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　telling　Mrs　Pawkie　to　compose　herself；　for　our　houses　were　all　insured；　I　suddenly　recollected　that　Robin　had　the　night　before　neglected　to　go　his　rounds　at　ten　o'clock　as　usual；　and　the　thought　came　into　my　head　that　the　alarm　might　be　one　of　his　inebriated　mistakes；　so；　instead　of　dressing　myself　any　further；　I　went　to　the　window；　and　looked　out　through　the　glass；　without　opening　it；　for；　being　in　my　night　clothes；　I　was　afraid　of　taking　cold。

The　street　was　as　throng　as　on　a　market　day；　and　every　face　in　the　moonlight　was　pale　with　fear。Men　and　lads　were　running　with　their　coats；　and　carrying　their　breeches　in　their　hands；　wives　and　maidens　were　all　asking　questions　at　one　another；　and　even　lasses　were　fleeing　to　and　fro；　like　water　nymphs　with　urns；　having　stoups　and　pails　in　their　hands。There　was　swearing　and　tearing　of　men；　hoarse　with　the　rage　of　impatience；　at　the　tolbooth；　getting　out　the　fire…　engine　from　its　stance　under　the　stair；　and　loud　and　terrible　afar　off；　and　over　all；　came　the　peal　of　alarm　from　drunken　Robin's　drum。

I　could　scarcely　keep　my　composity　when　I　beheld　and　heard　all　this；　for　I　was　soon　thoroughly　persuaded　of　the　fact。　　At　last　I　saw　Deacon　Girdwood；　the　chief　advocate　and　champion　of　Robin；　passing　down　the　causey　like　a　demented　man；　with　a　red　nightcap；　and　his　big…coat　onfor　some　had　cried　that　the　fire　was　in　his　yard。　〃Deacon；〃　cried　I；　opening　the　window；　forgetting　in　the　jocularity　of　the　moment　the　risk　I　ran　from　being　so　naked；　〃whar　away　sae　fast；　deacon？〃

The　deacon　stopped　and　said；　〃Is't　out？　is't　out？〃

〃Gang　your　ways　home；〃　quo'　I　very　coolly；　〃for　I　hae　a　notion　that　a'　this　hobleshow's　but　the　fume　of　a　gill　in　your　friend　Robin's　head。〃

〃It's　no　possible！〃　exclaimed　the　deacon。

〃Possible　here　or　possible　there；　Mr　Girdwood；〃　quo'　I；　〃it's　oure　cauld　for　me　to　stand　talking　wi'　you　here；　we'll　learn　the　rights　o't　in　the　morning；　so；　good…night；〃　and　with　that　I　pulled　down　the　window。　　But　scarcely　had　I　done　so；　when　a　shout　of　laughter　came　gathering　up　the　street；　and　soon　after　poor　drunken　Robin　was　brought　along　by　the　cuff　of　the　neck；　between　two　of　the　town…　officers；　one　of　them　carrying　his　drum。　　The　next　day　he　was　put　out　of　office　for　ever；　and　folk　recollecting　in　what　manner　I　had　acted　towards　him　before；　the　outcry　about　my　arbitrary　power　was　forgotten　in　the　blame　that　was　heaped　upon　those　who　had　espoused　Robin's　cause　against　me。



