a mercy I'm not in Berwick gaol. Then by chance I met her again--on my
soul, Jock, it was chance for me--and when I spoke of you she laughed at
the thought. It was cousin and cousin, she said; but as for her not
being free, or you being more to her than a friend, it was fool's talk.
So you see, Jock, I was not so much to blame, after all: the more so as
she promised that she would let you see by her conduct that you were
mistaken in thinking that you had any claim upon her. You must have
noticed that she has hardly had a word for you for these last two
weeks."

I laughed bitterly.

"It was only last night," said I, "that she told me that I was the only
man in all this earth that she could ever bring herself to love."

Jim Horscroft put out a shaking hand and laid it on my shoulder, while
he pushed his face forward to look into my eyes.

"Jock Calder," said he, "I never knew you tell a lie. You are not
trying to score trick against trick, are you? Honest now, between man
and man."

"It's God's truth," said I.

He stood looking at me, and his face had set like that of a man who is
having a hard fight with himself. It was a long two minutes before he
spoke.

"See here, Jock!" said he. "This woman is fooling us both. D'you hear,
man? she's fooling us both! She loves you at West Inch, and she loves