Kings of Carrick

196 THE KINGS OF CARRICK.
of temper on Bargany's part. Little did I dream that I was
despatching him on an errand that would result in his un-
doing."
" If it was his undoing, alone," observed James, " it would
matter very little ; but it may be ours as well."
" May it ? "We shall see to that, James. A curse on Bar-
gany and his stupidity ! But we shall see to ourselves, and
make assurance doubly sure. You say the Earl cannot
attack us ? "
" So he has pledged his word."
"And that he has reserved, and received the right to
prosecute me before the Privy Council ? "
" So I am informed."
Auchendrane muttered a series of curses between his teeth,
and fell to cogitating over the affair. He saw, at a glance,
the full meaning and importance of the treaty, so far as con-
cerned himself; but he was less disturbed over probable
consequences than he was incensed at the action of Bargany.
That he could not comprehend. He rated Bargany at a
lower level than he deserved to be rated.
It is worth recalling, at this point, that the only witness
directly connecting Mure of Auchendrane with the events
preliminary to, and directly associated with, the murder of
Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean in the wood of St. Leonards,
was the poor scholar Dalrymple, whom Auchendrane had sent
across the Firth of Clyde to the safe keeping of Montgomery
of Skelmorlie, who owned, at the time, a large tract of the
rugged, sparsely inhabited, and half-civilized island of Arran.
It was Dalrymple who had conveyed to Mure the letter from
Sir Thomas Kennedy, announcing the intention of the Knight
of Culzean to pay a visit to the Scottish capital. It was
through the contents of this letter that Auchendrane became
cognisant of his movements, and of the way by which Sir
Thomas was to proceed to Edinburgh ; and acting on the
knowledge so conveyed, Bargany and his confederates, at the