was　heard　in　answer　to　the　opening　counsel。　Deep…mouthed；　long…breathed；　and　pertinacious；　taking　a　pinch　of　snuff　betwixt　every　sentence；　which　otherwise　seemed　interminablethe　veteran　pleader　prosed　over　all　the　themes　which　had　been　treated　so　luminously　by　Fairford：　　he　quietly　and　imperceptibly　replaced　all　the　rubbish　which　the　other　had　cleared　away；　and　succeeded　in　restoring　the　veil　of　obscurity　and　unintelligibility　which　had　for　many　years　darkened　the　case　of　Peebles　against　Plainstanes；　and　the　matter　was　once　　more　hung　up　by　a　remit　to　an　accountant；　with　instruction　to　report　before　answer。　　So　different　a　result　from　that　which　the　public　had　been　led　to　expect　from　Alan's　speech　gave　rise　to　various　speculations。
  The　client　himself　opined；　that　it　was　entirely　owing；　first；　to　his　own　absence　during　the　first　day's　pleading；　being；　as　he　said；　deboshed　with　brandy；　usquebaugh；　and　other　strong　waters；　at　John's　Coffee…house；　PER　AMBAGES　of　Peter　Drudgeit；　employed　to　that　effect　by　and　through　the　device；　counsel；　and　covyne　of　Saunders　Fairford；　his　agent；　or　pretended　agent。　　Secondly　by　the　flight　and　voluntary　desertion　of　the　younger　Fairford；　the　advocate；　on　account　of　which；　he　served　both　father　and　son　with　a　petition　and　complaint　against　them；　for　malversation　in　office。　　So　that　the　apparent　and　most　probable　issue　of　this　cause　seemed　to　menace　the　melancholy　Mr。　Saunders　Fairford；　with　additional　subject　for　plague　and　mortification；　which　was　the　more　galling；　as　his　conscience　told　him　that　the　case　was　really　given　away；　and　that　a　very　brief　resumption　of　the　former　argument；　with　reference　to　the　necessary　authorities　and　points　of　evidence；　would　have　enabled　Alan；　by　the　mere　breath；　as　it　were；　of　his　mouth；　to　blow　away　the　various　cobwebs　with　which　Mr。　Tough　had　again　invested　the　proceedings。　　But　it　went；　he　said；　just　like　a　decreet　in　absence；　and　was　lost　for　want　of　a　contradictor。
  In　the　meanwhile；　nearly　a　week　passed　over　without　Mr。　Fairford　hearing　a　word　directly　from　his　son。　　He　learned；　indeed；　by　a　letter　from　Mr。　Crosbie；　that　the　young　counsellor　had　safely　reached　Dumfries；　but　had　left　that　town　upon　some　ulterior　researches；　the　purpose　of　which　he　had　not　communicated。　　The　old　man；　thus　left　to　suspense；　and　to　mortifying　recollections；　deprived　also　of　the　domestic　society　to　which　he　had　been　habituated；　began　to　suffer　in　body　as　well　as　in　mind。　　He　had　formed　the　determination　of　setting　out　in　person　for　Dumfriesshire；　when；　after　having　been　dogged；　peevish；　and　snappish　to　his　clerks　and　domestics；　to　an　unusual　and　almost　intolerable　degree；　the　acrimonious　humours　settled　in　a　hissing…　hot　fit　of　the　gout；　which　is　a　well…known　tamer　of　the　most　froward　spirits；　and　under　whose　discipline　we　shall；　for　the　present；　leave　him；　as　the　continuation　of　this　history　assumes；　with　the　next　division；　a　form　somewhat　different　from　direct　narrative　and　epistolary　correspondence；　though　partaking　of　the　character　of　both。
  CHAPTER　III
  JOURNAL　OF　DARSIE　LATIMER　（The　following　address　is　written　on　the　inside　of　the　envelope　which　contained　the　Journal。）
  Into　what　hands　soever　these　leaves　may　fall；　they　will　instruct　him；　during　a　certain　time　at　least；　in　the　history　of　the　life　of　an　unfortunate　young　man；　who；　in　the　heart　of　a　free　country；　and　without　any　crime　being　laid　to　his　charge；　has　been；　and　is；　subjected　to　a　course　of　unlawful　and　violent　restraint。　　He　who　opens　this　letter；　is　therefore　conjured　to　apply　to　the　nearest　magistrate；　and；　following　such　indications　as　the　papers　may　afford；　to　exert　himself　for　the　relief　of　one；　who；　while　he　possesses　every　claim　to　assistance　which　oppressed　innocence　can　give；　has；　at　the　same　time；　both　the　inclination　and　the　means　of　being　grateful　to　his　deliverers。　　Or；　if　the　person　obtaining　these　letters　shall　want　courage　or　means　to　effect　the　writer's　release；　he　is；　in　that　case；　conjured；　by　every　duty　of　a　man　to　his　fellow　mortals；　and　of　a　Christian　towards　one　who　professes　the　same　holy　faith；　to　take　the　speediest　measures　for　conveying　them　with　speed　and　safety　to　the　hands　of　Alan　Fairford；　Esq。；　Advocate；　residing　in　the　family　of　his　father；　Alexander　Fairford；　Esq。；　Writer　to　the　Signet；　Brown's　Square；　Edinburgh。　He　may　be　assured　of　a　liberal　reward；　besides　the　consciousness　of　having　discharged　a　real　duty　to　humanity。
