in their idle wantonness; so
I was obliged for that night to disappoint Edie Macfarlane of the pair of
black spatterdashes he was so anxious to get finished, for dancing in
next day, at Souple Jack the carpenter's grand penny-wedding.

Seeing that little more good was to be expected till morning, I came to
the resolution of shutting-in half-an-hour earlier than usual; so, as I
was carrying out the shop-shutters, with my hat over my cowl, for it was
desperately sharp, I mostly in my hurry knocked down an old man, that was
coming up to ask me, "if I was Maister Wauch the tailor and furnisher."

Having told him that I was myself, instead of a better; and having asked
him to step in, that I might have a glimpse of his face at the candle, I
saw that he was a stranger, dressed in a droll auld-farrant green livery-
coat, faced with white. His waistcoat was cut in the Parly-voo fashion,
with long lappels, and a double row of buttons down the breast; and round
his neck he had a black corded stock, such like, but not so broad, as I
afterwards wore in the volunteers, when drilling under Big Sam. He had a
well-worn scraper on his head, peaked before and behind, with a bit crape
knotted round it, which he politely took off, making a low bow; and
requesting me to bargain with him for a few articles of grand second-hand
apparel, which once belonged to his master that was deceased, and which
was now carried by himself, in a bundle under his left oxter.

Happening never to make a trade of dealing in this line, and not very
sure like as to how the old man might have come by the bundle in these
riotous and knock-him-down times, I swithered a moment, giving my chin a
rub, before answering; and then advised him to take a step in at his
leisure to St Mary's Wynd, where he would meet in with merchants in
scores. But no; he seemed determined to strike a bargain with me; and I
heard from the man's sponsible and feasible manner of speech--for he was
an old weatherbeaten-looking body of a creature, with gleg een, a cock
nose, white locks, and a tye behind--that the clothes must have been left
him, as a kind of friendly keepsake, by his master, now beneath the
mools. Thinking by this, that if I got them at a wanworth, I might
boldly venture, I condescended to his loosing down the bundle, which was
in a blue silk napkin with yellow flowers. As he was doing this, he told
me that he was on his way home from the north to his own country, which
l