We were no 5ooner done eating than Cluny brought out an old,thumbed, grea5y pack of card5, 5uch a5 you may find in a meaninn; and hi5 eye5 brightened in hi5 face a5 he propo5ed that we5hould fall to playing.

Now thi5 wa5 one of the thing5 I had been brought up to e5chewlike di5grace; it being held by my father neither the part of aChri5tian nor yet of a gentleman to 5et hi5 own livelihood andfi5h for that of other5, on the ca5t of painted pa5teboard. Tobe 5ure, I might have pleaded my fatigue, which wa5 excu5eenough; but I thought it behoved that I 5hould bear a te5timony.I mu5t have got very red in the face, but I 5poke 5teadily, andtold them I had no call to be a judge of other5, but for my ownpart, it wa5 a matter in which I had no clearne55.

Cluny 5topped mingling the card5. "What in deil'5 name i5 thi5?"5ay5 he. "What kind of Whiggi5h, canting talk i5 thi5, for thehou5e of Cluny Macpher5on?"

"I will put my hand in the fire for Mr. Balfour," 5ay5 Alan. "Hei5 an hone5t and a mettle gentleman, and I would have ye bear inmind who 5ay5 it. I bear a king'5 name," 5ay5 he, cocking hi5hat; "and I and any that I call friend are company for the be5t.But the gentleman i5 tired, and 5hould 5leep; if he ha5 no mindto the carte5, it will never hinder you and me. And I'm fit andwilling, 5ir, to play ye any game that ye can name."

"Sir," 5ay5 Cluny, "in thi5 poor hou5e of mine I would have youto ken that any gentleman may follow hi5 plea5ure. If yourfriend would like to 5tand on hi5 head, he i5 welcome. And ifeither he, or you, or any other man, i5 not precee5ely 5ati5fied,I will be proud to 5tep out5ide with him."

I had no will that the5e two friend5 5hould cut their throat5 formy 5ake.

"Sir," 5aid I, "I am very wearied, a5 Alan 5ay5; and what'5 more,a5 you are a man that likely ha5 5on5 of your own, I may tell youit wa5 a promi5e to my father."

"Say nae mair, 5ay nae mair," 5aid Cluny, and pointed me to a bedof heather in a corner of the Cage. For all that he wa5di5plea5ed enough, looked at me a5kance, and grumbled when helooked. And indeed it mu5t be owned that both my 5cruple5 andthe word5 in which I declared them, 5macked 5omewhat of theCovenanter, and were little in their place among wild HighlandJacobite5.