"If you do, sir, I shall willingly submit to any punishment which such an impos ture shall be thought to deserve.". 66 Well, sir, we shall see.-Do you know young "I never saw the gentleman who I am informed bears that name, excepting once, and I regret that it was under very unpleasant circumstances." "You mean to acknowledge then, that you inflicted upon young Hazlewood of Hazlewood, that wound which endangered his life, considerably lacerated the clavicle of his right shoulder, and deposited, as the family surgeon declares, several large drops or slugs in the acromion process ?" Why, sir, I can only say I am equally ignorant and sorry for the extent of the damage which the young gentleman has sustained. I met him in a narrow path, walking with two ladies and a servant; and before I could either pass them or address them, this young Hazlewood took his gun from his servant, presented it against my body, and commanded me in the most haughty tone to stand back. I was nei ther inclined to submit to his authority, nor to leave him in possession of the means to injure me, which he seemed disposed to use with such rashness. I therefore closed with him for the purpose of disarming him; and just as I had nearly ef fected my purpose, the piece went off accidentally, and to my regret then and since, inflicted upon the young gentleman a severer chastisement than I desired, though I am glad to understand it is like to prove no more than his unprovoked folly deserved." "And so, sir," said the Baronet, every feature swoln with offended dignity,"You, sir, admit, sir, that it was your purpose, sir, and your intention, sir, and the real jet and object of your assault, sir, to disarm young Hazlewood of Hazlewood of his gun, sir, or his fowling-piece, or his fuzee, or whatever you please to call it, sir, upon the king's highway, sir? I think this will do, my worthy neighbour I think he should stand committed ?" "You are by far the best judge, Sir Robert; but if I might presume to hint, there was something about these smugglers." Very true, good sir.-And besides, sir, you, Vanbeest Brown, who call yourself a captain in his majesty's service, are no better or worse than a rascally mate of a smuggler!" Really, sir, you are an old gentleman, and acting under some strange delusion, otherwise I should be very angry with you." "Old gentleman, sir! strange delusion, sir! I protest and declare-Why, sir, have you any papers or letters that can establish your pretended rank, and estate, and commission ?" None at present, sir; but in the return of a post or two”. "And how do you, sir, if you are a captain in his majesty's service, how do you chance to be travelling in Scotland without letters of introduction, credentials, baggage, or any thing belonging to your pretended rank, estate, and condition, as I said before ?" Sir, I had the misfortune to be robbed of my clothes and baggage." "Oho! then you are the gentleman who took a post-chaise from to Kippletringan, gave the boy the slip on the road, and sent two of your accomplices to beat the boy and bring away the baggage?" "I was, sir, in a carriage as you describe, and lost my way endeavouring to find the road to Kippletringan. The landlady of the inn will inform you, that on my arri val there the next day, my first enquiries were after the boy." "Then give me leave to ask where you spent the night-not in the snow, I presume? you do not suppose that will pass, or be taken, credited, and received ?" "I beg leave," said Bertram, his recol lection turning to the gypsey female, and to the promise he had given her, "I beg leave to decline answering that question." "I thought as much.-Were you not ་ during that night in the ruins of Derncleugh in the ruins of Derncleugh, sir?" "I have told you that I do not intend answering that question." "Well, sir, then you will stand committed, sir, and be sent to prison, sir, that's all, sir. Have the goodness to look at these papers; are you the Vanbeest Brown there mentioned ?" It must be remarked, that Glossin had shuffled among the papers some writings which really did belong to Bertram, and which had been found by the officers in the old vault where his portmanteau was ransacked. "Some of these papers," said Bertram, looking over them, "are mine, and were in my portfolio when it was stolen from the post-chaise. They are memoranda of little value, and, I see, have been carefully selected as affording no evidence of my rank or character, which many of the other papers would have established fully. They are mingled with ship accounts |