"Never heard of such a thing, master," said the landlord, and was about to trudge onward; when the guest, detaining him, said, in a strong Scottish tone, "Ye will maybe have nae whey then, nor buttermilk, nor ye couldna exhibit a souter's clod?"

Can't tell what ye are talking about, master,' said Crackenthorp.

"Then ye will have nae breakfast that will come within the compass of a shilling Scots?"

"Which is a penny sterling," answered Crackenthorp, with a sneer. Why, no, Sawney, I can't say as we have we can't afford it; but you shall have a bellyful for love, as we say in the bull-ring."

"I shall never refuse a fair offer," said the povertystricken guest; "and I will say that for the English, if they were deils, that they are a ceeveleesed people to gentlemen that are under a cloud."

Gentlemen!-humph!" said Crackenthorp-"not a bluecap among them but halts upon that foot." Then seizing on a dish which still contained a huge cantle of what had been once a princely mutton pasty, he placed it on the table before the stranger, saying, "There, master gentleman; there is what is worth all the black pies, as you call them, that were ever made of sheep's head."

"Sheep's head is a gude thing, for a' that," replied the guest; but not being spoken so loud as to offend his hospitable entertainer, the interjection might pass for a private protest against the scandal thrown out against the standing dish of Caledonia.

This premised, he immediately began to transfer the mutton and pie-crust from his plate to his lips, in such huge gobbets, as if he was refreshing after a three days' fast, and laying in provisions against a whole Lent to come.

Joshua Geddes in his turn gazed on him with surprise, having never, he thought, beheld such a gaunt expression of hunger in the act of eating. Friend," he said, after watching him for some minutes, "if thou gorgest thyself in this fashion, thou wilt assuredly choke. Wilt thou not take a draught out of my cup to help down all that dry meat?" Troth," said the stranger, stopping, and looking at the friendly propounder, that's nae bad overture, as they say in the General Assembly. I have heard waur motions than that frae wiser counsel."

Mr. Geddes ordered a quart of home-brewed to be placed before our friend Peter Peebles; for the reader must have already conceived that this unfortunate litigant was the wanderer in question.

The victim of Themis had no sooner seen the flagon than he seized it with the same energy which he had displayed in operating upon the pie-puffed off the froth with such emphasis, that some of it lighted on Mr. Geddes's head-and then said, as if with a sudden recollection of what was due to civility, "Here's to ye, friend.--What! are ye ower grand to give me an answer, or are ye dull o' hearing?"

"I prithee drink thy liquor, friend," said the good Quaker; "thou meanest it in civility, but we care not for these idle fashions."

"What! ye are a Quaker, are ye?" said Peter; and without further ceremony reared the flagon to his head, from which he withdrew it not while a single drop of "barley-broo" remained.-"That's done you and me muckle gude," he said, sighing as he set down his pot; "but twa mutchkins o' yill between twa folk is a drappie ower little measure. What say ye to anither pot? or shall we cry in a blithe Scots pint at ance?-The yill is no amiss.'

"Thou mayst call for what thou wilt on thine own charges, friend," said Geddes; "for myself, I willingly contribute to the quenching of thy natural thirst; but I fear it were no such easy matter to relieve thy acquired and artificial drouth."

"That is to say in plain terms, ye are for withdrawing your caution with the folk of the house? You Quaker folk are but fause comforters; but since

Not a drop at my cost, friend," quoth Geddes. "Thou art an old man, and hast, perchance, a heavy and long journey before thee. Thou art, moreover, my countryman, as I judge from thy tongue; and I will not give thee the means of dishonouring thy gray hairs in a strange land."

"Gray hairs, neighbour!" said Peter, with a wink to the bystanders,-whom this dialogue began to interest, and who were in hopes of seeing the Quaker played off by the crazed beggar, for such Peter Pæ bles appeared to be,-"Gray hairs! The Lord mend your eyesight, neighbour, that disna ken gray hairs frae a tow wig!"

This jest procured a shout of laughter, and, what was still more acceptable than dry applause, a man who stood beside called out, "Father Crackenthorp, bring a nipperkin of brandy. I'll bestow a dram on this fellow, were it but for that very word."

The brandy was immediately brought by a wench who acted as bar-maid; and Peter, with a grin of delight, filled a glass, quaffed it off, and then saying, "God bless me! I was so unmannerly as not to drink to ye-I think the Quaker has smitten me wi' his illbred havings," he was about to fill another, when his hand was arrested by his new friend; who said at the same time, "No, no, friend-fair play's a jeweltime about, if you please." And filling a glass for himself, emptied it as gallantly as Peter could have done. "What say you to that, friend?" he continued, addressing the Quaker.

