and agree never
to notice what had passed to each other, and the other members and
magistrates would consent likewise to bury the business in oblivion, I
would agree to the balsamic advice of Mr Peevie, and even waive my
obligation to bind over the hostile parties to keep the king's peace, so
that the whole affair might neither be known nor placed upon record.

Mr Hickery, I could discern, was rather surprised; but I found that I had
thus got the thief in the wuddy, and he had no choice; so both he and Mr
Plan rose from their seats in a very sheepish manner, and looking at us
as if they had unpleasant ideas in their minds, they departed forth the
council-chamber; and a minute was made by the town-clerk that they,
having resigned their trust as councillors, two other gentlemen at the
next meeting should be chosen into their stead.

Thus did I, in a manner most unexpected, get myself rid and clear of the
two most obdurate oppositionists, and by taking care to choose discreet
persons for their successors, I was enabled to wind the council round my
finger, which was a far more expedient method of governing the community
than what I had at one time meditated, even if I could have brought it to
a bearing. But, in order to understand the full weight and importance of
this, I must describe how the choice and election was made, because, in
order to make my own power and influence the more sicker, it was
necessary that I should not be seen in the business.

CHAPTER XLVI--THE NEW COUNCILLORS

Mr Peevie was not a little proud of the part he had played in the storm
of the council, and his words grew, if possible, longer-nebbit and more
kittle than before, in so much that the same evening, when I called on
him after dusk, by way of a device to get him to help the implementing of
my intents with regard to the choice of two gentlemen to succeed those
whom he called "the expurgated dislocators," it was with a great
difficulty that I could expiscate his meaning. "Mr Peevie," said I, when
we were cozily seated by ourselves in his little back parlour--the
mistress having set out the gardevin and tumblers, and the lass brought
in the hot water--"I do not think, Mr Peevie, that in all my experience,
and I am now both an old man and an old magistrate, that I ever saw any
thing better managed than the manner in which ye quelled the hobleshow
this morning, and therefore we maun hae a little more of your balsamic
advice, to make a'