he may be brought before
the Honourable Justice Foxley for examination, and, if necessary, for
commitment. Now, though a' this be fairly set down, as I tell ye, yet
where am I to get an officer to execute this warrant in sic a country as
this, where swords and pistols flee out at a word's speaking, and folk
care as little for the peace of King George as the peace of Auld King
Coul? There's that drunken skipper, and that wet Quaker, enticed me into
the public this morning, and because I wadna gie them' as much brandy as
wad have made them blind-drunk, they baith fell on me, and were in the
way of guiding me very ill.'

While Peter went on in this manner, Redgauntlet glanced his eye over the
warrant, and immediately saw that it must be a trick passed by Nicholas
Faggot, to cheat the poor insane wretch out of his solitary guinea. But
the Justice had actually subscribed it, as he did whatever his clerk
presented to him, and Redgauntlet resolved to use it for his own
purposes.

Without making any direct answer, therefore, to Peter Peebles, he walked
up gravely to Fairford, who had waited quietly for the termination of
a scene in which he was not a little surprised to find his client, Mr.
Peebles, a conspicuous actor.

'Mr. Fairford,' said Redgauntlet, 'there are many reasons which might
induce me to comply with the request, or rather the injunctions, of the
excellent Father Buonaventure, that I should communicate with you upon
the present condition of my ward, whom you know under the name of
Darsie Latimer; but no man is better aware than you that the law must be
obeyed, even in contradiction to our own feelings; now this poor man
has obtained a warrant for carrying you before a magistrate, and, I am
afraid, there is a necessity of your yielding to it, although to the
postponement of the business which you may have with me.'

'A warrant against me!' said Alan, indignantly; 'and at that poor
miserable wretch's instance?--why, this is a trick, a mere and most
palpable trick.'

'It may be so,' replied Redgauntlet, with great equanimity; 'doubtless
you know best; only the writ appears regular, and with that respect
for the law which has been,' he said, with hypocritical formality, 'a
leading feature of my character through life, I cannot dispense with
giving my poor aid to the support of a legal warrant. Look at it
yourself, and be satisfied it is no trick of mine.'

Fairford ran over the affidavit and the warrant, and th