the provost-第8部分

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d　be　a　great　advantage　if　the　council　could　be　worked　with；　so　as　to　nominate　and　appoint　My　Lord　the　next　provost　after　me。　　In　the　proposing　of　this；　I　could　see　there　would　be　no　difficulty；　but　the　hazard　was；　that　his　lordship　might　only　be　made　a　tool　of　instrumentality　to　our　shrewd　and　sly　town…clerk；　Mr　Keelivine；　while　it　was　of　great　importance　that　I　should　keep　the　management　of　my　lord　in　my　own　hands。　　In　this　strait；　however；　a　thing　came　to　pass；　which　strongly　confirms　me　in　the　opinion；　that　good…luck　has　really　a　great　deal　to　say　with　the　prosperity　of　men。　The　earl；　who　had　not　for　years　been　in　the　country；　came　down　in　the　summer　from　London；　and　I；　together　with　the　other　magistrates　and　council；　received　an　invitation　to　dine　with　him　at　the　castle。　We　all　of　course　went；　〃with　our　best　breeding；〃　as　the　old　proverb　says；　〃helped　by　our　brawest　cleeding；〃　but　I　soon　saw　that　it　was　only　a　PRO　FORMA　dinner；　and　that　there　was　nothing　of　cordiality　in　all　the　civility　with　which　we　were　treated；　both　by　my　lord　and　my　lady。　　Nor；　indeed；　could　I；　on　an　afterthought；　blame　our　noble　entertainers　for　being　so　on　their　guard；　for　in　truth　some　of　the　deacons；　（I'll　no　say　any　of　the　bailies；）　were　so　transported　out　of　themselves　with　the　glory　of　my　lord's　banquet；　and　the　thought　of　dining　at　the　castle；　and　at　the　first　table　too；　that　when　the　wine　began　to　fiz　in　their　noddles；　they　forgot　themselves　entirely；　and　made　no　more　of　the　earl　than　if　he　had　been　one　of　themselves。　Seeing　to　what　issue　the　matter　was　tending；　I　set　a　guard　upon　myself；　and　while　my　lord；　out　of　a　parly…voo　politess；　was　egging　them　on；　one　after　another；　to　drink　deeper　and　deeper　of　his　old　wines；　to　the　manifest　detriment　of　their　own　senses；　I　kept　myself　in　a　degree　as　sober　as　a　judge；　warily　noting　all　things　that　came　to　pass。

The　earl　had　really　a　commendable　share　of　common　sense　for　a　lord；　and　the　discretion　of　my　conduct　was　not　unnoticed　by　him；　in　so　much；　that　after　the　major　part　of　the　council　had　become；　as　it　may　be　said；　out　o'　the　body；　cracking　their　jokes　with　one　another；　just　as　if　all　present　had　been　carousing　at　the　Cross…Keys；　his　lordship　wised　to　me　to　come　and　sit　beside　him；　where　we　had　a　very　private　and　satisfactory　conversation　together；　in　the　which　conversation；　I　said；　that　it　was　a　pity　he　would　not　allow　himself　to　be　nominated　our　provost。　　Nobody　had　ever　minted　to　him　a　thought　of　the　thing　before；　so　it　was　no　wonder　that　his　lordship　replied；　with　a　look　of　surprise；　saying；　〃That　so　far　from　refusing；　he　had　never　heard　of　any　such　proposal。〃

〃That　is　very　extraordinary；　my　lord；〃　said　I；　〃for　surely　it　is　for　your　interests；　and　would　to　a　certainty　be　a　great　advantage　to　the　town；　were　your　lordship　to　take　upon　you　the　nominal　office　of　provost；　I　say　nominal；　my　lord；　because　being　now　used　to　the　duties；　and　somewhat　experienced　therein；　I　could　take　all　the　necessary　part　of　the　trouble　off　your　lordship's　hands；　and　so　render　the　provostry　in　your　lordship's　name　a　perfect　nonentity。〃　Whereupon；　he　was　pleased　to　say；　if　I　would　do　so；　and　he　commended　my　talents　and　prudence；　he　would　have　no　objection　to　be　made　the　provost　at　the　ensuing　election。　　Something　more　explicit　might　have　ensued　at　that　time；　but　Bailie　M'Lucre　and　Mr　Sharpset；　who　was　the　dean　of　guild；　had　been　for　about　the　space　of　half　an　hour　carrying　on　a　vehement　argument　anent　some　concern　of　the　guildry；　in　which；　coming　to　high　words；　and　both　being　beguiled　and　ripened　into　folly　by　the　earl's　wine；　they　came　into　such　a　manifest　quarrel；　that　Mr　Sharpset　pulled　off　the　bailie's　best　wig；　and　flung　it　with　a　damn　into　the　fire：　　the　which　stramash　caused　my　lord　to　end　the　sederunt；　but　none　of　the　magistrates；　save　myself；　was　in　a　condition　to　go　with　his　lordship　to　My　Lady　in　the　drawing…room。



