yself 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. Symon'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. Symon'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 upshot."

"And I would not like it myself, if I was 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
bitterness of death is passed_." I mind that I was extremely thirsty,
and had a drink at Saint Margaret's well on the road down, and the
sweetness of that water passed belief. We went through the sanctuary, up
the Canongate, in by the Netherbow, and straight to Prestongrange's
door, talking as we came and arranging the details of our affair. The
footman owned his master was at home, but declared him engaged with
other gentlemen on very private business, and his door forbidden.

"My business is but for three minutes, and it cannot wait," said I. "You
may say it is by no means private, and I shall be even glad to have some
witnesses."

As the man departed unwillingly enough upon this errand, we made so bold
as to follow him to the antechamber, whence I could hear for a while the
murmuring of several voices in the room within. The truth is, they were
three at the one table--Prestongrange, Symon Fraser, and Mr. Erskine,
Sheriff of P