CHAPTER　XXXIVTHE　COUNTRY　GENTRY



For　a　long　period　of　time；　I　had　observed　that　there　was　a　gradual　mixing　in　of　the　country　gentry　among　the　town's　folks。　　This　was　partly　to　be　ascribed　to　a　necessity　rising　out　of　the　French　Revolution；　whereby　men　of　substance　thought　it　an　expedient　policy　to　relax　in　their　ancient　maxims　of　family　pride　and　consequence；　and　partly　to　the　great　increase　and　growth　of　wealth　which　the　influx　of　trade　caused　throughout　the　kingdom；　whereby　the　merchants　were　enabled　to　vie　and　ostentate　even　with　the　better　sort　of　lairds。　　The　effect　of　this；　however；　was　less　protuberant　in　our　town　than　in　many　others　which　I　might　well　name；　and　the　cause　thereof　lay　mainly　in　our　being　more　given　to　deal　in　the　small　way；　not　that　we　lacked　of　traders　possessed　both　of　purse　and　perseverance；　but　we　did　not　exactly　lie　in　the　thoroughfare　of　those　mighty　masses　of　foreign　commodities；　the　throughgoing　of　which　left；　to　use　the　words　of　the　old　proverb；　〃goud　in　goupins〃　with　all　who　had　the　handling　of　the　same。　　Nevertheless；　we　came　in　for　our　share　of　the　condescensions　of　the　country　gentry；　and　although　there　was　nothing　like　a　melting　down　of　them　among　us；　either　by　marrying　or　giving　in　marriage；　there　was　a　communion　that　gave　us　some　insight；　no　overly　to　their　advantage；　as　to　the　extent　and　measure　of　their　capacities　and　talents。　　In　short；　we　discovered　that　they　were　vessels　made　of　ordinary　human　clay；　so　that；　instead　of　our　reverence　for　them　being　augmented　by　a　freer　intercourse；　we　thought　less　and　less　of　them；　until；　poor　bodies；　the　bit　prideful　lairdies　were　just　looked　down　upon　by　our　gawsie　big…bellied　burgesses；　not　a　few　of　whom　had　heritable　bonds　on　their　estates。　　But　in　this　I　am　speaking　of　the　change　when　it　had　come　to　a　full　head；　for　in　verity　it　must　be　allowed　that　when　the　country　gentry；　with　their　families；　began　to　intromit　among　us；　we　could　not　make　enough　of　them。　　Indeed；　we　were　deaved　about　the　affability　of　old　crabbit　Bodle　of　Bodletonbrae；　and　his　sister；　Miss　Jenny；　when　they　favoured　us　with　their　company　at　the　first　inspection　ball。　　I'll　ne'er　forgot　that　occasion；　for　being　then　in　my　second　provostry；　I　had；　in　course　of　nature；　been　appointed　a　deputy　lord…lieutenant；　and　the　town…council　entertaining　the　inspecting　officers；　and　the　officers　of　the　volunteers；　it　fell　as　a　duty　incumbent　on　me　to　be　the　director　of　the　ball　afterwards；　and　to　the　which　I　sent　an　invitation　to　the　laird　and　his　sister　little　hoping　or　expecting　they　would　come。　　But　the　laird；　likewise　being　a　deputy　lord…lieutenant；　he　accepted　the　invitation；　and　came　with　his　sister　in　all　the　state　of　pedigree　in　their　power。　　Such　a　prodigy　of　old…fashioned　grandeur　as　Miss　Jenny　was！but　neither　shop　nor　mantuamaker　of　our　day　and　generation　had　been　the　better　o't。　　She　was　just；　as　some　of　the　young　lasses　said；　like　Clarissa　Harlowe；　in　the　cuts　and　copperplates　of　Mrs　Rickerton's　set　of　the　book；　and　an　older　and　more　curious　set　than　Mrs　Rickerton's　was　not　in　the　whole　town；　indeed；　for　that　matter；　I　believe　it　was　the　only　one　among　us；　and　it　had　edified；　as　Mr　Binder　the　bookseller　used　to　say；　at　least　three　successive　generations　of　young　ladies；　for　he　had　himself　given　it　twice　new　covers。　　We　had；　however；　not　then　any　circulating　library。　　But　for　all　her　antiquity　and　lappets；　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　what　respect　and　deference　Miss　Jenny　and　her　brother；　the　laird；　receivednor　the　small　praise　that　came　to　my　share；　for　having　had　the　spirit　to　invite　them。　The　ball　was　spoken　of　as　the　genteelest　in　the　memory　of　man；　although　to　my　certain　knowledge；　on　account　of　the　volunteers；　some　were　there　that　never　thought　to　mess　or　mell　in　the　same　chamber　with　Bodletonbrae　and　his　sister；　Miss　Jenny。



CHAPTER　XXXVTESTS　OF　SUCCESS



Intending　these　notations　for　the　instruction　of　posterity；　it　would　not　be　altogether　becoming　of　me　to　speak　of　the　domestic　effects　which　many　of　the　things　that　I　have　herein　jotted　down　had　in　my　own　family。　　I　feel　myself；　however；　constrained　in　spirit　to　lift　aside　a　small　bit　of　the　private　curtain；　just　to　show　how　Mrs　Pawkie　comported　herself　in　the　progressive　vicissitudes　of　our　prosperity；　in　the　act　and　doing　of　which　I　do　not　wish　to　throw　any　slight　on　her　feminine　qualities；　for；　to　speak　of　her　as　she　deserves　at　my　hand；　she　has　been　a　most　excellent　wife；　and　a　decent　woman；　and　had　aye　a　ruth　and　ready　hand　for　the　needful。　Still；　to　say　the　truth；　she　is　not　without　a　few　little　weaknesses　like　her　neighbours；　and　the　ill…less　vanity　of　being　thought　far　ben　with　the　great　is　among　others　of　her　harmless　frailities。

