'Troth did he, sir, and a' the house were taen wi' him, he was sic
a frank, pleasant young man. It wasna for his spending, I'm sure,
for he just had a mutton-chop and a mug of ale, and maybe a glass
or twa o' wine; and I asked him to drink tea wi' mysell, and didna
put that into the bill; and he took nae supper, for he said he was
defeat wi' travel a' the night afore. I daresay now it had been on
some hellicat errand or other.'

'Did you by any chance learn his name?'

'I wot weel did I,' said the landlady, now as eager to communicate
her evidence as formerly desirous to suppress it. 'He tell'd me
his name was Brown, and he said it was likely that an auld woman
like a gipsy wife might be asking for him. Ay, ay! tell me your
company, and I'll tell you wha ye are! O the villain! Aweel, sir,
when he gaed away in the morning he paid his bill very honestly,
and gae something to the chambermaid nae doubt; for Grizzy has
naething frae me, by twa pair o' new shoo ilka year, and maybe a
bit compliment at Hansel Monanday--' Here Glossin found it
necessary to interfere and bring the good woman back to the point.

'Ou then, he just said, "If there comes such a person to inquire
after Mr. Brown, you will say I am gone to look at the skaters on
Loch Creeran, as you call it, and I will be back here to dinner."
But he never came back, though I expected him sae faithfully that
I gae a look to making the friar's chicken mysell, and to the
crappitheads too, and that's what I dinna do for ordinary, Mr.
Glossin. But little did I think what skating wark he was gaun
about--to shoot Mr. Charles, the innocent lamb!'