Catriona | Page 7

by), it's a job you could doubtless overtake with

the other."
"How much snuff are we to say?" he asked.
"I was thinking of two pounds," said I.
"Two," said he.
"Then there's the lass Alison Hastie, in Lime Kilns," said I. "Her that helped Alan and me
across the Forth. I was thinking if I could get her a good Sunday gown, such as she could
wear with decency in her degree, it would be an ease to my conscience; for the mere truth
is, we owe her our two lives."
"I am glad so see you are thrifty, Mr. Balfour," says he, making his notes.
"I would think shame to be otherwise the first day of my fortune," said I. "And now, if
you will compute the outlay and your own proper charges, I would be glad to know if I
could get some spending-money back. It's not that I grudge the whole of it to get Alan
safe; it's not that I lack more; but having drawn so much the one day, I think it would
have a very ill appearance if I was back again seeking, the next. Only be sure you have
enough," I added, "for I am very undesirous to meet with you again."
"Well, and I'm pleased to see you're cautious, too," said the Writer. "But I think ye take a
risk to lay so considerable a sum at my discretion."
He said this with a plain sneer.
"I'll have to run the hazard," I replied. "O, and there's another service I would ask, and
that's to direct me to a lodging, for I have no roof to my head. But it must be a lodging I
may seem to have hit upon by accident, for it would never do if the Lord Advocate were
to get any jealousy of our acquaintance."
"Ye may set your weary spirit at rest," said he. "I will never name your name, sir; and it's
my belief the Advocate is still so much to be sympathised with that he doesnae ken of
your existence."
I saw I had got to the wrong side of the man.
"There's a braw day coming for him, then," said I, "for he'll have to learn of it on the deaf
side of his head no later than to- morrow, when I call on him."
"When ye CALL on him!" repeated Mr. Stewart. "Am I daft, or are you! What takes ye
near the Advocate!"
"O, just to give myself up," said I.
"Mr. Balfour," he cried, "are ye making a mock of me?"
"No, sir," said I, "though I think you have allowed yourself some such freedom with
myself. But I give you to understand once and for all that I am in no jesting spirit."
"Nor yet me," says Stewart. "And I give yon to understand (if that's to be the word) that I
like the looks of your behaviour less and less. You come here to me with all sorts of
propositions, which will put me in a train of very doubtful acts and bring me among very
undesirable persons this many a day to come. And then you tell me you're going straight
out of my office to make your peace with the Advocate! Alan's button here or Alan's
button there, the four quarters of Alan wouldnae bribe me further in."
"I would take it with a little more temper," said I, "and perhaps we can avoid what you
object to. I can see no way for it but to give myself up, but perhaps you can see another;
and if you could, I could never deny but what I would be rather relieved. For I think my
traffic with his lordship is little likely to agree with my health. There's just the one thing
clear, that I have to give my evidence; for I hope it'll save Alan's character (what's left of
it), and James's neck, which is the more immediate."

He was silent for a breathing-space, and then, "My man," said he, "you'll never be
allowed to give such evidence."
"We'll have to see about that," said I; "I'm stiff-necked when I like."
"Ye muckle ass!" cried Stewart, "it's James they want; James has got to hang--Alan, too,
if they could catch him--but James whatever! Go near the Advocate with any such
business, and you'll see! he'll find a way to muzzle, ye."
"I think better of the Advocate than that," said I.
"The Advocate be dammed!" cries he. "It's the Campbells, man! You'll have the whole
clanjamfry of them on your back; and so will the Advocate too, poor body! It's
extraordinar ye cannot see where ye stand! If there's no fair way to stop your gab, there's
a foul one gaping. They can put ye in