quis's shooting-party, and we happened to ride together-that's all.-I left him at Lord N-'s."

"Body o' my saul, but that's a story!-Poor lady! Od, man, your poor wife's had a sair time o't, though. We maun send aff an express to her directly."

"Nay, my lord," said I, "that's my work. I shall set off instantly."

"No till ye've ta'en your dinner at ony rate, man.-Ay, and now I think on't, I'll haud you to our bond yet. Od, I'll hae you down for the five hundred merks."

"Five hundred length all patience. mean to insult me? not tell you now, as I am a man and a gentleman, that the whole of this is nonsense-mere impertinence-balderdash ?"

devils !" I cried, losing at "Does your lordship really

Have I not told you-do I

"Hooly, hooly-Ye said ye had heard nothing of his treatment o' the lady; and how do I ken what ye'll be after, now that ye have heard of it? I'll have ye bound-ye needna say a word. Here, Thomas, (ringing the bell,) here, gae away and

bring in the clerk o' court.-Ne'er a foot sall ye stir till it's done, my braw man."

I took this in high dudgeon; but seeing that he was quite beyond my powers of arguing, I submitted to the necessity of the case, went through the required ceremony, and then bowed, retiring.

"Na, na, doctor; noo that we've gotten our turn done, ye must not cast up your nose that gate. Od, man! do you not see yoursell that I could not help it? The deil may care wha kens, I hate these jobs as bitterly as ony poison that ever was brewed-but what could I do? Women greeting, oaths on saul and conscience, a regular petition frae that gomeril of a Depute, (that I should say sae !) that ramstam gomeril.-If I had been in his place, I can tell you I would have seen them far eneugh or I would have-But what signifies speaking, man? it's a' settled now-send ye aff your man to Edinburgh, and stay to your supper wi' the Court. Bless your heart, man, ye little ken me. Did I no pick out the very drunkenest messenger we have? Sure, I thought Davie Macalister would have taigled at every public, and never gotten to the Highlands until ye had a' time to be in

France, if ye liket. Come, come, it's no wi' my will that I meddle wi' gentlemen on these occasions. Troth, man, I wadna be blate if it were sae. I've maybe dune as ill a deed mysell or now, in the days o' my youth-And, after all, is not she your near kinswoman? And what was the mighty marvel, if folk did think that ye would like to see what his skin was made of? Ye've your ain reasons, nae doubt; but faith, man, I'se make nae roundabouts wi' you; I think if I had been as sib to her as you are, I might have been drawn on to take some notice of such behaviour mysell.-Here, rax me the ink-stand; stay a moment—I'll write just a line."

I stood by him while he scribbled a note. He rung his bell again, and said, ere I could interfere to prevent him-" Here, man and horse directly, and let that be in Edinburgh ere we're six hours aulder."

The servant vanished, and he turned to me again. "Come away to your dinner now; your horse is forjaskit at any rate, and sae's yoursell. He'll be in Edinburgh lang ere you could beCome away to your dinner-I hear the trumpets.”

To say truth, I felt so much annoyed and perplexed, that, upon a very little reflection, I was easily satisfied it was quite as well to take matters leisurely. My wife's behaviour was still inexplicable-the story of my cousin was still a mystery -a thousand agitating thoughts were about me. I said to myself, I shall at least go coolly to the unravelling of this knot.

I obeyed, therefore, the commands of my Lord Thirleton, and proceeded in his train to the scene of action. A large party of magistrates, jurymen, advocates, solicitors, all the hangers-on of a Scots Circuit Court, dined (or supped) together at a long table; the Judge at the head thereof, and the Clerk officiating as croupier. An imposing scene, certainly, if it still linger in all its honours. The two cracked trumpets brayed forth the triumph of every pledge; and the most fearful culprit, who was to grace the next day's bar, might at least have consoled himself with the assurance that he could not sleep less that night than those who were to try him.

CHAPTER XXVII.

HAVING no concern with the judicial business, I took my sleep out; and it was late in the day ere I drew my bridle at the mouth of Lady Stair's close, where Joanne had taken up her abode, in a lodging-house, kept, as I afterwards discovered, by a leading member of the Society for the Conversion of the Chinese. However much I had been annoyed with the absurd incident of yesterday, you may believe that nothing could be farther from my thoughts than seriously to blame my poor wife for the part she had acted. She burst into tears on seeing me, and clung round my neck with infinite passion. It was some time ere I could get her calmed sufficiently to answer in an intelligible manner the questions I naturally proposed, touching the mistake into