bonnie bairn.

BRODIE (_stopping his ears_). Brandy, brandy, brandy, brandy, brandy!

LAWSON. William Brodie, mony's the long day that I've believed in you;
prood, prood was I to be the Deacon's uncle; and a sore hearing have I
had of it the day. That's past; that's past like Flodden Field; it's an
auld sang noo, and I'm an aulder man than when I crossed your door. But
mark ye this--mark ye this, William Brodie, I may be no' sae guid's I
should be; but there's no' a saul between the east sea and the wast can
lift his een to God that made him, and say I wranged him as ye wrang
that lassie. I bless God, William Brodie--ay, though he was like my
brother--I bless God that he that got ye has the hand of death upon his
hearing, and can win into his grave a happier man than me. And ye speak
to me, sir? Think shame--think shame upon your heart!

BRODIE. Rogues all!

LAWSON. You're the son of my sister, William Brodie. Mair than that I
stop not to inquire. If the siller is spent, and the honour tint--Lord
help us, and the honour tint!--sae be it, I maun bow the head. Ruin
shallna come by me. Na, and I'll say mair, William; we have a' our weary
sins upon our backs, and maybe I have mair than mony. But, man, if ye
could bring _half_ the jointure ... (_potius quam pereas_) ... for your
mither's son? Na? You couldna bring the half? Weel, weel, it's a sair
heart I have this day, a sair heart and a weary. If I were a better man
mysel' ... but there, there, it's a sair heart that I have gotten. And
the Lord kens I'll help ye if I can. (_Potius quam pereas._) (_He goes
out._)

SCENE V

BRODIE. Sore hearing, does he say? My hand's wet. But it's victory.
Shall it be go? or stay? (I should show them all I can, or they may pry
closer than they ought.) Shall I have it out and be done with it? To see
Mary at once (to carry bastion after bastion at the charge)--there were
the true safety after all! Hurry--hurry's the road to silence now. Let
them once get tattling in their parlours, and it's death to me. For I'm
in a cruel corner now. I'm down, and I shall get my kicking soon and
soon enough. I began it in the lust of life, in a hey-day of mystery and
adventure. I felt it great to be a bolder, craftier rogue than the
drowsy citizen that called himself my fellow-man. (It was meat and
drink to know him in the hollow of my hand, hoarding that I and mine
might squander, pinching that we might wax fat.) It was in the laughter
of my heart