But then, before I give, as the proverb hath it, "My own fish-guts to my own sea-maws," I must, for the sake of my own character, be very sure that my sea-maw can pick them to some purpose.

What say ye ?' 'I am so far,' answered I, 'from wishing to get early into practice, sir, that I would willingly bestow a few days'-- 'In further study, ye would say, Alan.

But that is not the way either--ye must walk the hospitals--ye must cure Lazarus--ye must cut and carve on a departed subject, to show your skill.' 'I am sure,' I replied, 'I will undertake the cause of any poor man with pleasure, and bestow as much pains upon it as if it were a duke's; but for the next two or three days'-- 'They must be devoted to close study, Alan--very close study indeed; for ye must stand primed for a hearing, IN PRESENTIA DOMINORUM, upon Tuesday next.' 'I, sir ?' I replied in astonishment--'I have not opened my mouth in the Outer House yet!' 'Never mind the court of the Gentiles, man,' said my father; 'we will have you into the Sanctuary at once--over shoes, over boots.' 'But, sir, I should really spoil any cause thrust on me so hastily.' 'Ye cannot spoil it, Alan,' said my father, rubbing his hands with much complacency; 'that is the very cream of the business, man--it is just, as I said before, a subject upon whilk all the TYRONES have been trying their whittles for fifteen years; and as there have been about ten or a dozen agents concerned, and each took his own way, the case is come to that pass, that Stair or Amiston could not mend it; and I do not think even you, Alan, can do it much harm--ye may get credit by it, but ye can lose none.' 'And pray what is the name of my happy client, sir ?' said I, ungraciously enough, I believe.
'It is a well-known name in the Parliament House,' replied my father.
'To say the truth, I expect him every moment; it is Peter Peebles.' [See Note 4.] 'Peter Peebles!' exclaimed I, in astonishment; 'he is an insane beggar--as poor as Job, and as mad as a March hare!' 'He has been pleaing in the court for fifteen years,' said my father, in a tone of commiseration, which seemed to acknowledge that this fact was enough to account for the poor man's condition both in mind and circumstances.
'Besides, sir,' I added, 'he is on the Poor's Roll; and you know there are advocates regularly appointed to manage those cases; and for me to presume to interfere'-- 'Whisht, Alan!--never interrupt the court--all THAT is managed for ye like a tee'd ball' (my father sometimes draws his similes from his once favourite game of golf); 'you must know, Alan, that Peter's cause was to have been opened by young Dumtoustie--ye may ken the lad, a son of Dumtoustie of that ilk, member of Parliament for the county of--, and a nephew of the laird's younger brother, worthy Lord Bladderskate, whilk ye are aware sounds as like being akin to a peatship [Formerly, a lawyer, supposed to be under the peculiar patronage of any particular judge, was invidiously termed his PEAT or PET.] and a sheriffdom, as a sieve is sib to a riddle.

Now, Peter Drudgeit, my lord's clerk, came to me this morning in the House, like ane bereft of his wits; for it seems that young Dumtoustie is ane of the Poor's lawyers, and Peter Peebles's process had been remitted to him of course.

But so soon as the harebrained goose saw the pokes [Process-bags.] (as indeed, Alan, they are none of the least) he took fright, called for his nag, lap on, and away to the country is he gone; and so?
said Peter, my lord is at his wit's end wi' vexation, and shame, to see his nevoy break off the course at the very starting.