Soon　after　the　inspection　ball　before　spoken　of；　she　said　to　me　that　it　would　be　a　great　benefit　and　advantage　to　our　family　if　we　could　get　Bodletonbrae　and　his　sister；　and　some　of　the　other　country　gentry；　to　dine　with　us。　　I　was　not　very　clear　about　how　the　benefit　was　to　come　to　book；　for　the　outlay　I　thought　as　likely　o'ergang　the　profit；　at　the　same　time；　not　wishing　to　baulk　Mrs　Pawkie　of　a　ploy　on　which　I　saw　her　mind　was　bent；　I　gave　my　consent　to　her　and　my　daughters　to　send　out　the　cards；　and　make　the　necessary　preparations。　　But　herein　I　should　not　take　credit　to　myself　for　more　of　the　virtue　of　humility　than　was　my　due；　therefore　I　open　the　door　of　my　secret　heart　so　far　ajee；　as　to　let　the　reader　discern　that　I　was　content　to　hear　our　invitations　were　all　accepted。

Of　the　specialities　and　dainties　of　the　banquet　prepared；　it　is　not　fitting　that　I　should　treat　in　any　more　particular　manner；　than　to　say　they　were　the　best　that　could　be　had；　and　that　our　guests　were　all　mightily　well　pleased。　　Indeed；　my　wife　was　out　of　the　body　with　exultation　when　Mrs　Auchans　of　that　Ilk　begged　that　she　would　let　her　have　a　copy　of　the　directions　she　had　followed　in　making　a　flummery；　which　the　whole　company　declared　was　most　excellent。　　This　compliment　was　the　more　pleasant；　as　Lady　Auchans　was　well　known　for　her　skill　in　savoury　contrivances；　and　to　have　anything　new　to　her　of　the　sort　was　a　triumph　beyond　our　most　sanguine　expectations。　　In　a　word；　from　that　day　we　found　that　we　had　taken；　as　it　were；　a　step　above　the　common　in　the　town。　　There　were；　no　doubt；　some　who　envied　our　good　fortune；　but；　upon　the　whole；　the　community　at　large　were　pleased　to　see　the　consideration　in　which　their　chief　magistrate　was　held。　　It　reflected　down；　as　it　were；　upon　themselves　a　glaik　of　the　sunshine　that　shone　upon　us；　and　although　it　may　be　a　light　thing；　as　it　is　seemingly　a　vain　one；　to　me　to　say；　I　am　now　pretty　much　of　Mrs　Pawkie's　opinion；　that　our　cultivation　of　an　intercourse　with　the　country　gentry　was；　in　the　end；　a　benefit　to　our　family；　in　so　far　as　it　obtained；　both　for　my　sons　and　daughters；　a　degree　of　countenance　that　otherwise　could　hardly　have　been　expected　from　their　connexions　and　fortune；　even　though　I　had　been　twice　provost。



CHAPTER　XXXVIRETRIBUTION



But　a　sad　accident　shortly　after　happened；　which　had　the　effect　of　making　it　as　little　pleasant　to　me　to　vex　Mr　Hickery　with　a　joke　about　the　Tappit…hen；　as　it　was　to　him。　　Widow　Fenton；　as　I　have　soberly　hinted；　for　it　is　not　a　subject　to　be　openly　spoken　of；　had　many　ill…assorted　and　irregular　characters　among　her　customers；　and　a　gang　of　play…actors　coming　to　the　town；　and　getting　leave　to　perform　in　Mr　Dribble's　barn；　batches　of　the　young　lads；　both　gentle　and　semple；　when　the　play　was　over；　used　to　adjourn　to　her　house　for　pies　and　porter；　the　commodities　in　which　she　chiefly　dealt。　　One　night；　when　the　deep　tragedy　of　Mary　Queen　of　Scots　was　the　play；　there　was　a　great　concourse　of　people　at　〃The　Theatre　Royal；〃　and　the　consequence　was；　that　the　Tappit…hen's　house；　both　but　and　ben；　was；