for him. But I said to myself: `No, you have taken up his case; and

because you have changed your mind it must not be suffered to let drop.
All that rich tide of eloquence that you prepared last night with so

much enthusiasm is out of place, and yet you must not desert him, you
must say something.' So I said something, and I got him off. It made

my reputation. But an experience of that kind is formative. A man must
not bring his passions to the bar - or to the bench," he added.

The story had slightly rekindled Archie's interest. "I could never
deny," he began - "I mean I can conceive that some men would be better

dead. But who are we to know all the springs of God's unfortunate
creatures? Who are we to trust ourselves where it seems that God

Himself must think twice before He treads, and to do it with delight?
Yes, with delight. TIGRIS UT ASPERA."

"Perhaps not a pleasant spectacle," said Glenalmond. "And yet, do you
know, I think somehow a great one."

"I've had a long talk with him to-night," said Archie.
"I was supposing so," said Glenalmond.

"And he struck me - I cannot deny that he struck me as something very
big," pursued the son. "Yes, he is big. He never spoke about himself;

only about me. I suppose I admired him. The dreadful part - "
"Suppose we did not talk about that," interrupted Glenalmond. "You know

it very well, it cannot in any way help that you should brood upon it,
and I sometimes wonder whether you and I - who are a pair of

sentimentalists - are quite good judges of plain men."
"How do you mean?" asked Archie.

"FAIR judges, mean," replied Glenalmond. "Can we be just to them? Do
we not ask too much? There was a word of yours just now that impressed

me a little when you asked me who we were to know all the springs of
God's unfortunate creatures. You applied that, as I understood, to

capital cases only. But does it - I ask myself - does it not apply all
through? Is it any less difficult to judge of a good man or of a half-

good man, than of the worst criminal at the bar? And may not each have
relevant excuses?"

"Ah, but we do not talk of punishing the good," cried Archie.
"No, we do not talk of it," said Glenalmond. "But I think we do it. Your

father, for instance."
"You think I have punished him?" cried Archie.

Lord Glenalmond bowed his head.
"I think I have," said Archie. "And the worst is, I think he feels it!

How much, who can tell, with such a being? But I think he does."
"And I am sure of it," said Glenalmond.

"Has he spoken to you, then?" cried Archie.
"O no," replied the judge.

"I tell you honestly," said Archie, "I want to make it up to him. I
will go, I have already pledged myself to go to Hermiston. That was to

him. And now I pledge myself to you, in the sight of God, that I will
close my mouth on capital punishment and all other subjects where our

views may clash, for - how long shall I say? when shall I have sense
enough? - ten years. Is that well?"

"It is well," said my lord.
"As far as it goes," said Archie. "It is enough as regards myself, it

is to lay down enough of my conceit. But as regards him, whom I have
publicly insulted? What am I to do to him? How do you pay attentions

to a - an Alp like that?"
"Only in one way," replied Glenalmond. "Only by obedience, punctual,

prompt, and scrupulous."
"And I promise that he shall have it," answered Archie. "I offer you my

hand in pledge of it."
"And I take your hand as a solemnity," replied the judge. "God bless

you, my dear, and enable you to keep your promise. God guide you in the
true way, and spare your days, and preserve to you your honest heart."

At that, he kissed the young man upon the forehead in a gracious,
distant, antiquated way; and instantly launched, with a marked change of

voice, into another subject. "And now, let us replenish the tankard;
and I believe if you will try my Cheddar again, you would find you had a

better appetite. The Court has spoken, and the case is dismissed."
"No, there is one thing I must say," cried Archie. "I must say it in

justice to himself. I know - I believe faithfully, slavishly, after our
talk - he will never ask me anything unjust. I am proud to feel it,

that we have that much in common, I am proud to say it to you."
The Judge, with shining eyes, raised his tankard. "And I think perhaps

that we might permit ourselves a toast," said he. "I should like to
propose the health of a man very different from me and very much my

superior - a man from whom I have often differed, who has often (in
the trivial expression) rubbed me the wrong way, but whom I have never

ceased to respect and, I may add, to be not a little afraid of. Shall
I give you his name?"

"The Lord Justice-Clerk, Lord Hermiston," said Archie, almost with
gaiety; and the pair drank the toast deeply.

It was not precisely easy to re-establish, after these emotional
passages, the natural flow of conversation. But the Judge eked out what

was wanting with kind looks, produced his snuff-box (which was very
rarely seen) to fill in a pause, and at last, despairing of any further

social success, was upon the point of getting down a book to read a
favourite passage, when there came a rather startling summons at the

front door, and Carstairs ushered in my Lord Glenkindie, hot from a
midnight supper. I am not aware that Glenkindie was ever a beautiful

object, being short, and gross-bodied, and with an expression of
sensuality comparable to a bear's. At that moment, coming in hissing

from many potations, with a flushed countenance and blurred eyes, he was
strikingly contrasted with the tall, pale, kingly figure of Glenalmond.

A rush of confused thought came over Archie - of shame that this was one
of his father's elect friends; of pride, that at the least of it

Hermiston could carry his liquor; and last of all, of rage, that he
should have here under his eyes the man that had betrayed him. And then

that too passed away; and he sat quiet, biding his opportunity.
The tipsy senator plunged at once into an explanation with Glenalmond.

There was a point reserved yesterday, he had been able to make neither
head nor tail of it, and seeing lights in the house, he had just dropped

in for a glass of porter - and at this point he became aware of the
third person. Archie saw the cod's mouth and the blunt lips of

Glenkindie gape at him for a moment, and the recognitiontwinkle in his
eyes.

"Who's this?" said he. "What? is this possibly you, Don Quickshot? And
how are ye? And how's your father? And what's all this we hear of you?

It seems you're a most extraordinary leveller, by all tales. No king,
no parliaments, and your gorge rises at the macers, worthy men! Hoot,

toot! Dear, dear me! Your father's son too! Most rideeculous!"
Archie was on his feet, flushing a little at the reappearance of his

unhappy figure of speech, but perfectly self-possessed. "My lord - and
you, Lord Glenalmond, my dear friend," he began, "this is a happy chance

for me, that I can make my confession and offer my apologies to two of
you at once."

"Ah, but I don't know about that. Confession? It'll be judeecial, my
young friend," cried the jocular Glenkindie. "And I'm afraid to listen

to ye. Think if ye were to make me a coanvert!"
"If you would allow me, my lord," returned Archie, "what I have to say

is very serious to me; and be pleased to be humorous after I am gone!"
"Remember, I'll hear nothing against the macers!" put in the

incorrigible Glenkindie.
But Archie continued as though he had not spoken. "I have played, both

yesterday and to-day, a part for which I can only offer the excuse of
youth. I was so unwise as to go to an execution; it seems I made a

scene at the gallows; not content with which, I spoke the same night in
a college society against capital punishment. This is the extent of

what I have done, and in case you hear more alleged against me, I
protest my innocence. I have expressed my regret already to my father,

who is so good as to pass my conduct over - in a degree, and upon the
condition that I am to leave my law studies." . . .

CHAPTER V - WINTER ON THE MOORS
I. AT HERMISTON

THE road to Hermiston runs for a great part of the way up the valley of