ct in hand.

"Indeed is it no, Mr. Bindloose," said Meg; "but it is e'en about this
unhappy callant that I spoke to you about.--Ye maun ken I have cleiket a
particular fancy to this lad, Francis Tirl--a fancy that whiles
surprises my very sell, Mr. Bindloose, only that there is nae sin in
it."

"None--none in the world, Mrs. Dods," said the lawyer, thinking at the
same time within his own mind, "Oho! the mist begins to clear up--the
young poacher has hit the mark, I see--winged the old barren grey
hen!--ay, ay,--a marriage-contract, no doubt--but I maun gie her
line.--Ye are a wise woman, Mrs. Dods," he continued aloud, "and can
doubtless consider the chances and the changes of human affairs."

"But I could never have considered what has befallen this puir lad, Mr.
Bindloose," said Mrs. Dods, "through the malice of wicked men.--He
lived, then, at the Cleikum, as I tell you, for mair than a fortnight,
as quiet as a lamb on a lea-rig--a decenter lad never came within my
door--ate and drank eneugh for the gude of the house, and nae mair than
was for his ain gude, whether of body or soul--cleared his bills ilka
Saturday at e'en, as regularly as Saturday came round."

"An admirable customer, no doubt, Mrs. Dods," said the lawyer.

"Never was the like of him for that matter," answered the honest dame.
"But to see the malice of men!--some of thae landloupers and gill-flirts
down at the filthy puddle yonder, that they ca' the Waal, had heard of
this puir lad, and the bits of pictures that he made fashion of drawing,
and they maun cuitle him awa doun to the bottle, where mony a bonny
story they had clecked, Mr. Bindloose, baith of Mr. Tirl and of mysell."

"A Commissary Court business," said the writer, going off again upon a
false scent. "I shall trim their jackets for them, Mrs. Dods, if you can
but bring tight evidence of the facts--I will soon bring them to fine
and palinode--I will make them repent meddling with your good name."

"My gude name! What the sorrow is the matter wi' my name, Mr.
Bindloose?" said the irritable client. "I think ye hae been at the wee
cappie this morning, for as early as it is--My gude name!--if ony body
touched my gude name, I would neither fash counsel nor commissary--I wad
be down amang them, like a jer-falcon amang a wheen wild-geese, and the
best amang them that dared to say ony thing of Meg Dods by what was
honest and civil, I wad sune see if her cockernonnie was made of her ain
hair o