o' tha-at! Claes affect the
disposeetion. I mind when I was a young chap I had a grand pair o'
breeks--Wull I ca'ed them--unco decent breeks they were, I mind, lang
and swankie like a ploughman; and I aye thocht I was a tremendous honest
and hamely fallow when I had them on! And I had a verra disreputable
hat," he added--"Rab I christened him, for he was a perfect devil--and I
never cocked him owre my lug on nichts at e'en but 'Baker!' he seemed to
whisper, 'Baker! Let us go out and do a bash!' And we generally went."

"You're a wonderful man!" piped the Deacon.

"We may as well wait and see young Gourlay going by," said the
ex-Provost. "He'll likely be a sad spectacle."

"Ith auld Gourlay on the thtreet the nicht?" cried the Deacon eagerly.
"I wonder will he thee the youngster afore he gets hame! Eh, man"--he
bent his knees with staring delight--"eh, man, if they would only meet
forenenst uth! Hoo!"

"He's a regular waster," said Brodie. "When a silly young blood takes a
fancy to a girl in a public-house he's always done for; I've observed it
times without number. At first he lets on that he merely gangs in for a
drink; what he really wants, however, is to see the girl. Even if he's
no great toper to begin with, he must show himself fond o' the dram, as
a means of getting to his jo. Then, before he kens where he is, the
habit has gripped him. That's a gate mony a ane gangs."

"That's verra true, now that ye mention't," gravely assented the
ex-Provost. His opinion of Brodie's sagacity, high already, was enhanced
by the remark. "Indeed, that's verra true. But how does't apply to young
Gourlay in particular, Thomas? Is _he_ after some damsel o' the
gill-stoup?"

"Ou ay--he's ta'en a fancy to yon bit shilp in the bar-room o' the Red
Lion. He's always hinging owre the counter talking till her, a cigarette
dropping from his face, and a half-fu' tumbler at his elbow. When a
young chap takes to hinging round bars, ae elbow on the counter and a
hand on his other hip, I have verra bad brows o' him always--verra bad
brows, indeed. Oh--oh, young Gourlay's just a goner! a goner, sirs--a
goner!"

"Have ye heard about him at the Skeighan Fair?" said Sandy Toddle.

"No, man," said Brodie, bowing down and keeking at Toddle in his
interest; "I hadna heard about tha-at! Is this a _new_ thing?"

"Oh, just at the fair; the other day, ye know!"

"Ay, man, Sandy!" said big Brodie, stooping down to Toddle to get near
the news; "a