rly what right I
had to stand up before "shentlemans" when I did not know the back of a
sword from the front of it.

I answered that was the fault of my upbringing; and would he do me the
justice to say I had given him all the satisfaction it was unfortunately
in my power to offer, and had stood up like a man?

"And that is the truth," said he. "I am fery prave myself, and pold as a
lions. But to stand up there--and you ken naething of fence!--the way
that you did, I declare it was peyond me. And I am sorry for the plow;
though I declare I pelief your own was the elder brother, and my heid
still sings with it. And I declare if I had kent what way it wass, I
would not put a hand to such a piece of pusiness."

"That is handsomely said," I replied, "and I am sure you will not stand
up a second time to be the actor for my private enemies."

"Indeed, no, Palfour," said he; "and I think I wass used extremely
suffeeciently myself to be set up to fecht with an auld wife, or all the
same as a bairn whateffer! And I will tell the Master so, and fecht him,
by Cot, himself!"

"And if you knew the nature of Mr. Simon's quarrel with me," said I,
"you would be yet the more affronted to be mingled up with such
affairs."

He swore he could well believe it; that all the Lovats were made of the
same meal and the devil was the miller that ground that; then suddenly
shaking me by the hand, he vowed I was a pretty enough fellow after all,
that it was a thousand pities I had been neglected, and that if he could
find the time he would give an eye himself to have me educated.

"You can do me a better service than even what you propose," said I; and
when he had asked its nature--"Come with me to the house of one of my
enemies, and testify how I have carried myself this day," I told him.

"That will be the true service. For though he has sent me a gallant
adversary for the first, the thought in Mr. Simon's mind is merely
murder. There will be a second and then a third; and by what you have
seen of my cleverness with the cold steel, you can judge for yourself
what is like to be the upshot."

"And I would not like it myself, if I wass no more of a man than what
you wass!" he cried. "But I will do you right, Palfour. Lead on!"

If I had walked slowly on the way into that accursed park, my heels were
light enough on the way out. They kept time to a very good old air, that
is as ancient as the Bible, and the words of it are: "_Surely the
b