beautiful in
its fulness and total freedom from the contaminating society of flasks or
tankards; then he turned a fearful eye on its laughing, rioting possessor,
and anon sought again the face of the saint.

"Hast lost thine ancient spirit, Rob Paterson?" said the stranger. What
hath that spare figure, made of dry wood, to do with the mellow fuddling of
our noses? Come, man--Time flies; let us wet his wings, and keep him
fluttering a while over our heads.

"'With an O and an I,
Now are we furder found,
Drink thou to me, and I to thee,
And let the cup go round.'"

"But wha, in the Devil's name, are ye?" now said Rob Paterson, after many
an ineffectual effort to put the question.

"Ha! ha!" answered the stranger, "does Rob Paterson ask a man who is
introduced by this friend of noble red-blood, who he is? Why, man, I am Rob
Paterson's tosspot. Isn't that enough?"

"No quite," answered Rob, drawing nearer the Virgin. "Satan himself might
use the same words; and I crave the liberty to say in your presence, that I
hae nae wish to be on drinking terms wi' his Majesty."

And Rob eyed him fearfully as he thus alluded to the subject of the town's
fears, and again sought the face of the saint.

"Ah, Rob Paterson, my once cherished toper," replied the stranger, "I
sorrow for thy change. Thine ancient spirit has left thee, and thou hast
taken up with wooden idols, in place of the well-filled jolly bottle of thy
and my former love. Well, may the Devil take on for't!--I care not. Thou
mayst repent of thy folly when I am gone.

"'Robene thou has hard soung and say,
In gesties and stories auld--
The man that will not quhen he may,
Sall haif nocht quhen he wald.'"

Never mair, Rob Paterson, shalt thou have offer of spirit of wine. It shall
go there first!"

And, taking a mouthful of the red liquor, the stranger squirted it in the
fire, and raised a mighty flame that flared out into the very middle of the
street, and produced another echoing cry or scream from the terrified
inhabitants. He departed in an instant, and left Rob in a state of
agitation he had never felt before at the departure of a guest with a
well-filled bottle of good liquor.

The stranger passed out at the door with his usual bold precipitude, and
again plied his long limbs in making huge strides along the street, for the
house of another crony. He took no notice of the extraordinary demeanour of
the inhabitants, w