"Duncan was not so bowed in the intellect as ye imagine, and had some spice of cleverality about his queer manoeuvres .-- Eat siccan trash to his dinner! Nae mair, Mansie, than ye intend to eat that iron guse ye're rinning along that piece claith; but he wanted to make his offishers believe that his pay gaed the right way: like the Pharisees of old that keepit praying, in ell-lang faces, about the corners of the streets, and gaed hame wi' hearts full of wickedness and a' manner of cheatrie." "And what way did his pay gang, then ?" asked I; "and how did he live ?" "I telled ye before, frien," answered Thomas, "that he was a deboshed creature; and, like ower mony in the world, likit weel what didna do him ony good.

It's a wearyfu' thing that whisky.

I wish it could be banished to Botany Bay.
"It is that," said I.

"Muckle and nae little sin does it breed and produce in this world." "I'm glad," quoth Thomas, stroking down his chin in a slee way, "I'm glad the guilty should see the folly o' their ain ways; it's the first step, ye ken, till amendment;--and indeed I tell't Maister Wiggie, when he sent me here, that I could almost become guid for your being mair wary of your conduct for the future time to come." This was like a thunder-clap to me, and I did not know for a jiffie what to feel, think, or do, more than perceiving that it was a piece of devilish cruelty on their parts, taking things on this strict.

As for myself, I could freely take sacred oath on the Book, that I had not had a dram in my head for four months before; the knowledge of which made my corruption rise like lightning, as a man is aye brave when he is innocent; so, giving my pow a bit scart, I said briskly, "So ye're after some session business in this visit, are ye ?" "Ye've just guessed it," answered Thomas Burlings, sleeking down his front hair with his fingers in a sober way; "we had a meeting this forenoon; and it was resolved ye should stand a public rebuke in the meeting-house on Sunday next." "Hang me, if I do!" answered I, thumping my nieve down with all my might on the counter, and throwing back my cowl behind me into a corner.