uts in ilka body's faces." The
policeman was disgusted and discouraged by three days of wet clothing,
and he would have to go out into the rain again before he got dry.
Nothing occurred to him to talk about but grievances.

"Did ye ken the Laird Provost, Maister Chambers, is intendin' to knock
a lang hole aboon the tap o' the Coogate wynds? It wull mak' a braid
street ye can leuk doon frae yer doorway here. The gude auld days
gangin' doon in a muckle dust!"

"Ay, the sun will peep into foul places it hasn't seen sin' Queen Mary's
day. And, Davie, it would be more according to the gude auld customs
you're so fond of to call Mr. William Chambers 'Glenormiston' for his
bit country place."

"He's no' a laird."

"Nae; but he'll be a laird the next time the Queen shows her bonny face
north o' the Tweed. Tak' 'a cup o' kindness' with me, man. Hot tay will
tak' the cauld out of vour disposeetion." Mr. Traill pulled a bell-cord
and Ailie, unused as yet to bells, put her startled little face in at
the door to the scullery. At sight of the policeman she looked more than
ever like a scared rabbit, and her hands shook when she set the tray
down before him. A tenement child grew up in an atmosphere of hostility
to uniformed authority, which seldom appeared except to interfere with
what were considered personal affairs.

The tea mollified the dour man, but there was one more rumbling. "I'm
no' denyin' the Provost's gude-hearted. Ance he got up a hame for
gaen-aboot dogs, an' he had naethin' to mak' by that. But he canna keep
'is spoon oot o' ilka body's porridge. He's fair daft to tear doon the
wa's that cut St. Giles up into fower, snod, white kirks, an' mak' it
the ane muckle kirk it was in auld Papist days. There are folk that say,
gin he doesna leuk oot, anither kale wifie wull be throwin' a bit stool
at 'is meddlin' heid."

"Eh, nae doubt. There's aye a plentifu' supply o' fules in the warld."

Seeing his good friend so well entertained, and needing his society no
longer, Bobby got up, wagged his tail in farewell, and started toward
the door. Mr. Traill summoned the little maid and spoke to her kindly:
"Give Bobby a bone, lassie, and then open the door for him."

In carrying out these instructions Ailie gave the policeman as wide
leeway as possible and kept a wary eye upon him. The officer's duties
were chiefly up on High Street. He seldom crossed the bridge, and it
happened that he had never seen Bobby before. Just by w