glad enough that we came here and found out the truth, for had we not
done so I should never have been happy in my mind."

"Yes," answered the lawyer, the interpreter rendering their words all
the while, "the Vrouw Botmar's evidence is conclusive, though I shall
put her statement in writing and ask her to sign it. There is only one
thing, and that is the strange resemblance of the names," and he glanced
at him with his quick eyes.

"There are many Mackenzies in Scotland," answered Lord Glenthirsk, "and
I have no doubt that this poor fellow was a shepherd emigrating with his
wife and child to Australia or somewhere." Then he yawned and added, "I
am going outside to get some air before I sleep. Perhaps you will draw
up the paper for the good lady to sign."

"Certainly, my lord," answered the lawyer, and the young man went away
quite convinced.

After he had gone the lawyer produced pen and ink and wrote out the
statement, putting in it all the lies that I had told, and copying the
extract from the fly-leaf of the Bible. When he had done the interpreter
translated it to me, and then it was that the lawyer told me about
the last wishes of the dying lord, and how it would have cost him ten
thousand pounds and much business also had the tale proved true. Now
at last he gave me the paper to sign. Besides the candles on the table,
which being of mutton fat had burnt out, there was a lamp fed with
whale's oil, but this also was dying, the oil being exhausted, so that
its flame, which had sunk low, jumped from time to time with a little
noise, giving out a blue light. In that unholy blue light, which turned
our faces ghastly pale, the lawyer and I looked at each other as I