ed with
merchants, in far-off Fechars and Poltandie, a connection for the sale
of country produce which meant a great deal to him in future, when he
launched out as cheese-buyer in opposition to Gourlay.

It "occurred" to him also (things were always occurring to Wilson) that
the "Scotch cuddy" business had as fine a chance in "Barbie and
surrounding neighbourhood" as ever it had in North and Middle England.
The "Scotch cuddy" is so called because he is a beast of burden, and not
from the nature of his wits. He is a travelling packman, who infests
communities of working-men, and disposes of his goods on the credit
system, receiving payment in instalments. You go into a working-man's
house (when he is away from home for preference), and laying a swatch of
cloth across his wife's knee, "What do you think of that, mistress?" you
inquire, watching the effect keenly. Instantly all her covetous heart is
in her eye, and, thinks she to herself, "Oh, but John would look well in
that at the kirk on Sunday!" She has no ready money, and would never
have the cheek to go into a draper's and order the suit; but when she
sees it lying there across her knee, she just cannot resist it. (And
fine you knew that when you clinked it down before her!) Now that the
goods are in the house, she cannot bear to let them out the door again.
But she hints a scarcity of cash. "Tut, woman!" quoth you, bounteous and
kind, "there's no obstacle in _that_! You can pay me in instalments!"
How much would the instalments be, she inquires. "Oh, a mere
trifle--half a crown a week, say." She hesitates and hankers. "John's
Sunday coat's getting quite shabby, so it is, and Tam Macalister has a
new suit, she was noticing--the Macalisters are always flaunting in
their braws! And, there's that Paisley shawl for herself, too; eh, but
they would be the canty pair, cocking down the road on Sunday in _that_
rig! they would take the licht frae Meg Macalister's een--thae
Macalisters are always so en-vy-fu'!" Love, vanity, covetousness,
present opportunity, are all at work upon the poor body. She succumbs.
But the half-crown weekly payments have a habit of lengthening
themselves out till the packman has made fifty per cent. by the
business. And why not? a man must have some interest on his money!
Then there's the risk of bad debts, too--that falls to be considered.
But there was little risk of bad debts when Wilson took to
cloth-distributing. For success in that game depen