ie, a
notable civic dignitary of the place; and accordingly, on presenting his
credentials, was invited by that functionary to dinner, with a hint that
he "might maybe see a wheen real leddies in the evening." This pointed
so plainly to a white choker and dress boots, that Strachan durst not
take the liberty of volunteering the attendance of his friend; and
accordingly I had been left alone to wile away, as I best might, the
tedium of a sluggish evening. Before starting, however, Tom pledged
himself to return in time for supper; as he entertained a painful
conviction that the party would be excessively slow.

So long as it was light, I amused myself pretty well, by strolling along
the banks of the river, and enunciating a splendid speech for the pannel
in an imaginary case of murder. However, before I reached the
peroration, (which was to consist of a vivid picture of the deathbed of
a despairing jury-man, conscience-stricken by the recollection of an
erroneous verdict,) the shades of evening began to close in; the trouts
ceased to leap in the pool, and the rooks desisted from their cawing. I
returned to discuss my solitary mutton at the inn; and then, having
nothing to do, sat down to a moderate libation, and an odd number of the
Temperance Magazine, which valuable tract had been left for the
reformation of the traveller by some peripatetic disciple of Father
Mathew.

Nine o'clock came, but so did not Strachan. I began to wax wroth,
muttered anathemas against my faithless friend, rang for the waiter,
and--having ascertained the fact that a Masonic Lodge was that evening
engaged in celebrating the festival of its peculiar patron--I set out
for the purpose of assisting in the pious and mystic labours of the
Brethren of the Jedburgh St Jeremy. At twelve, when I returned to my
quarters, escorted by the junior deacon, I was informed that Strachan
had not made his appearance, and accordingly I went to bed.

Next morning, I found Tom, as already mentioned, in his couch. There was
a fine air of negligence in the manner in which his habiliments were
scattered over the room. One glazed boot lay within the fender, whilst
the other had been chucked into a coal-scuttle; and there were evident
marks of mud on the surface of his glossy kerseymeres. Strachan himself
looked excessively pale, and the sole rejoinder he made to my
preliminary remark was, a request for soda-water.

"Tom," said I, inexpressibly shocked at the implied co