th my friend Mr. Dinmont, with
whom I had the good fortune to form an accidental acquaintance--'

"It was my gude fortune that," said Dinmont. "Odd, my brains wad hae been
knockit out by twa black-guards if it hadna been for his four quarters."

"Shortly after we parted at the town of----I lost my baggage by thieves,
and it was while residing at Kippletringan I accidentally met the young
gentleman. As I was approaching to pay my respects to Miss Mannering,
whom I had known in India, Mr. Hazlewood, conceiving my appearance none
of the most respectable, commanded me rather haughtily to stand back, and
so gave occasion to the fray, in which I had the misfortune to be the
accidental means of wounding him. And now, sir, that I have answered all
your questions--"

"No, no, not quite all," said Pleydell, winking sagaciously; "there are
some interrogatories which I shall delay till to-morrow, for it is time,
I believe, to close the sederunt for this night, or rather morning."

"Well, then, sir," said the young man, "to vary the phrase, since I have
answered all the questions which you have chosen to ask to-night, will
you be so good as to tell me who you are that take such interest in my
affairs, and whom you take me to be, since my arrival has occasioned such
commotion?"

"Why, sir, for myself," replied the Counsellor, "I am Paulus Pleydell, an
advocate at the Scottish bar; and for you, it is not easy to say
distinctly who you are at present, but I trust in a short time to hail
you by the title of Henry Bertram, Esq., representative of one of the
oldest families in Scotland, and heir of Tailzie and provision to the
estate of Ellangowan. Ay," continued he, shutting his eyes and speaking
to himself, "we must pass over his father, and serve him heir to his
grandfather Lewis, the entailer; the only wise man of his family, that I
ever heard of."

They had now risen to retire to their apartments for the night, when
Colonel Mannering walked up to Bertram, as he stood astonished at the
Counsellor's words. "I give you joy," he said, "of the prospects which
fate has opened before you. I was an early friend of your father, and
chanced to be in the house of Ellangowan, as unexpectedly as you are now
in mine, upon the very night in which you were born. I little knew this
circumstance when--but I trust unkindness will be forgotten between us.
Believe me, your appearance here as Mr. Brown, alive and well, has
relieved me from most pain