ffair was like to end.

"Pray, wha are you, sir?" said Donald, putting his hands in his sides,
and looking through his specks upon Mr. Weft, like a deevil incarnit.
"Wha are you, sir, that daar to speak to me in this manner?"

"Wha am I?" said the ither, drapping the remnant of the paper, which
was burnin' close to his fingers. "I am Saunders Weft, manufacturir In
Hamilton--that's what I am."

"And I am Tonald Campbell, piper's sister's son to his grace the
great, grand Tuke of Argyle," thundered out the Heelandman, wi' a
voice that was fearsome to hear.

"And what about that?" quo' Mr. Weft, rather snappishly, as I thocht.
"If ye were the great, grand Duke of Argyle himself, as ye ca' him,
I'll no permit you to kick up a dust in my shop."

"Ye scounrel," said Donald, seizing Mr. Weft by the throat, and
shaking him till he tottered like an aspen leaf, "div ye mean to speak
ill of his grace the Tuke of Argyle?" And he gi'ed him anither
shake--then, laying haud of his nose, he swore that he would pu't as
lang as a cow's tail, if he didna that instant restore him his lost
property. At this sicht I began to grew a' ower, and now saw the
needcessity of stapping ben, and saving my employer frae farther
damage, bodily and itherwise. Nae sooner had I made my appearance than
Donald let go his grip of Mr. Weft's nose, and the latter, in a great
passion, cried out, "William M'Gee, I tak ye to witness what I hae
sufferit frae this bluid-thirsty Heelandman! It's no to be endured in
a Christian country. I'll hae the law of him, that I will. I'll be
whuppit but I'll hae amends, although it costs me twenty pounds!"

"What's the matter?" quo' I, pretending ignorance of the haill
concern. "What, in the name of Nebuchadnezzar, has set ye thegither by
the lugs?" Then Mr. Weft began his tale, how he had been collared and
weel nigh thrappled in his ain shop;--then the ither tauld how, in the
first place, Mr. Weft's grandfather, as he ca'd Nosey, had stolen his
note, and how, in the second place, Mr. Weft himsell had insulted the
great, grand Duke of Argyle. In a word, there was a desperate kick-up
between them, the ane threeping that he would tak the law of the ither
immediately. Na, in this respect Donald gaed the greatest lengths, for
he swore that, rather than be defeat, he wad carry his cause to the
house of lords, although it cost him thretty pounds sterling. I now
saw it was time to put in a word.

"Houts-touts, gentlemen," quo