‘What was your theory?’

’Oh, too silly for words; that the marquis had been only in a trance, had come to himself when alone with the old lady, who, the doctor said, was watching in the room, and had stolen away, to see how you would conduct yourself.  Childish hypothesis!  The obvious one, body-snatching, is correct.  This is very good port.’

’If things had been as you thought possible, Jean Bower was not the woman to balk the marquis,’ said Logan.  ’But you must see her and hear her tell her own story.’

‘Gladly,’ said Merton, ‘but first tell me yours.’

’When I arrived I found the poor old gentleman unconscious.  Dr. Douglas was in attendance.  About noon he pronounced life extinct.  Mrs. Bower watched, or “waked” the corpse.  I left her with it about midnight, as I told you; about four in the morning she aroused me with the news that the body had vanished.  What I did after that you know.  Now you had better hear the story from herself.’

Logan rang a handbell, there were no other bells in the keep, and asked the old serving-man, when he came, to send in Mrs. Bower.

She entered, a very aged woman, dressed in deep mourning.  She was tall, her hair of an absolutely pure white, her aquiline face was drawn, her cheeks hollow, her mouth almost toothless.  She made a deep courtesy, repeating it when Logan introduced ‘my friend, Mr. Merton.’

‘Mrs. Bower,’ Logan said, ’Mr. Merton is my oldest friend, and the marquis saw him in London, and consulted him on private business a few days ago.  He wishes to hear you tell what you saw the night before last.’

’Maybe, as the gentleman is English, he’ll hardly understand me, my lord.  I have a landward tongue,’ said Mrs. Bower.

’I can interpret if Mr. Merton is puzzled, Mrs. Bower, but I think he will understand better if we go to the laird’s chamber.’

Logan took two lighted candles, handing two to Merton, and the old woman led them upstairs to a room which occupied the whole front of the ancient ‘peel,’ or square tower, round which the rest of the house was built.  The room was nearly bare of furniture, except for an old chair or two, a bureau, and a great old bed of state, facing the narrow deep window, and standing on a kind of dais, or platform of three steps.  The heavy old green curtains were drawn all round it.  Mrs. Bower opened them at the front and sides.  At the back against the wall the curtains, embroidered with the arms of Restalrig, remained closed.

‘I sat here all the night,’ said Mrs. Bower, ’watching the corp that my hands had streikit.  The candles were burning a’ about him, the saut lay on his breast, only aefold o’ linen covered him.  My back was to the window, my face to his feet.  I was crooning the auld dirgie; if it does nae guid, it does nae harm.’  She recited in a monotone: 

   ’When thou frae here away art past—­
      Every nicht and all—­
   To Whinny-muir thou comest at last,
      And Christ receive thy saul.