CHAPTER　XIITHE　SPY



Soon　after　the　foregoing　transaction；　a　thing　happened　that；　in　a　manner；　I　would　fain　conceal　and　suppress　from　the　knowledge　of　future　times；　although　it　was　but　a　sort　of　sprose　to　make　the　world　laugh。　　Fortunately　for　my　character；　however；　it　did　not　fall　out　exactly　in　my　hands；　although　it　happened　in　the　course　of　my　provostry。　　The　matter　spoken　of；　was　the　affair　of　a　Frenchman　who　was　taken　up　as　a　spy；　for　the　American　war　was　then　raging；　and　the　French　had　taken　the　part　of　the　Yankee　rebels。

One　day；　in　the　month　of　August　it　was；　I　had　gone　on　some　private　concernment　of　my　own　to　Kilmarnock；　and　Mr　Booble；　who　was　then　oldest　Bailie；　naturally　officiated　as　chief　magistrate　in　my　stead。

There　have　been；　as　the　world　knows；　a　disposition　on　the　part　of　the　grand　monarque　of　that　time；　to　invade　and　conquer　this　country；　the　which　made　it　a　duty　incumbent　on　all　magistrates　to　keep　a　vigilant　eye　on　the　in…comings　and　out…goings　of　aliens　and　other　suspectable　persons。　　On　the　said　day；　and　during　my　absence；　a　Frenchman；　that　could　speak　no　manner　of　English；　somehow　was　discovered　in　the　Cross…Key　inns。　　What　he　was；　or　where　he　came　from；　nobody　at　the　time　could　tell；　as　I　was　informed；　but　there　he　was；　having　come　into　the　house　at　the　door；　with　a　bundle　in　his　hand；　and　a　portmanty　on　his　shoulder；　like　a　traveller　out　of　some　vehicle　of　conveyance。　　Mrs　Drammer；　the　landlady；　did　not　like　his　looks；　for　he　had　toozy　black　whiskers；　was　lank　and　wan；　and　moreover　deformed　beyond　human　nature；　as　she　said；　with　a　parrot　nose；　and　had　no　cravat；　but　only　a　bit　black　riband　drawn　through　two　button…holes；　fastening　his　ill…coloured　sark　neck；　which　gave　him　altogether　something　of　an　unwholesome；　outlandish　appearance。

Finding　he　was　a　foreigner；　and　understanding　that　strict　injunctions　were　laid　on　the　magistrates　by　the　king　and　government　anent　the　egressing　of　such　persons；　she　thought；　for　the　credit　of　her　house；　and　the　safety　of　the　community　at　large；　that　it　behoved　her　to　send　word　to　me；　then　provost；　of　this　man's　visibility　among　us；　but　as　I　was　not　at　home；　Mrs　Pawkie；　my　wife；　directed　the　messenger　to　Bailie　Booble's。　　The　bailie　was；　at　all　times；　overly　ready　to　claught　at　an　alarm；　and　when　he　heard　the　news；　he　went　straight　to　the　council…room；　and　sending　for　the　rest　of　the　council；　ordered　the　alien　enemy；　as　he　called　the　forlorn　Frenchman；　to　be　brought　before　him。　　By　this　time；　the　suspicion　of　a　spy　in　the　town　had　spread　far　and　wide；　and　Mrs　Pawkie　told　me；　that　there　was　a　palid　consternation　in　every　countenance　when　the　black　and　yellow　manfor　he　had　not　the　looks　of　the　honest　folks　of　this　countrywas　brought　up　the　street　between　two　of　the　town…　officers；　to　stand　an　examine　before　Bailie　Booble。

