unsuspicious　courtiers　of　France。　　His　most　highly　renowned　exploit　was
  performed　at　St。　Denis；　and　the　record　of　France's　humiliation　is　still
  treasured。　　The　great　church　was　packed　with　ladies　of　fashion　and　their
  devout　admirers。　　Richelieu　attended　in　state；　the　king　himself　shone
  upon　the　assembly。　　The　strange　Scotsman；　whom　no　man　knew　and　all
  men　wondered　at；　attracted　a　hundred　eyes　to　himself　and　his　magnificent
  equipment。　　But　it　was　not　his　to　be　idle；　and　at　the　very　moment　whereat
  Mass　was　being　sung；　he　contrived　to　lighten　Richelieu's　pocket　of　a　purse。
  The　king　was　a　delighted　witness　of　the　theft；　Gilderoy；　assuming　an　air　of
  facile　intimacy；　motioned　him　to　silence；　and　he；　deeming　it　a　trick　put
  upon　Richelieu　by　a　friend；　hastened；　at　the　service…end；　to　ask　his
  minister　if　perchance　he　had　a　purse　of　gold　upon　him。　　Richelieu
  instantly　discovered　the　loss；　to　the　king's　uncontrolled　hilarity；　which　was
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  mitigated　when　it　was　found　that　the　thief；　having　emptied　the　king's
  pocket　at　the　unguarded　moment　of　his　merriment；　had　left　them　both　the
  poorer。
  Such　were　Gilderoy's　interludes　of　gaiety；　and　when　you　remember　the
  cynical　ferocity　of　his　earlier　performance；　you　cannot　deny　him　the　credit
  of　versatility。　　He　stayed　in　France　until　his　ominous　reputation　was　too
  widely　spread；　whereupon　he　crossed　the　Pyrenees；　travelling　like　a
  gentleman；　in　a　brilliant　carriage　of　his　own。　　From　Spain　he　carried　off　a
  priceless　collection　of　silver　plate；　and　he　returned　to　his　own　country；
  fatigued；　yet　unsoftened；　by　the　grand　tour。　　Meanwhile；　a　forgetful
  generation　had　not　kept　his　memory　green。　　The　monster；　who　punished
  Scotland　a　year　ago　with　fire　and　sword；　had　passed　into　oblivion；　and
  Gilderoy　was　able　to　establish　for　himself　a　new　reputation。　　He　departed
  as　far　as　possible　from　his　ancient　custom；　joined　the　many　cavaliers；　who
  were　riding　up　and　down　the　country；　pistol　in　hand；　and　presently　proved
  a　dauntless　highwayman。　　He　had　not　long　ridden　in　the　neighbourhood
  of　Perth　before　he　met　the　Earl　of　Linlithgow；　from　whom　he　took　a　gold
  watch；　a　diamond　ring；　and　eighty　guineas。　　Being　an　outlaw；　he　naturally
  espoused　the　King's　cause；　and　would　have　given　a　year　of　his　life　to　meet
  a　Regicide。　　Once　upon　a　time；　says　rumour；　he　found　himself　face　to
  face　with　Oliver　Cromwell；　whom　he　dragged　from　his　coach；　set
  ignominiously　upon　an　ass；　and　so　turned　adrift　with　his　feet　tied　under　the
  beast's　belly。　　The　story　is　incredible；　not　only　because　the　loyal
  historians　of　the　time　caused　Oliver　to　be　robbed　daily　on　every　road　in
  Great　Britain；　but　because　our　Gilderoy；　had　he　ever　confronted　the
  Protector；　most　assuredly　would　not　have　allowed　him　to　escape　with　his
  life。
  Tired　of　scouring　the　highway；　Gilderoy　resolved　upon　another
  enterprise。　　He　collected　a　band　of　fearless　ruffians；　and　placed　himself　at
  their　head。　　With　this　army　to　aid；　he　harried　Sutherland　and　the　North；
  lifting　cattle；　plundering　homesteads；　and　stopping　wayfarers　with　a
  humour　and　adroitness　worthy　of　Robin　Hood。　　No　longer　a　lawless
  adventurer；　he　made　his　own　conditions　of　life；　and　forced　the　people　to
  obey　them。　　He　who　would　pay　Gilderoy　a　fair　contribution　ran　no　risk　of
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  losing　his　sheep　or　oxen。　　But　evasion　was　impossible；　and　the　smallest
  suspicion　of　falsehood　was　punished　by　death。　　The　peaceably　inclined
  paid　their　toll　with　regret；　the　more　daring　opposed　the　raider　to　their
  miserable　undoing；　the　timid　satisfied　the　utmost　exactions　of　Gilderoy；
  and　deemed　themselves　fortunate　if　they　left　the　country　with　their　lives。
  Thus　Scotland　became　a　land　of　dread；　the　most　restless　man　within
  her　borders　hardly　dare　travel　beyond　his　byre。　　The　law　was　powerless
  against　this　indomitable　scourge；　and　the　reward　of　a　thousand　marks
  would　have　been　offered　in　vain；　had　not　Gilderoy's　cruelty　estranged　his
  mistress。　　This　traitressPeg　Cunningham　was　her　nameless　for　avarice
  than　in　revenge　for　many　insults　and　infidelities；　at　last　betrayed　her
  master。　　Having　decoyed　him　to　her　house；　she　admitted　fifty　armed　men；
  and　thus　imagined　a　full　atonement　for　her　unnumbered　wrongs。　　But
