The aid she had asked for couldonly be given at the
expense of John Macnab. Above all, you didnt see me come down from Crask this
morning. We simply canthave you getting mixed up with the enemy, especially the
enemy women. Bandicotts,and wrinkled his brows over that of the Edinburgh
solicitors.
But I wad not say it was impossible, Lithgow added
more briskly.
He suddenly sat up, and gazed intentlyat a ripple
on the dead surface. So, catching sight of the boy, hebeckoned him near. The high
road, it was true, ran near, but it waslittle frequented.
Sir Archie, having now got the water out of his
eyes and hair was ableto regard his interlocutor.
I wonder Mactavish at the lodgehadna mair
sense.
For a fisherman it was the waterof his
dreams.
The ardent eyes and the young grace of the girl
seemed marvellous thingsto Sir Archie.
Theres a copy of the letter, and here are the
replies thatarrived tonight. Ive had the devil of a day, said the
latter.
Ivesellt haddies and flukes to Crask these twa
months.
I only askedleave to enter the grounds, but the
beauty of the scenery attracted meto the river. Hell think that John Macnab is the
same wary kindof old bird as himself.
Yed better gang bythe back road, for fear they see
ye frae the hoose. Wattie took me at a racing gallop about thirty miles over bogs
and crags.
Nothing doing, unless I take steps to shorten the
odds. Has old Mother Claybody been puttingthat about? I know it is, but theres only
one way out of it.
Pallisers-Yeates is one of the biggest bankers in
the country.
Leithen took off his hat with a
flourish.
You see for yourself that Ivenothing the matter
with me.
It had been as full as it could holdof salmon, but
no artifice of his could stir them.
That animal had resolved to follow his
mastersfootsteps, and was jumping steadily behind him.
Lithgow, without moving a muscle of his face, took
the documents.
Leithen took off his hat with a flourish. The boy
nodded, and his solemn face flickered for a second witha subtle smile.
It would be a bad start tochange the
draw.
I expect you go uncommon well, he
murmured.
The others stared, and even Lamancha woke
up.
Will you come over to lunch at
Glenraden?
If ye ask at the lodge, theyll maybe letye in to
photograph. There he waited for some time tillMrs Macpherson came to feed her
hens.
It chanced that in the spring of this year Mrs
Bogle had fallen illfor the first time in her life.