A scaffold was erected at the Tron, just under the tolbooth windows,
by Thomas Gimblet, the master-of-work, who had a good penny of
profit by the job, for he contracted with the town-council, and had
the boards after the business was done to the bargain; but Thomas
was then deacon of the wrights, and himself a member of our body.

At the hour appointed, Jeanie, dressed in white, was led out by the
town-officers, and in the midst of the magistrates from among the
ladies, with her hands tied behind her with a black riband. At the
first sight of her at the tolbooth stairhead, a universal sob rose
from all the multitude, and the sternest e'e couldna refrain from
shedding a tear. We marched slowly down the stair, and on to the
foot of the scaffold, where her younger brother, Willy, that was
stable-boy at my lord's, was standing by himself, in an open ring
made round him in the crowd; every one compassionating the dejected
laddie, for he was a fine youth, and of an orderly spirit.

As his sister came towards the foot of the ladder, he ran towards
her, and embraced her with a wail of sorrow that melted every heart,
and made us all stop in the middle of our solemnity. Jeanie looked
at him, (for her hands were tied,) and a silent tear was seen to
drop from her cheek. But in the course of little more than a
minute, all was quiet, and we proceeded to ascend the scaffold.
Willy, who had by this time dried his eyes, went up with us, and
when Mr Pittle had said the prayer, and sung the psalm, in which the
whole multitude joined, as it were with the contrition of sorrow,
the hangman stepped forward to put on the fatal cap, but Willy took
it out of his hand, and placed it on his sister himself, and then
kneeling down, with his back towards her closing his eyes and