  Gilderoy　was　triumphant　to　the　last。　　Instantly　suspecting　the　treachery　of
  his　mistress；　he　burst　into　her　bed…chamber；　and；　that　she　might　not　enjoy
  the　price　of　blood；　ripped　her　up　with　a　hanger。　　Then　he　turned　defiant
  upon　the　army　arrayed　against　him；　and　killed　eight　men　before　the　others
  captured　him。
  Disarmed　after　a　desperate　struggle；　he　was　loaded　with　chains　and
  carried　to　Edinburgh；　where　he　was　starved　for　three　days；　and　then
  hanged　without　the　formality　of　a　trial　on　a　gibbet；　thirty　feet　high；　set　up
  in　the　Grassmarket。　　Even　then　Scotland's　vengeance　was　unsatisfied。
  The　body；　cut　down　from　its　first　gibbet；　was　hung　in　chains　forty　feet
  above　Leith　Walk；　where　it　creaked　and　gibbered　as　a　warning　to　evildoers
  for　half　a　century；　until　at　last　the　inhabitants　of　that　respectable　quarter
  petitioned　that　Gilderoy's　bones　should　cease　to　rattle；　and　that　they　should
  enjoy　the　peace　impossible　for　his　jingling　skeleton。
  Gilderoy　was　no　drawing…room　scoundrel；　no　villain　of　schoolgirl
  romance。　　He　felt　remorse　as　little　as　he　felt　fear；　and　there　was　no　crime
  from　whose　commission　he　shrank。　　Before　his　death　he　confessed　to
  thirty…seven　murders；　and　bragged　that　he　had　long　since　lost　count　of　his
  robberies　and　rapes。　　Something　must　be　abated　for　boastfulness。　　But
  after　all　deduction　there　remains　a　tale　of　crime　that　is　unsurpassed。　　His
  most　admirably　artistic　quality　is　his　complete　consistence。　　He　was　a
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  ruffian　finished　and　rotund；　he　made　no　concession；　he　betrayed　no
  weakness。　　Though　he　never　preached　a　sermon　against　the　human　race；
  he　practised　a　brutality　which　might　have　proceeded　from　a　gospel　of　hate。
  He　spared　neither　friends　nor　relatives；　and　he　murdered　his　own　mother
  with　as　light　a　heart　as　he　sent　a　strange　widow　of　Aberdeen　to　her　death。
  His　skill　is　undoubted；　and　he　proved　by　the　discipline　of　his　band　that　he
  was　not　without　some　talent　of　generalship。　　But　he　owed　much　of　his
  success　to　his　physical　strength；　and　to　the　temperament；　which　never
  knew　the　scandal　of　hesitancy　or　dread。
  A　born　marauder；　he　devoted　his　life　to　his　trade；　and；　despite　his
  travels　in　France　and　Spain；　he　enjoyed　few　intervals　of　merriment。　　Even
  the　humour；　which　proved　his　redemption；　was　as　dour　and　grim　as
  Scotland　can　furnish　at　her　grimmes：　and　dourest。　　Here　is　a　specimen
  will　serve　as　well　as　another：　three　of　Gilderoy's　gang　had　been　hanged
  according　to　the　sentence　of　a　certain　Lord　of　Session；　and　the　Chieftain；
  for　his　own　vengeance　and　the　intimidation　of　justice；　resolved　upon　an
  exemplary　punishment。　　He　waylaid　the　Lord　of　Session；　emptied　his
  pockets；　killed　his　horses；　broke　his　coach　in　pieces；　and　having　bound　his
  lackeys；　drowned　them　in　a　pond。　　This　was　but　the　prelude　of　revenge；
  for　presently　（and　here　is　the　touch　of　humour）　he　made　the　Lord　of
  Session　ride　at　dead　of　night　to　the　gallows；　whereon　the　three　malefactors
  were　hanging。　　One　arm　of　the　crossbeams　was　still　untenanted。　　‘By
  my　soul；　mon；'　cried　Gilderoy　to　the　Lord　of　Session；　‘as　this　gibbet　is
  built　to　break　people's　craigs；　and　is　not　uniform　without　another；　I　must
  e'en　hang　you　upon　the　vacant　beam。'　　And　straightway　the　Lord　of
  Session　swung　in　the　moonlight；　and　Gilderoy　had　cracked　his　black　and
  solemn　joke。
  This　sense　of　fun　is　the　single　trait　which　relieves　the　colossal
  turpitude　of　Gilderoy。　　And；　though　even　his　turpitude　was　melodramatic
  in　its　lack　of　balance；　it　is　a　unity　of　character　which　is　the　foundation　of
  his　greatness。　　He　was　no　fumbler；　led　away　from　his　purpose　by　the　first
  diversion；　his　ambition　was　clear　before　him；　and　he　never　fell　below　it。
  He　defied　Scotland　for　fifteen　years；　was　hanged　so　high　that　he　passed
  into　a　proverb；　and　though　his　handsome；　sinister　face　might　have　made
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  women　his　slaves；　he　was　never　betrayed　by　passion　（or　by　virtue）　to　an
  amiability。
  II　SIXTEEN…STRING　JACK
  THE　‘Green　Pig'　stood　in　the　solitude　of　the　North　Road。　　Its　simple
  front；　its　neatly　balanced　windows；　curtained　with　white；　gave　it　an　air　of
  comfort　and　tranquillity。　　The　smoke　which　curled　from　its　hospitable
  chimney　spoke　of　warmth　and　good　fare。