that helped Alan and me across the Forth. I was thinking if I
could get her a good Sunday gown, such as she could wear with
decency in her degree, it would be an ease to my conscience; for
the mere truth is, we owe her our two lives."

"I am glad so see you are thrifty, Mr. Balfour," says he, making
his notes.

"I would think shame to be otherwise the first day of my fortune,"
said I. "And now, if you will compute the outlay and your own
proper charges, I would be glad to know if I could get some
spending-money back. It's not that I grudge the whole of it to get
Alan safe; it's not that I lack more; but having drawn so much the
one day, I think it would have a very ill appearance if I was back
again seeking, the next. Only be sure you have enough," I added,
"for I am very undesirous to meet with you again."

"Well, and I'm pleased to see you're cautious, too," said the
Writer. "But I think ye take a risk to lay so considerable a sum
at my discretion."

He said this with a plain sneer.

"I'll have to run the hazard," I replied. "O, and there's another
service I would ask, and that's to direct me to a lodging, for I
have no roof to my head. But it must be a lodging I may seem to
have hit upon by accident, for it would never do if the Lord
Advocate were to get any jealousy of our acquaintance."

"Ye may set your weary spirit at rest," said he. "I will never