His father was a member of the city council, and was one of the leading traders in the city.

Allan was a wild lad, as I was myself, and many a scrape did we get into together, and had many a skirmish with the watch.

Allan had two or three half brothers, men from ten to twenty years older than himself, and, a year or two after I came out to Sweden and entered the army as an ensign, who should I meet in the streets of Gottenburg, but Allan Ramsay.
"We were delighted to see each other, and he stopped with me nearly a week.

He had, after leaving the College, gone into his father's business, but when the old man died he could not get on with his half brothers, who were dour men, and had little patience with Allan's restlessness and love of pleasure.

So, after a final quarrel, they had given him so much money for his share of the business, and a letter of introduction to a trader in Poland, who had written to them saying that he wanted a partner with some capital; and Allan was willing enough to try the life in a strange country, for he was a shrewd fellow, with all his love of fun.
"Five years afterwards, he came through Gottenburg again.