CHAPTER XXVIII--EVENTS OF MONDAY: THE LAWYER'S PARTY.
By half-past eight o'clock on the next morning, I was ringing the bell of the lawyer's office in Castle Street, where I found him ensconced at a business table, in a room surrounded by several tiers of green tin cases.
He greeted me like an old friend.
'Come away, sir, come away!' said he.

'Here is the dentist ready for you, and I think I can promise you that the operation will be practically painless.' 'I am not so sure of that, Mr.Robbie,' I replied, as I shook hands with him.

'But at least there shall be no time lost with me.' I had to confess to having gone a-roving with a pair of drovers and their cattle, to having used a false name, to having murdered or half-murdered a fellow-creature in a scuffle on the moors, and to having suffered a couple of quite innocent men to lie some time in prison on a charge from which I could have immediately freed them.

All this I gave him first of all, to be done with the worst of it; and all this he took with gravity, but without the least appearance of surprise.
'Now, sir,' I continued, 'I expect to have to pay for my unhappy frolic, but I would like very well if it could be managed without my personal appearance or even the mention of my real name.

I had so much wisdom as to sail under false colours in this foolish jaunt of mine; my family would be extremely concerned if they had wind of it; but at the same time, if the case of this Faa has terminated fatally, and there are proceedings against Todd and Candlish, I am not going to stand by and see them vexed, far less punished; and I authorise you to give me up for trial if you think that best--or, if you think it unnecessary, in the meanwhile to make preparations for their defence.