acute metaphysical judge, though somewhat coarse in
his manners, aside to his brethren. 'This is a daft cause,
Bladderskate--first, it drives the poor man mad that aught it--then your
nevoy goes daft with fright, and flies the pit--then this smart young
hopeful is aff the hooks with too hard study, I fancy--and now auld
Saunders Fairford is as lunatic as the best of them. What say ye till't,
ye bitch?'

'Nothing, my lord,' answered Bladderskate, much too formal to admire the
levities in which his philosophical brother sometimes indulged--'I say
nothing, but pray to Heaven to keep our own wits.'

'Amen, amen,' answered his learned brother; 'for some of us have but few
to spare.'

The court then arose, and the audience departed, greatly wondering at
the talent displayed by Alan Fairford at his first appearance in a case
so difficult and so complicated, and assigning a hundred conjectural
causes, each different from the others, for the singular interruption
which had clouded his day of success. The worst of the whole was, that
six agents, who had each come to the separate resolution of thrusting a
retaining fee into Alan's hand as he left the court, shook their heads
as they returned the money into their leathern pouches, and said, 'that
the lad was clever, but they would like to see more of him before they
engaged him in the way of business--they did not like his lowping away
like a flea in a blanket.'

CHAPTER II

Had our friend Alexander Fairford known the consequences of his son's
abrupt retreat from the court, which are mentioned in the end of the
last chapter, it might have accomplished the prediction of the lively
old judge, and driven him utterly distracted. As it was, he was
miserable enough. His son had risen ten degrees higher in his estimation
than ever by his display of juridical talents, which seemed to assure
him that the applause of the judges and professors of the law, which, in
his estimation, was worth that of all mankind besides, authorized to
the fullest extent the advantageous estimate which even his parental
partiality had been induced to form of Alan's powers. On the other hand,
he felt that he was himself a little humbled, from a disguise which he
had practised towards this son of his hopes and wishes.

The truth was, that on the morning of this eventful day, Mr. Alexander
Fairford had received from his correspondent and friend, Provost Crosbie
of Dumfries, a letter of the following t