vastly pleased to have my peace made, yet a little
concerned in conscience; nor could I help wondering, as I went back,
whether, perhaps, I had not been a scruple too good-natured. But there
was the fact, that this was a man that might have been my father, an
able man, a great dignitary, and one that, in the hour of my need, had
reached a hand to my assistance. I was in the better humour to enjoy the
remainder of that evening, which I passed with the advocates, in
excellent company no doubt, but perhaps with rather more than a
sufficiency of punch: for though I went early to bed I have no clear
mind of how I got there.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE TEE'D BALL

On the morrow, from the justices' private room, where none could see me,
I heard the verdict given in and judgment rendered upon James. The
Duke's words I am quite sure I have correctly; and since that famous
passage has been made a subject of dispute, I may as well commemorate my
version. Having referred to the year 'Forty-five, the chief of the
Campbells, sitting as Justice General upon the Bench, thus addressed the
unfortunate Stewart before him: "If you had been successful in that
rebellion, you might have been giving the law where you have now
received the judgment of it; we, who are this day your judges, might
have been tried before one of your mock courts of judicature; and then
you might have been satiated with the blood of any name or clan to which
you had an aversion."

"This is to let the cat out of the bag indeed," thought I. And that was
the general impression. It was extraordinary how the young advocate lads
took hold and made a mock of this speech, and how scarce a meal passed
but what some one would get in the words: "And then you might have been
satiated." Many songs were made in that time for the hour's diversion,
and are near all forgot. I remember one began:

"What do ye want the bluid of, bluid of?
Is it a name, or is it a clan,
Or is it an aefauld Hielandman,
That ye want the bluid of, bluid of?"

Another went to my old favourite air, "The House of Airlie," and began
thus:

"It fell on a day when Argyle was on the bench,
That they served him a Stewart for his denner."

And one of the verses ran:

"Then up and spak the Duke, and flyted on his cook,
I regaird it as a sensible aspersion,
That I would sup ava', an' satiate my maw
With the bluid of ony clan of my aversion."

James was as fairly mu