el nightgown on.

At the time, all was war and rebellion with the tollman, assault and
battery, damages, broken panes, and what not; but with skilful
management, and a few words in the private ear of Mr Rory Sneckdrawer,
the penny-writer, we got matters southered up when we were in our sober
senses; though I shall not say how much it cost us both in preaching and
pocket, to make the man keep a calm sough as to bringing us in for the
penalty, which would have been deadly. I think black-burning shame of
myself to make mention of such ploys and pliskies; but, after all, it is
better to make a clean breast.

Hame at last we got, making fire flee out of the Dalkeith causey stones
like mad; and we arrived at our own door between nine and ten at night,
still in a half-seas-overish state. I had, nevertheless, sense enough
about me remaining, to make me aware that the best place for me would be
my bed; so, after making Nanse bring the bottle and glass to the door on
a server, to give Peter Farrel a dram by way of "doch-an-dorris," as the
Gaelic folk say, we wished him a good-night, and left him to drive home
the bit gig, with the broken shaft spliced with ropes, to his own bounds;
little jealousing, as we heard next morning, that he would be thrown over
the back of it, without being hurt, by taking too sharp a turn at the
corner.

After a tremendous sound sleep, I was up betimes in the morning, though a
wee drumly about the head, anxious to enquire at Tammie Bodkin, the head
of the business department, me being absent, if any extraordinars had
occurred on the yesterday; and found that the only particular customer
making enquiries anent me was our old friend Cursecowl, savage for the
measure of a killing-coat, which he wanted made as fast as directly.
Though dreadfully angry at finding me from home, and unco swithering at
first, he at length, after a volley of oaths enough to have opened a
stone wall, allowed Tammie Bodkin to take his inches; but, as he swore
and went on havering and speaking nonsense all the time, Tammie's hand
shook, partly through fear, and partly through anxiety; and if he went
wrong in making a nick in the paper here and there in a wrong place, it
was no more than might have been looked for, from his fright and
inexperience.

In the twinkle of an eyelid, I saw that there was some mortal mistake in
the measurement; as, unless Cursecowl had lost beef at no allowance, I
knew, judging from the past, that i