hat it was
unworthy of them to act towards him in the way they did. His lordship
then led us to the drawing-room, on entering which, he said aloud to the
countess in a manner that could not be misunderstood, "In Captain Armour
I have discovered an old acquaintance, who by his own merits, and under
circumstances that would have sunk any man less conscious of his own
purity and worth, has raised himself, from having once been my servant,
to a rank that makes me happy to receive him as my guest."

I need not add, that this benevolence of his lordship was followed with a
most bountiful alteration towards the captain from all present, in so
much that, before the regiment was removed from the town, we had the
satisfaction of seeing him at divers of the town-ploys, where he received
every civility.

CHAPTER XXX--THE TRADES' BALL

At the conclusion of my second provostry, or rather, as I think, after it
was over, an accident happened in the town that might have led to no
little trouble and contention but for the way and manner that I managed
the same. My friend and neighbour, Mr Kilsyth, an ettling man, who had
been wonderful prosperous in the spirit line, having been taken on for a
bailie, by virtue of some able handling on the part of Deacon Kenitweel,
proposed and propounded, that there should be a ball and supper for the
trades; and to testify his sense of the honour that he owed to all the
crafts, especially the wrights, whereof Mr Kenitweel was then deacon, he
promised to send in both wine, rum, and brandy, from his cellar, for the
company. I did not much approve of the project, for divers reasons; the
principal of which was, because my daughters were grown into young
ladies, and I was, thank God, in a circumstance to entitle them to hold
their heads something above the trades. However, I could not positively
refuse my compliance, especially as Mrs Pawkie was requested by Bailie
Kilsyth, and those who took an active part in furtherance of the ploy, to
be the lady directress of the occasion. And, out of an honour and homage
to myself, I was likewise entreated to preside at the head of the table,
over the supper that was to ensue after the dancing.

In its own nature, there was surely nothing of an objectionable
principle, in a "trades' ball;" but we had several young men of the
gentle sort about the town, blythe and rattling lads, who were welcome
both to high and low, and to whom the project seemed worthy