an ill word of him, honest man, got their loofs creeshed with something that might be called agrassum, or rather, a gratis gift. It therefore seemed to me that there was a necessity for some reformation in the office, and I foresaw that the same would never be accomplished, unless I could get Mr M’Lucre wised out of it, and myself appointed his successor. But in this lay the obstacle; for every thing anent the office was, as it were, in his custody, and it was well known that he had an interest in keeping by that which, in vulgar parlance, is called nine points of the law. However, both for the public good and a convenience to myself, I was resolved to get a finger in the dean of guild’s fat pie, especially as I foresaw that, in the course of three or four years, some of the best tacks would run out, and it would be a great thing to the magistrate that might have the disposal of the new ones. Therefore, without seeming to have any foresight concerning the lands that were coming on to be out of lease, I set myself to constrain Mr M’Lucre to give up the guildry, as it were, of his own free-will; and what helped me well to this, was a rumour that came down from London, that there was to be a dissolution of the parliament.

The same day that this news reached the town, I was standing at my shop-door, between dinner and tea-time. It was a fine sunny summer afternoon. Standing under the blessed influence of the time by myself at my shop-door, who should I see passing along the crown of the causey, but Mr M’Lucre himself and with a countenance knotted with care, little in unison with the sultry indolence of that sunny day.

“Whar awa sae fast, dean o’ guild?”  quo’ I to him; and he stopped his wide stepping, for he was a long spare man, and looting in his gait.

“I’m just,” said he, “taking a step to the provost’s, to learn the particulars of thir great news—for, as we are to hae the casting vote in the next  election, there’s no saying the good it may bring to us all gin we manage it wi’ discretion.”

I reflected the while of a minute before I made any reply, and then I said—

“It would hae nae doubt of the matter, Mr M’Lucre, could it be brought about to get you chosen for the delegate; but I fear, as ye are only dean of guild this year, that’s no to be accomplished; and really, without the like of you, our borough, in the contest, may be driven to the wall.”

“Contest!” cried the dean of guild, with great eagerness; “wha told you that we are to be  

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