"Nay, friend," answered Joshua, "it went down thy throat, not mine; and I have nothing to say abent what concerns me not; but if thou art a man of humanity, thou wilt not give this poor creature the means of debauchery. Bethink thee that they will spurn him from the door, as they would do a houseless and masterless dog, and that he may die on the sands or on the common. And if he has through thy means been rendered incapable of helping himself thou shalt not be innocent of his blood."

"Faith, Broadbrim, I believe thou art right, and the old gentleman in the flaxen jazy shall have no more of the comforter-Besides, we have business in hand to-day, and this fellow, for as mad as he looks may have a nose on his face after all.-Hark ye, father.— what is your name, and what brings you into such an out-of-the-way corner?"

"I am not just free to condescend on my name," said Peter; "and as for my business-there is a wee dribble of brandy in the stoup-it would be wrang to leave it to the lass-it is learning her bad usages.

Well, thou shalt have the brandy, and be d-d to thee, if thou wilt tell me what you art making here."

Seeking a young advocate chap that they ca' Alan Fairford, that has played me a slippery trick, an ye maun yen, a' about the cause," said Peter.

An advocate, man!" answered the Captain of the Jumping Jenny-for it was he, and no other, who had taken compassion on Peter's drought; "why, Lord help thee, thou art on the wrong side of the Frith to seek advocates, whom I take to be Scottish lawyers, not English."

“English lawyers, man!" exclaimed Peter, the deil a lawyer's in a' England."

66

"I wish from my soul it were true," said Ewart; 'but what the devil put that in your head?"

"Lord, man, I got a grip of ane of their attorneys in Carlisle, and he tauld me that there wasna a lawyer in England, ony mair than himsell, that kend the nature of a multiplepoinding! And when I tauld him how this loopy lad, Alan Fairford, had served me, he said I might bring an action on the case-just as if the case hadna as mony actions already as one case can weel carry. By my word, it is a gude case, and muckle has it borne, in its day, of various procedurebut it's the barley-pickle breaks the naig's back, and wi' my consent it shall not hae ony mair burden laid upon it.'

"But this Alan Fairford ?" said Nanty-"come

sip up the drop of brandy, man, and tell me some more about him, and whether you are seeking him for good or for harm."

"For my ain gude, and for his harm, to be sure," said Peter. Think of his having left my cause in the dead-thraw between the tyneing and the winning, and capering off into Cumberland here, after a wild loup-the-tether lad they ca' Darsie Latimer." "Darsic Latimer!" said Mr. Geddes, hastily; "do you know any thing of Darsie Latimer?"

"Maybe I do, and may be I do not," answered Peter; "I am not free to answer every body's interrogatory, unless it is put judicially, and by form of law-specially where folk think so much of a caup of sour yill, or a thimblefu' of brandy. But as for this gentleman, that has shown himself a gentleman at breakfast, and will show himself a gentleman at the meridian, I am free to condescend upon any points in the cause that may appear to bear upon the question at issue.'

Why, all I want to know from you, my friend, is whether you are seeking to do this Mr. Alan Fairford good or harm; because if you come to do him good, I think you could maybe get speech of him--and if to do him harm, I will take the liberty to give you a cast across the Frith, with fair warning not to come back on such an errand, lest worse come of it."

The manner and language of Ewart were such, that Joshua Geddes resolved to keep cautious silence, till he could more plainly discover whether he was likely to aid or impede him in his researches after Darsie Latimer. He therefore determined to listen attentively to what should pass between Peter and the seaman, and to watch for an opportunity of questioning the former, so soon as he should be separated from his new acquaintance.

"I wad by no means," said Peter Peebles, "do any substantial harm to the poor lad Fairford, who has had mony a gowd guinea of mine, as weel as his father before him; but I wad hae him brought back to the minding of my business and his ain; and maybe I wadna insist farther in my action of damages against him, than for refounding the fees, and for some annual rent on the principal sum, due frae the day on which he should have recovered it for ine, plack and bawbee, at the great advising; for, ye are aware, that is the least that I can ask nomine damni; and I have nae thought to break down the lad bodily a' thegither-we maun live and let live-forgie and forget.'

"The deuce take me, friend Broadbrim," said Nanty Ewart, looking to the Quaker, "if I can make out what this old scarecrow means. If I thought it was fitting that Master Fairford should see him, why perhaps it is a matter that could be inanaged. Do you know any thing about the old fellow ?-you seemed to take some charge of him just now."

"No more than I should have done by any one in distress," said Geddes, not sorry to be appealed to; "but I will try what I can do to find out who he is, and what he is about in this country-But are we not a little too public in this open room?"

"It's well thought of," said Nanty; and at his command the bar-maid ushered the party into a sidebooth, Peter attending them, in the instinctive hope that there would be more liquor drank among them before parting. They had scarce sat down in their new apartment, when the sound of a violin was heard in the room which they had just left.

