would say, Alan. But that is not the way
either--ye must walk the hospitals--ye must cure Lazarus--ye must cut
and carve on a departed subject, to show your skill.'

'I am sure,' I replied, 'I will undertake the cause of any poor man with
pleasure, and bestow as much pains upon it as if it were a duke's; but
for the next two or three days'--

'They must be devoted to close study, Alan--very close study indeed; for
ye must stand primed for a hearing, IN PRESENTIA DOMINORUM, upon Tuesday
next.'

'I, sir?' I replied in astonishment--'I have not opened my mouth in the
Outer House yet!'

'Never mind the court of the Gentiles, man,' said my father; 'we will
have you into the Sanctuary at once--over shoes, over boots.'

'But, sir, I should really spoil any cause thrust on me so hastily.'

'Ye cannot spoil it, Alan,' said my father, rubbing his hands with much
complacency; 'that is the very cream of the business, man--it is just,
as I said before, a subject upon whilk all the TYRONES have been trying
their whittles for fifteen years; and as there have been about ten or a
dozen agents concerned, and each took his own way, the case is come to
that pass, that Stair or Amiston could not mend it; and I do not think
even you, Alan, can do it much harm--ye may get credit by it, but ye can
lose none.'

'And pray what is the name of my happy client, sir?' said I,
ungraciously enough, I believe.

'It is a well-known name in the Parliament House,' replied my father.
'To say the truth, I expect him every moment; it is Peter Peebles.' [See
Note 4.]

'Peter Peebles!' exclaimed I, in astonishment; 'he is an insane
beggar--as poor as Job, and as mad as a March hare!'

'He has been pleaing in the court for fifteen years,' said my father, in
a tone of commiseration, which seemed to acknowledge that this fact
was enough to account for the poor man's condition both in mind and
circumstances.

'Besides, sir,' I added, 'he is on the Poor's Roll; and you know there
are advocates regularly appointed to manage those cases; and for me to
presume to interfere'--

'Whisht, Alan!--never interrupt the court--all THAT is managed for ye
like a tee'd ball' (my father sometimes draws his similes from his once
favourite game of golf); 'you must know, Alan, that Peter's cause was
to have been opened by young Dumtoustie--ye may ken the lad, a son of
Dumtoustie of that ilk, member of Parliament for the county of--, and a
nephew of the laird's younge