"Oh, the clever little curse!" cried Corp, and Elspeth's delight was as ecstatic, though differently worded.

Yet Gavinia stuck to her problem, "How did you do it, what was it you did ?" and the cruel McLean said: "You may tell her, Tommy; you have my permission." It would have been an awkward position for most boys, and even Tommy--but next moment he said, quite coolly: "I think you and me and Miss Ailie should keep it to oursels, Gavinia's sic a gossip." "Oh, how thoughtful of him!" cried Miss Ailie, the deceived, and McLean said: "How very thoughtful!" but now he saw in a flash why Mr.Cathro still had hopes that Tommy might carry a bursary.
Thus was the repentant McLean pardoned, and nothing remained for him to do save to show the crew his Lair, which they had sworn to destroy.

He had behaved so splendidly that they had forgotten almost that they were the emissaries of justice, but not to destroy the Lair seemed a pity, it would be such a striking way of bringing their adventures in the Den to a close.

The degenerate Stuart read this feeling in their faces, and he was ready, he said, to show them his Lair if they would first point it out to him; but here was a difficulty, for how could they do that?
For a moment it seemed as if the negotiations must fall through; but Sandys, that captain of resource, invited McLean to step aside for a private conference, and when they rejoined the others McLean said, gravely, that he now remembered where the Lair was and would guide them to it.
They had only to cross a plank, invisible in the mist until they were close to it, and climb a slippery bank strewn with fallen trees.

McLean, with a mock serious air, led the way, Miss Ailie on his arm.