"I'll awa back yonder," said Peter, rising up again; "yon's the sound of a fiddle, and where there is music, there's aye something ganging to eat or drink.",

I am just going to order something here," said the Quaker; but, in the mean time, have you any objection, my good friend, to tell us your name?"

cording to the fashion of the time, contained the generous liquor freshly drawn from the butt.

Nay, hold, friend," said Joshua, "thou hast not yet told me what name and surname I am to cail thee by."

"D-d sly in the Quaker," said Nanty, apart, "to make him to pay for his liquor before he gives it him. Now, I am such a fool, that I should have let him get too drunk to open his mouth, before I thought of asking him a question."

"My name is Peter Peebles, then," said the litigant. rather sulkily, as one who thought his liquor too sparingly meted out to him; "and what have you to say to that?"

Peter Peebles?" repeated Nanty Ewart, and seemed to muse upon something which the words brought to his remembrance, while the Quaker pursued his examination.

"But I prithee, Peter Peebles, what is thy further designation?-Thou knowest, in our country, that some men are distinguished by their craft and calling, as cordwainers, fishers, weavers, or the like, and some by their titles as proprietors of lands, (which savours of vanity)-Now, how may you be distinguished from others of the same name?"

"As Peter Peebles of the great plea of Poor Peter Peebles against Plainstanes, et per contra-if I am laird of naething else, I am aye a dominus litis." "It's but a poor lairdship, I doubt," said Joshua. "Pray, Mr. Peebles," said Nanty, interrupting the conversation abruptly, were not you once a burgess of Edinburgh ?"

"Was I a burgess !" said Peter, indignantly, "and am I not a burgess even now? I have done nothing to forfeit my right, I trow-once provost and aye my lord."

"Well, Mr. Burgess, tell me farther, have you not some property in the Gude Town?" continued Ewart. "Troth have I-that is, before my misfortunes, I had twa or three bonny bits of mailings amang the closes and wynds, forby the shop and the story abune it. But Plainstanes has put me to the causeway now. Never mind though, I will be upsides with him yet." "Had not you once a tenement in the Covenant Close ?" again demanded Nanty.

"You have hit it, lad, though ye look not like a Covenanter," said Peter; "we'll drink to its memory[Hout! the heart's at the mouth o' that ill-faur'd bit stoup already!]-it brought a rent, reckoning from the crawstep to the groundsill, that ye might ca' fourteen punds a-year, forby the laigh cellar that was let to Lucky Littleworth."

And do you not remember that you had a poor old lady for your tenant, Mrs. Cantrips of Kittlebasket?" said Nanty, suppressing his emotion with difficulty.

"Remember! G-d, I have gude cause to remember her," said Peter, "for she turned a dyvour on my hands, the auld besom! and, after a' that the law could do to make me satisfied and paid, in the way of poinding and distrenzieing, and sae forth, as the law will, she ran away to the Charity Workhouse, a matter of twenty punds Scots in my debt-it's a great shame and oppression that Charity Workhouse, taking in bankrupt dyvours that canna pay their honest creditors."

"Methinks, friend," said the Quaker, "thine own rags might teach thee compassion for other people's nakedness."

"Rags!" said Peter, taking Joshua's words literally; "does ony wise body put on their best coat when they are travelling, and keeping company with Quakers, and such other cattle as the road affords ?" "The old lady died, I have heard," said Nanty, affecting a moderation which was belied by accents that faltered with passion.

"And you-you that are now yourself trodden down in the very kennel, are you not sorry for what you have done? Do you not repent having occasioned the poor widow-woman's death?”

"What for should I repent?" said Peter; "the law was on my side-a decrect of the Bailies' followed by poinding, and an act of warding-a suspension intended, and the letters found orderly proceeded.-I followed the auld rudas through twa Courts-she cost me mair money than her lugs were worth."

Now, by Heaven!" said Nanty, "I would give a thousand guineas, if I had them, to have you worth my beating! Had you said you repented, it had been between God and your conscience; but to hear you boast of your villany-Do you think it little to have reduced the aged to famine, and the young to infamy to have caused the death of one woman, the ruin of another, and to have driven a man to exile and despair? By Him that made me, I can scarce keep hands off you!"

"Off me?-I defy ye!" said Peter. "I take this honest inan to witness, that if ye stir the neck of my collar, I will have my action for stouthreif, spulzie, oppression, assault and battery. Here's a bra' din, indeed, about an auld wife gaun to the grave, a young limmer to the close-heads and causeway, and a sticket stibbler* to the sea instead of the gallows!"

