rdered, and all things on the table, the
bailie, when we were quiet by ourselves, began to say--

"Ye ken weel, Mr Pawkie, what I did at the 'lection for the member and
how angry ye were yoursel about it, and a' that. But ye were greatly
mista'en in thinking that I got ony effectual fee at the time, over and
above the honest price of my potatoes; which ye were as free to bid for,
had ye liket, as either o' the candidates. I'll no deny, however, that
the nabob, before he left the town, made some small presents to my wife
and dochter; but that was no fault o' mine. Howsever, when a' was o'er,
and I could discern that ye were mindet to keep the guildry, I thought,
after the wreck o' my provision concern, I might throw mair bread on the
water and not find it, than by a bit jaunt to London to see how my
honourable friend, the nabob, was coming on in his place in parliament,
as I saw none of his speeches in the newspaper.

"Well, ye see, Mr Pawkie, I gae'd up to London in a trader from Leith;
and by the use of a gude Scotch tongue, the whilk was the main substance
o' a' the bairns' part o' gear that I inherited from my parents, I found
out the nabob's dwelling, in the west end o' the town of London; and
finding out the nabob's dwelling, I went and rappit at the door, which a
bardy flunkie opened, and speer't what I want it, as if I was a thing no
fit to be lifted off a midden with a pair of iron tongs. Like master,
like man, thought I to myself; and thereupon, taking heart no to be put
out, I replied to the whipper-snapper--'I'm Bailie M'Lucre o' Gudetown,
and maun hae a word wi' his honour.'

"The cur lowered his birsses at this, and replied, in a mair ceeveleezed
style of language, 'Master is not at home.' But I kent what not at home
means in the morning at a gentleman's door in London; so I said, 'Very
weel, as I hae had a long walk, I'll e'en rest myself and wait till he
come;' and with that, I plumpit down on one of the mahogany chairs in the
trance. The lad, seeing that I was na to be jookit, upon this answered
me, by saying, he would go and enquire if his master would be at home to
me; and the short and the long o't was, that I got at last an audience o'
my honourable friend.

"'Well, bailie,' said he, 'I'm glad to see you in London,' and a hantle
o' ither courtly glammer that's no worth a repetition; and, from less to
mair, we proceeded to sift into the matter and end of my coming to ask
the help o' his hand