he set up to be
a judge of music and poetry, for which he had as vile an ear as could
be conceived; and to hear him read from Ramsay or Fergusson was an
infliction not unnecessarily to be borne. One night, I remember, in
'86, Burns and I stopped at Pitcairn's on our way home from Creech's
and got him to read Leith Races and Caller Oysters, and Rab afterward
went out and rolled over and over in a snow-drift, roaring with
laughter, till some of the town-guard, who chanced to be going by, were
for arresting him on the charge of drunkenness.

It may be easily judged from this description that my friend Sandy and
he were at opposite poles from each other, as I have said, and as time
passed this dislike increased until it became the chiefest vexation of
my life. If I mentioned Hugh's name to Sandy, he would maintain a
disdainful silence or turn the talk with abruptness; while if Sandy's
name was spoken before Pitcairn, the great lawyer would raise his
eyebrows, shrug his shoulders, or make some biting criticism which
rendered me resentful and highly uncomfortable as well.

As soon as I was firmly fixed in my old home again, Pitcairn began to
drop in on me, as his practise had been before my marriage, and his
attitude to Nancy was a thing humorous to see. Hers to him was not
without its droll side as well, for when he was present, especially if
he talked of his cases, the child would sit on a stool, with some live
thing held in her lap, literally devouring him with her eyes as he
narrated the story of some criminal whom he had hanged or transported.
I have seen her imitate his gesture as he talked, and sigh with relief
when the jury handed in its verdict and the culprit's doom was finally
settled. It was not long, however, before she evinced a strong dislike
to being left alone with him, and if I had occasion to leave the room
where the three of us were together she would invariably follow me.

In an unfortunate moment, driving by the old court in a pony chaise, I
stopped, knowing that Pitcairn had a case on, and took Nancy in "to see
him at his work." Every little while after that I would find her
disappeared from the house, and on going to the court would see her
midget pony fastened outside, and the little chestnut head and big gray
eyes looking over the back of the high bench in front; for the
officers, who knew she was my daughter, soon grew to understand her
ways and let her in without parley. I can solemnly affirm th