ter went on.

'Weel, my bonnie man, I see ye are thinking shame o' yoursell, and nae
great wonder. Ye maun leave this quean--the like of her is ower light
company for you. I have heard honest Mr. Pest say, that the gown grees
ill wi' the petticoat. But come awa hame to your puir father, and I'll
take care of you the haill gate, and keep you company, and deil a word
we will speak about, but just the state of the conjoined processes of
the great cause of Poor Peter Peebles against Plainstanes.'

'If thou canst; endure to hear as much of that suit, friend,' said
the Quaker, 'as I have heard out of mere compassion for thee, I think
verily thou wilt soon be at the bottom of the matter, unless it be
altogether bottomless.'

Fairford shook off, rather indignantly, the large bony hand which Peter
had imposed upon his shoulder, and was about to say something peevish,
upon so unpleasant and insolent a mode of interruption, when the door
opened, a treble voice saying to the sentinel, 'I tell you I maun be in,
to see if Mr. Nixon's here;' and little Benjie thrust in his mop-head
and keen black eyes. Ere he could withdraw it, Peter Peebles sprang to
the door, seized on the boy by the collar, and dragged him forward into
the room.

'Let me see it,' he said, 'ye ne'er-do-weel limb of Satan--I'll gar
you satisfy the production, I trow--I'll hae first and second diligence
against you, ye deevil's buckie!'

'What dost thou want?' said the Quaker, interfering; 'why dost thou
frighten the boy, friend Peebles?'

'I gave the bastard a penny to buy me snuff,' said the pauper, 'and he
has rendered no account of his intromissions; but I'll gar him as gude.'

So saying, he proceeded forcibly to rifle the pockets of Benjie's ragged
jacket of one or two snares for game, marbles, a half-bitten apple, two
stolen eggs (one of which Peter broke in the eagerness of his research),
and various other unconsidered trifles, which had not the air of being
very honestly come by. The little rascal, under this discipline, bit and
struggled like a fox-cub, but, like that vermin, uttered neither cry nor
complaint, till a note, which Peter tore from his bosom, flew as far as
Lilias Redgauntlet, and fell at her feet. It was addressed to C. N.

'It is for the villain Nixon.' she said to Alan Fairford; 'open it
without scruple; that boy is his emissary; we shall now see what the
miscreant is driving at.'

Little Benjie now gave up all further struggle, and