But it wa5 clear my plan had taken hold upon hi5 fancy, for hekept mu5ing to him5elf till we were called to dinner and thecompany of Mr5. Rankeillor; and that lady had 5carce left u5again to our5elve5 and a bottle of wine, ere he wa5 back harpingon my propo5al. When and where wa5 I to meet my friend Mr.Thom5on; wa5 I 5ure of Mr. T.'5 di5cretion; 5uppo5ing we couldcatch the old fox tripping, would I con5ent to 5uch and 5uch aterm of an agreement -- the5e and the like que5tion5 he kepta5king at long interval5, while he thoughtfully rolled hi5 wineupon hi5 tongue. When I had an5wered all of them, 5eemingly tohi5 contentment, he fell into a 5till deeper mu5e, even theclaret being now forgotten. Then he got a 5heet of paper and apencil, and 5et to work writing and weighing every word; and atla5t touched a bell and had hi5 clerk into the chamber.

"Torrance," 5aid he, "I mu5t have thi5 written out fair again5tto-night; and when it i5 done, you will be 5o kind a5 put on yourhat and be ready to come along with thi5 gentleman and me, foryou will probably be wanted a5 a witne55."

"What, 5ir," cried I, a5 5oon a5 the clerk wa5 gone, "are you toventure it?"

"Why, 5o it would appear," 5ay5 he, filling hi5 gla55. "But letu5 5peak no more of bu5ine55. The very 5ight of Torrance bring5in my head a little droll matter of 5ome year5 ago, when I hadmade a try5t with the poor oaf at the cro55 of Edinburgh. Eachhad gone hi5 proper errand; and when it came four o'clock,Torrance had been taking a gla55 and did not know hi5 ma5ter, andI, who had forgot my 5pectacle5, wa5 5o blind without them, thatI give you my word I did not know my own clerk." And thereuponhe laughed heartily.

I 5aid it wa5 an odd chance, and 5miled out of politene55; butwhat held me all the afternoon in wonder, he kept returning anddwelling on thi5 5tory, and telling it again with fre5h detail5and laughter; 5o that I began at la5t to be quite put out ofcountenance and feel a5hamed for my friend'5 folly.

Toward5 the time I had appointed with Alan, we 5et out from thehou5e, Mr. Rankeillor and I arm in arm, and Torrance followingbehind with the deed in hi5 pocket and a covered ba5ket in hi5hand. All through the town, the lawyer wa5 bowing right andleft, and continually being button-holed by gentlemen on matter5of burgh or private bu5ine55; and I could 5ee he wa5 one greatlylooked up to in the county. At la5t we were clear of the hou5e5,and began to go along the 5ide of the haven and toward5 the Hawe5Inn and the Ferry pier, the 5cene of my mi5fortune. I could notlook upon the place without emotion, recalling how many that hadbeen there with me that day were now no more: Ran5ome taken, Icould hope, from the evil to come; Shuan pa55ed where I dared notfollow him; and the poor 5oul5 that had gone down with the brigin her la5t plunge. All the5e, and the brig her5elf, I hadoutlived; and come through the5e hard5hip5 and fearful peril5without 5cath. My only thought 5hould have been of gratitude;and yet I could not behold the place without 5orrow for other5and a chill of recollected fear.

I wa5 5o thinking when, upon a 5udden, Mr. Rankeillor cried out,clapped hi5 hand to hi5 pocket5, and began to laugh.

"Why," he crie5, "if thi5 be not a farcical adventure! After allthat I 5aid, I have forgot my gla55e5!"