as free to bid for, had ye liket, as either o' the candidates. I'll
no deny, however, that the nabob, before he left the town, made some
small presents to my wife and dochter; but that was no fault o'
mine. Howsever, when a' was o'er, and I could discern that ye were
mindet to keep the guildry, I thought, after the wreck o' my
provision concern, I might throw mair bread on the water and not
find it, than by a bit jaunt to London to see how my honourable
friend, the nabob, was coming on in his place in parliament, as I
saw none of his speeches in the newspaper.

"Well, ye see, Mr Pawkie, I gae'd up to London in a trader from
Leith; and by the use of a gude Scotch tongue, the whilk was the
main substance o' a' the bairns' part o' gear that I inherited from
my parents, I found out the nabob's dwelling, in the west end o' the
town of London; and finding out the nabob's dwelling, I went and
rappit at the door, which a bardy flunkie opened, and speer't what I
want it, as if I was a thing no fit to be lifted off a midden with a
pair of iron tongs. Like master, like man, thought I to myself; and
thereupon, taking heart no to be put out, I replied to the whipper-
snapper--'I'm Bailie M'Lucre o' Gudetown, and maun hae a word wi'
his honour.'

"The cur lowered his birsses at this, and replied, in a mair
ceeveleezed style of language, 'Master is not at home.' But I kent
what not at home means in the morning at a gentleman's door in
London; so I said, 'Very weel, as I hae had a long walk, I'll e'en
rest myself and wait till he come;' and with that, I plumpit down on
one of the mahogany chairs in the trance. The lad, seeing that I
was na to be jookit, upon this answered me, by saying, he would go
and enquire if his master would be at home to me; and the short and