Neither　the　bailie；　nor　those　that　were　then　sitting　with　him；　could　speak　any　French　language；　and　〃the　alien　enemy〃　was　as　little　master　of　our　tongue。　　I　have　often　wondered　how　the　bailie　did　not　jealouse　that　he　could　be　no　spy；　seeing　how；　in　that　respect；　he　wanted　the　main　faculty。　　　But　he　was　under　the　enchantment　of　a　panic；　partly　thinking　also；　perhaps；　that　he　was　to　do　a　great　exploit　for　the　government　in　my　absence。

However；　the　man　was　brought　before　him；　and　there　was　he；　and　them　all；　speaking　loud　out　to　one　another　as　if　they　had　been　hard　of　hearing；　when　I；　on　my　coming　home　from　Kilmarnock；　went　to　see　what　was　going　on　in　the　council。　　Considering　that　the　procedure　had　been　in　handsome　time　before　my　arrival；　I　thought　it　judicious　to　leave　the　whole　business　with　those　present；　and　to　sit　still　as　a　spectator；　and　really　it　was　very　comical　to　observe　how　the　bailie　was　driven　to　his　wit's…end　by　the　poor　lean　and　yellow　Frenchman；　and　in　what　a　pucker　of　passion　the　pannel　put　himself　at　every　new　interlocutor；　none　of　which　he　could　understand。　　At　last；　the　bailie；　getting　no　satisfactionhow　could　he？he　directed　the　man's　portmanty　and　bundle　to　be　opened；　and　in　the　bottom　of　the　forementioned　package；　there；　to　be　sure；　was　found　many　a　mystical　and　suspicious　paper；　which　no　one　could　read；　among　others；　there　was　a　strange　map；　as　it　then　seemed　to　all　present。

〃I'　gude　faith；〃　cried　the　bailie；　with　a　keckle　of　exultation；　〃here's　proof　enough　now。　　This　is　a　plain　map　o'　the　Frith　o'　Clyde；　all　the　way　to　the　tail　of　the　bank　o'　Greenock。　　This　muckle　place　is　Arran；　that　round　ane　is　the　craig　of　Ailsa；　the　wee　ane　between　is　Plada。　　Gentlemen；　gentlemen；　this　is　a　sore　discovery；　there　will　be　hanging　and　quartering　on　this。〃　　So　he　ordered　the　man　to　be　forthwith　committed　as　a　king's　prisoner　to　the　tolbooth；　and　turning　to　me；　said：…　〃My　lord　provost；　as　ye　have　not　been　present　throughout　the　whole　of　this　troublesome　affair；　I'll　e'en　gie　an　account　mysel　to　the　lord　advocate　of　what　we　have　done。〃　　I　thought；　at　the　time；　there　was　something　fey　and　overly　forward　in　this；　but　I　assented；　for　I　know　not　what　it　was；　that　seemed　to　me　as　if　there　was　something　neither　right　nor　regular；　indeed；　to　say　the　truth；　I　was　no　ill　pleased　that　the　bailie　took　on　him　what　he　did；　so　I　allowed　him　to　write　himself　to　the　lord　advocate；　and；　as　the　sequel　showed；　it　was　a　blessed　prudence　on　my　part　that　I　did　so。　　For　no　sooner　did　his　lordship　receive　the　bailie's　terrifying　letter；　than　a　special　king's　messenger　was　sent　to　take　the　spy　into　Edinburgh　Castle；　and　nothing　could　surpass　the　great　importance　that　Bailie　Booble　made　of　himself；　on　the　occasion；　on　getting　the　man　into　a　coach；　and　two　dragoons　to　guard　him　into　Glasgow。

But　oh！　what　a　dejected　man　was　the　miserable　Bailie　Booble；　and　what　a　laugh　rose　from　shop　and　chamber；　when　the　tidings　came　out　from　Edinburgh　that；　〃the　alien　enemy〃　was　but　a　French　cook　coming　over　from　Dublin；　with　the　intent　to　take　up　the　trade　of　a　confectioner　in　Glasgow；　and　that　the　map　of　the　Clyde　was　nothing　but　a　plan　for　the　outset　of　a　fashionable　tablethe　bailie's　island　of　Arran　being　the　roast　beef；　and　the　craig　of　Ailsa　the　plum…pudding；　and　Plada　a　butter…boat。　　Nobody　enjoyed　the　jocularity　of　the　business　more　than　myself；　but　I　trembled　when　I　thought　of　the　escape　that　my　honour　and　character　had　with　the　lord　advocate。　　I　trow；　Bailie　Booble　never　set　himself　so　forward　from　that　day　to　this。



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