hou poisoner by profession! if I thought that the puff of
vile breath thou hast left could blight for the tenth part of a minute
the fair fame of Catharine Glover, I would pound thee, quacksalver!
in thine own mortar, and beat up thy wretched carrion with flower of
brimstone, the only real medicine in thy booth, to make a salve to rub
mangy hounds with!"

"Hold, son Henry--hold!" cried the glover, in a tone of authority,
"no man has title to speak of this matter but me. Worshipful Bailie
Craigdallie, since such is the construction that is put upon my
patience, I am willing to pursue this riot to the uttermost; and though
the issue may prove that we had better have been patient, you will
all see that my Catharine hath not by any lightness or folly of hers
afforded grounds for this great scandal."

The bailie also interposed. "Neighbour Henry," said he, "we came here to
consult, and not to quarrel. As one of the fathers of the Fair City, I
command thee to forego all evil will and maltalent you may have against
Master Pottingar Dwining."

"He is too poor a creature, bailie," said Henry Gow, "for me to harbour
feud with--I that could destroy him and his booth with one blow of my
forehammer."

"Peace, then, and hear me," said the official. "We all are as much
believers in the honour of the Fair Maiden of Perth as in that of our
Blessed Lady." Here he crossed himself devoutly. "But touching our
appeal to our provost, are you agreed, neighbours, to put matter like
this into our provost's hand, being against a powerful noble, as is to
be feared?"

"The provost being himself a nobleman," squeaked the pottingar, in some
measure released from his terror by the intervention of the bailie.
"God knows, I speak not to the disparagement of an honourable gentleman,
whose forebears have held the office he now holds for many years--"

"By free choice of the citizens of Perth," said the smith, interrupting
the speaker with the tones of his deep and decisive voice.

"Ay, surely," said the disconcerted orator, "by the voice of the
citizens. How else? I pray you, friend Smith, interrupt me not. I speak
to our worthy and eldest bailie, Craigdallie, according to my poor
mind. I say that, come amongst us how he will, still this Sir Patrick
Charteris is a nobleman, and hawks will not pick hawks' eyes out. He may
well bear us out in a feud with the Highlandmen, and do the part of our
provost and leader against them; but whether he that him