clawing to the gentry and nobility. Dod, set a beggar on horseback and
he will ride over his own father, and your father was no lick-the-ladle
like you, but a Liberal who stood up for his rights.' The bitterness and
force with which the stranger spoke cowed his hearers.

'These insults are too much,' stammered the Bailie.

The stranger at once turned upon him. 'O, this is you McSweem, to whom I
have sold many a box of soap and tea when you wore an apron and kept a
grocer's shop. Set you up and push you forward, indeed. You have got a
bit of an estate with your wife's money and call yourself a laird! The
grand folk having taken you under their wing, you forget that you once
sat, cheek-by-jowl, with Joseph Gerrald, and now you sit in judgment on
a better man than a dozen like you.'

'Mr Sheriff,' shouted his lordship. 'Remove this man to the cells.'

'I dare you to put a finger on me,' and he grasped a chair ready to
knock down the officer who advanced to obey the order. 'I am within my
lawful rights. Dod, wee Henderson would ask nothing better than to
prosecute you before the lords of session were you to keep me in jail
even for an hour. Release this innocent man Kerr, and let us go.'

'You are a vulgar bully,' exclaimed his lordship haughtily.

The stranger dropped his bitter tone, and asked smoothly, 'May I ask
your lordship a question? Will you condescend to say how many of your
lordship's relatives are in government offices, and is it true your
wife's mother draws a pension, all of them living out of taxes paid by
the commonalty whom you despise?'