Cochrane they had not observed sooner.

There was a loud confusion of voices, the baying of hounds, the trampling of horses' hoofs, and the general din made by an excited crowd. Presently to this was added the loud beating of a drum, answered by shouts and watch-cries from various points of the town.

Hislop burst into the kitchen.

"It's a Hot Trod that's after ye," he gasped, "and the toon's rising. Do ye no hear the drum beating as though a' the deils in the Border were making an assault? Saints save us, if it's ken'd that I hae been hiding ye, it's as muckle as my life's worth."

"Can we not pass forth ?" said Gordon. safer in the midst of the crowd than here."

"We will be

"Ods my life, man, ye canna gang out; the house is surrounded wi' Border prickers. Gie them some duds, guid wife, to cast ower their ain, whilst I try and put the folk aff the scent."

He rushed out, and as he did so there was a tramp of heavy footsteps in the passage.