"Now, by my soul," said Nanty, "this is too much! and since you can feel no otherwise, I will try if I cannot beat some humanity into your head and shoulders."

He drew his hanger as he spoke, and although Joshua, who had in vain endeavoured to interrupt the dialogue, to which he foresaw a violent termination, now threw himself between Nanty and the old litigant, he could not prevent the latter from receiving two or three sound slaps over the shoulder with the flat side of the weapon.

noitering the party, he might discover if his friend Darsie was among them.

The reader is aware that, by doing so, he had an opportunity of breaking Darsie's fall from his sidesaddle, although his disguise and mask prevented his recognising his friend. It may be also recollected, that while Nixon hurried Miss Redgauntlet and her brother into the house, their uncle, somewhat chafed at an unexpected and inconvenient interrupton, remained himself in parley with Fairford, who had already successively addressed him by the names of Herries and Redgauntlet; neither of which, any more than the acquaintance of the young lawyer, he seemed at the moment willing to acknowledge, though an air of haughty indifference, which he assumed, could not conceal his vexation and embarrassment.

"If we must needs be acquainted, sir," he said at last-" for which I am unable to see any necessity, especially as I am now particularly disposed to be private-I must entreat you will tell me at once what you have to say, and permit me to attend to matters of more importance."

'My introduction," said Fairford, "is contained in this letter,"--(delivering that of Maxwell.)—“I am convinced that, under whatever name it may be your pleasure for the present to be known, it is into your hands, and yours only, that it should be delivered."

Redgauntlet turned the letter in his hand-then read the contents-then again looked upon the letter, and sternly observed, "The seal of the letter has been broken. Was this the case, sir, when it was delivered into your hand?"

CHAPTER XXI.

NARRATIVE OF ALAN FAIRFORD.

OUR readers may recollect, that Fairford had been conducted by Dick Gardener from the House of Fairladies, to the inn of old Father Crackenthorp, in order, as he had been informed by the mysterious Father Buonaventure, that he might have the meeting which he desired with Mr. Redgauntlet, to treat with him for the liberty of his friend Darsie. His guide, by the special direction of Mr. Ambrose, had introduced him into the public-house by a back-door, and recommended to the landlord to accommodate him with a private apartment, and to treat him with all civility; but in other respects to keep his eye on him, and even to secure his person, if he saw any reason to suspect him to be a spy. He was not, however, subjected to any direct restraint, but was ushered into an apartment, where he was requested to await the arrival of the gentleman with whom he wished to have an interview, and who, as Crackenthorp assured him with a significant nod, would be certainly there in the course of an hour. In the mean while, he recommended to him, with another significant sign, to keep his apartment, "as there were people in the house who were apt to busy themselves about other folk's matters."

Alan Fairford complied with the recommendation, so long as he thought it reasonable; but when, among a large party riding up to the house, he discerned Redgauntlet, whom he had seen under the name of Mr. Herries of Birrenswork, and whom, by his height and strength, he easily distinguished front the rest, he thought it proper to go down to the front of the house, in hopes that, by more closely reconA student of divinity who has not been able to complete

his studies on theology.

those to whom such letter might be addressed, bat from respect to myself."

"That is well worded," said Redgauntlet; "and vet, young Mr. Counsellor, I doubt whether your delicacy prevented your reading my letter, or listening to the contents as read by some other person after it was opened."

"I certainly did hear the contents read over," said Fairford; and they were such as to surprise me a good deal."

"Now that," said Redgauntlet, "I hold to be pretty much the same, in foro conscientia, as if you had broken the seal yourself. I shall hold myself excused from entering upon farther discourse with a messenger so faithless; and you may thank yourself if your journey has been fruitless.'

Stay, sir," said Fairford; " and know that I became acquainted with the contents of the paper without my consent-I may even say against my wil; for Mr. Buonaventure"

"Who?" demanded Redgauntlet, in a wild and alarmed manner-" Whom was it you named?"

"Father Buonaventure," said Alan,-"a Catholie priest, as I apprehend, whom I saw at the Miss Arthorets' house, called Fairladies."

"Miss Arthurets!-Fairladies!-A Catholic priest! -Father Buonaventure!" said Redgauntlet, repeating the words of Alan with astonishment,-"Is it pas sible that human rashness can reach such a point of infatuation?-Tell me the truth, I conjure you, sir-1 have the deepest interest to know whether this is more than an idle legend, picked up from hearsay about the country. You are a lawyer, and know the risk incurred by the Catholic clergy, whom the discharge of their duty sends to these bloody shores."

"I am a lawyer, certainly," said Fairford; "but my holding such a respectable condition in life warrants that I am neither an informer nor a spy. Here is sufficient evidence that I have seen Father Buonaventure."

He put Buonaventure's letter into Redgauntlet's