  MY　DEAREST　ALAN；　Feeling　as　warmly　towards　you　in　doubt　and　in　distress；　as　I　ever　did　in　the　brightest　days　of　our　intimacy；　it　is　to　you　whom　I　address　a　history　which　may　perhaps　fall　into　very　different　hands。　　A　portion　of　my　former　spirit　descends　to　my　pen　when　I　write　your　name；　and　indulging　the　happy　thought　that　you　may　be　my　deliverer　from　my　present　uncomfortable　and　alarming　situation；　as　you　have　been　my　guide　and　counsellor　on　every　former　occasion；　I　will　subdue　the　dejection　which　would　otherwise　overwhelm　me。　　Therefore；　as；　Heaven　knows；　I　have　time　enough　to　write；　I　will　endeavour　to　pour　my　thoughts　out；　as　fully　and　freely　as　of　old；　though　probably　without　the　same　gay　and　happy　levity。
  If　the　papers　should　reach　other　hands　than　yours；　still　I　will　not　regret　this　exposure　of　my　feelings；　for；　allowing　for　an　ample　share　of　the　folly　incidental　to　youth　and　inexperience；　I　fear　not　that　I　have　much　to　be　ashamed　of　in　my　narrative；　nay；　I　even　hope　that　the　open　simplicity　and　frankness　with　which　I　am　about　to　relate　every　singular　and　distressing　circumstance；　may　prepossess　even　a　stranger　in　my　favour；　and　that；　amid　the　multitude　of　seemingly　trivial　circumstances　which　I　detail　at　length；　a　clue　may　be　found　to　effect　my　liberation。
  Another　chance　certainly　remainsthe　Journal；　as　I　may　call　it；　may　never　reach　the　hands；　either　of　the　dear　friend　to　whom　it　is　addressed；　or　those　of　an　indifferent　stranger；　but　may　become　the　prey　of　the　persons　by　whom　I　am　at　present　treated　as　a　prisoner。　　Let　it　be　sothey　will　learn　from　it　little　but　what　they　already　know；　that；　as　a　man　and　an　Englishman；　my　soul　revolts　at　the　usage　which　I　have　received；　that　I　am　determined　to　essay　every　possible　means　to　obtain　my　freedom；　that　captivity　has　not　broken　my　spirit；　and　that；　although　they　may　doubtless　complete　their　oppression　by　murder；　I　am　still　willing　to　bequeath　my　cause　to　the　justice　of　my　country。　　Undeterred；　therefore；　by　the　probability　that　my　papers　may　be　torn　from　me；　and　subjected　to　the　inspection　of　one　in　particular；　who；　causelessly　my　enemy　already；　may　be　yet　further　incensed　at　me　for　recording　the　history　of　my　wrongs；　I　proceed　to　resume　the　history　of　events　which　have　befallen　me　since　the　conclusion　of　my　last　letter　to　my　dear　Alan　Fairford；　dated；　if　I　mistake　not；　on　the　5th　day　of　this　still　current　month　of　August。
  Upon　the　night　preceding　the　date　of　that　letter；　I　had　been　present；　for　the　purpose　of　an　idle　frolic；　at　a　dancing　party　at　the　village　of　Brokenburn；　about　six　miles　from　Dumfries；　many　persons　must　have　seen　me　there；　should　the　fact　appear　of　importance　sufficient　to　require　investigation。　　I　danced；　played　on　the　violin；　and　took　part　in　the　festivity　till　about　midnight；　when　my　servant；　Samuel　Owen；　brought　me　my　horses；　and　I　rode　back　to　a　small　inn　called　Shepherd's　Bush；　kept　by　Mrs。　Gregson；　which　had　been　occasionally　my　residence　for　about　a　fortnight　past。　　I　spent　the　earlier　part　of　the　forenoon　in　writing　a　letter；　which　I　have　already　mentioned；　to　you；　my　dear　Alan；　and　which；　I　think；　you　must　have　received　in　safety。　　Why　did　I　not　follow　your　advice；　so　often　given　me？　　Why　did　I　linger　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　danger；　of　which　a　kind　voice　had　warned　me？　　These　are　now　unavailing　questions；　I　was　blinded　by　a　fatality；　and　remained；　fluttering　like　a　moth　around　the　candle；　until　I　have　been　scorched　to　some　purpose。
  The　greater　part　of　the　day　had　passed；　and　time　hung　heavy　on　my　hands。　　I　ought；　perhaps；　to　blush　at　recollecting　what　has　been　often　objected　to　me　by　the　dear　friend　to　whom　this　letter　is　addressed；　viz。　the　facility　with　which　I　have；　in　moments　of　indolence；　suffered　my　motions　to　be；　directed　by　any　person　who　chanced　to　be　near　me；　instead　of　taking　the　labour　of　thinking　or　deciding　for　myself。　　I　had　employed　for　some　time；　as　a　sort　of　guide　and　errand…boy；　a　lad　named　Benjamin；　the　son　of　one　widow　Coltherd；　who　lives　near　the　Shepherd's　Bush；　and　I　cannot　but　remember　that；　upon　several　occasions；　I　had　of　late　suffered　him　to　possess　more　influence　over　my　motions　than　at　all　became　the　difference　of　our　age　and　condition。　　At　present；　he　exerted　himself　to　persuade　me　that　it　was　the　finest　possible　sport　to　see　the　fish　taken　out　from　the　nets　placed　in　the　Solway　at　the　reflux　of　the　tide；　and　urged　my　going　thither　this　evening　so　much；　that；　looking　back　on　the　whole　circumstances；　I　cannot　but　think　he　had　some　especial　motive　for　his　conduct。　　These　particulars　I　have　mentioned；　that　if　these　papers　fall　into　friendly　hands；　the　boy　may　be　sought　after　and　submitted　to　examination。
  His　eloquence　being　unable　to　persuade　me　that　I　should　take　any　pleasure　in　seeing　the　fruitless　struggles　of　the　fish　when　le