I gave him a wipe about that, if you noticed; I can say anything to Pate-in-Peril--Indeed, he is my wife's near kinsman.' 'But your advice, provost,' said Alan, who perceived that, like a shy horse, the worthy magistrate always started off from his own purpose just when he seemed approaching to it.
'Weel, you shall have it in plain terms, for I am a plain man.

Ye see, we will suppose that any friend like yourself were in the deepest hole of the Nith, sand making a sprattle for your life.

Now, you see, such being the case, I have little chance of helping you, being a fat, short-armed man, and no swimmer, and what would be the use of my jumping in after you ?' 'I understand you, I think,' said Alan Fairford.

'You think that Darsie Latimer is in danger of his life ?' 'Me!--I think nothing about it, Mr.Alan; but if he were, as I trust he is not, he is nae drap's blood akin to you, Mr.Alan.' 'But here your friend, Summertrees,' said the young lawyer, 'offers me a letter to this Redgauntlet of yours--What say you to that ?' 'Me!' ejaculated the provost, 'me, Mr.Alan?
I say neither buff nor stye to it--But ye dinna ken what it is to look a Redgauntlet in the face;--better try my wife, who is but a fourth cousin, before ye venture on the laird himself--just say something about the Revolution, and see what a look she can gie you.' I shall leave you to stand all the shots from that battery, provost.' replied Fairford.

'But speak out like a man--Do you think Summertrees means fairly by me ?' 'Fairly--he is just coming--fairly?
I am a plain man, Mr.Fairford--but ye said FAIRLY ?' 'I do so,' replied Alan, 'and it is of importance to me to know, and to you to tell me if such is the case; for if you do not, you may be an accomplice to murder before the fact, and that under circumstances which may bring it near to murder under trust.' 'Murder!--who spoke of murder ?' said the provost; no danger of that, Mr.
Alan--only, if I were you--to speak my plain mind'-- Here he approached his mouth to the ear of the young lawyer, and, after another acute pang of travail, was safely delivered of his advice in the following abrupt words:--'Take a keek into Pate's letter before ye deliver it.' Fairford started, looked the provost hard in the face, and was silent; while Mr.Crosbie, with the self-approbation of one who has at length brought himself to the discharge of a great duty, at the expense of a considerable sacrifice, nodded and winked to Alan, as if enforcing his advice; and then swallowing a large glass of punch, concluded, with the sigh of a man released from a heavy burden, 'I am a plain man, Mr.
Fairford.' 'A plain man ?' said Maxwell, who entered the room at that moment, with the letter in his hand,--'Provost, I never heard you make use of the word but when you had some sly turn of your own to work out.' The provost looked silly enough, and the Laird of Summertrees directed a keen and suspicious glance upon Alan Fairford, who sustained it with professional intrepidity .-- There was a moment's pause.
'I was trying,' said the provost, 'to dissuade our young friend from his wildgoose expedition.' 'And I,' said Fairford, 'am determined to go through with it.