r brother, worthy Lord Bladderskate, whilk
ye are aware sounds as like being akin to a peatship [Formerly, a
lawyer, supposed to be under the peculiar patronage of any particular
judge, was invidiously termed his PEAT or PET.] and a sheriffdom, as a
sieve is sib to a riddle. Now, Peter Drudgeit, my lord's clerk, came to
me this morning in the House, like ane bereft of his wits; for it seems
that young Dumtoustie is ane of the Poor's lawyers, and Peter Peebles's
process had been remitted to him of course. But so soon as the
harebrained goose saw the pokes [Process-bags.] (as indeed, Alan, they
are none of the least) he took fright, called for his nag, lap on, and
away to the country is he gone; and so? said Peter, my lord is at his
wit's end wi' vexation, and shame, to see his nevoy break off the course
at the very starting. "I'll tell you, Peter," said I, "were I my lord,
and a friend or kinsman of mine should leave the town while the court
was sitting, that kinsman, or be he what he liked, should never darken
my door again." And then, Alan, I thought to turn the ball our own way;
and I said that you were a gey sharp birkie, just off the irons, and if
it would oblige my lord, and so forth, you would open Peter's cause on
Tuesday, and make some handsome apology for the necessary absence of
your learned friend, and the loss which your client and the court had
sustained, and so forth. Peter lap at the proposition like a cock at a
grossart; for, he said, the only chance was to get a new hand, that did
not ken the charge he was taking upon him; for there was not a lad of
two sessions' standing that was not dead-sick of Peter Peebles and his
cause; and he advised me to break the matter gently to you at the
first; but I told him you were, a good bairn, Alan, and had no will and
pleasure in these matters but mine.'

What could I say, Darsie, in answer to this arrangement, so very well
meant--so very vexatious at the same time? To imitate the defection and
flight of young Dumtoustie, was at once to destroy my father's hopes
of me for ever; nay, such is the keenness with which he regards all
connected with his profession, it might have been a step to breaking
his heart. I was obliged, therefore, to bow in sad acquiescence, when my
father called to James Wilkinson to bring the two bits of pokes he would
find on his table.

Exit James, and presently re-enters, bending under the load of two huge
leathern bags, full of papers to the