The duke forced himself to partake of some solid food in addition to the two cups of coffee he hastily swallowed.
And then, as the chaise was announced, he arose to depart.
"I desire to keep these rooms until further notice, landlord. I shall return here this evening, and stop here during my attendance upon the trial at Banff," said the duke, as he got into the chaise, followed by the valet.
The driver cracked his whip and the horses started.
"Aweel," said the landlord to himself, as he watched the chaise winding its way up the mountain-pass. "Aweel, I waur e'en just confounded to see the dook here away without the doochess; and I just after reading in the Times how they were married o' the day before yesterday, and gane for their wedding trip to Paris! Aweel, I suppose, it will be this witness business as hae broughten him back. But where's the young doochess? Ay, to be sure, he hae left her in her grand toon house in London. He wad na be bringing her here at siccan a painfu' time and occasion as the trial of her ain father's murtherer. Nae, indeed! that is nae likely," concluded honest Donald Duncan, as he returned into his house.
Banff was but ten miles north-east of Lone. But the mountain road was difficult; and now that the morning mist lay heavy on the landscape, it was necessary for our travelers to drive slowly and carefully to avoid precipitating themselves over some rocky steep, into some deep pool or stony chasm.
They were, thus, an hour in getting safely through the mountain-pass.
At the end of that time, they came out upon a good road, through a forest of firs, covering a hilly country.
Then the mist began to roll away before the bright beams of the advancing sun.
And another hour of fast driving brought them into the town of Banff.