I resolved, therefore, to be guided by circumstances, and to watch carefully that nothing might escape me.

I drew back as far as I could, and even reconnoitred the door and passage, to consider whether absolute escape might not be practicable.

But there paraded Cristal Nixon, whose little black eyes, sharp as those of a basilisk, seemed, the instant when they encountered mine, to penetrate my purpose.
I sat down, as much out of sight of all parties as I could, and listened to the dialogue which followed--a dialogue how much more interesting to me than any I could have conceived, in which Peter Peebles was to be one of the dramatis personae! 'Is it here where ye sell the warrants--the fugies, ye ken ?' said Peter.
'Hey--eh--what!' said Justice Foxley; 'what the devil does the fellow mean ?--What would you have a warrant for ?' 'It is to apprehend a young lawyer that is IN MEDITATIONE FUGAE; for he has ta'en my memorial and pleaded my cause, and a good fee I gave him, and as muckle brandy as he could drink that day at his father's house--he loes the brandy ower weel for sae youthful a creature.' 'And what has this drunken young dog of a lawyer done to you, that you are come to me--eh--ha?
Has he robbed you?
Not unlikely if he be a lawyer--eh--Nick--ha ?' said Justice Foxley.
'He has robbed me of himself, sir,' answered Peter; 'of his help, comfort, aid, maintenance, and assistance, whilk, as a counsel to a client, he is bound to yield me RATIONE OFFICII--that is it, ye see.

He has pouched my fee, and drucken a mutchkin of brandy, and now he's ower the march, and left my cause, half won half lost--as dead a heat as e'er was run ower the back-sands.

Now, I was advised by some cunning laddies that are used to crack a bit law wi' me in the House, that the best thing I could do was to take heart o' grace and set out after him; so I have taken post on my ain shanks, forby a cast in a cart, or the like.