It is difficult to say whether the worthy Baron was most delighted with the restitution of his family property, or with the delicacy and generosity that left him unfettered to pursue his purpose in disposing of it after his death, and which avoided, as much as possible, even the appearance of laying him under pecuniary obligation.  When his first pause of joy and astonishment was over, his thoughts turned to the unworthy heir-male, who, he pronounced, ’had sold his birthright, like Esau, for a mess o’ pottage.’

‘But wha cookit the parritch for him?’ exclaimed the Bailie; ’I wad like to ken that—­wha but your Honour’s to command, Duncan Macwheeble?  His Honour, young Mr. Wauverley, put it a’ into my hand frae the beginning—­frae the first calling o’ the summons, as I may say.  I circumvented them—­I played at bogle about the bush wi’ them—­I cajoled them; and if I havena gien Inch-Grabbit and Jamie Howie a bonnie begunk, they ken themselves.  Him a writer!  I didna gea slapdash to them wi’ our young bra’ bridegroom, to gar them haud up the market; na, na; I scared them wi’ our wild tenantry, and the Mac-Ivors, that are but ill settled yet, till they durstna on ony errand whatsoever gang ower the doorstane after gloaming, for fear John Heatherblutter, or some siccan dare-the-deil, should tak a baff at them:  then, on the other hand, I beflumm’d them wi’ Colonel Talbot—­wad they offer to keep up the price again’ the Duke’s friend? did they na ken wha was master? had they na seen eneugh, by the sad example of mony a puir misguided unhappy body—­’

‘Who went to Derby, for example, Mr. Macwheeble?’ said the Colonel to him, aside.

‘Oh’ whisht, Colonel, for the love o’ God! let that flee stick i’ the wa’.  There were mony good folk at Derby; and it’s ill speaking of halters,’—­with a sly cast of his eye toward the Baron, who was in a deep reverie.

Starting out of it at once, he took Macwheeble by the button, and led him into one of the deep window recesses, whence only fragments of their conversation reached the rest of the party.  It certainly related to stamp-paper and parchment; for no other subject, even from the mouth of his patron, and he, once more an efficient one, could have arrested so deeply the Bailie’s reverent and absorbed attention.

’I understand your Honour perfectly; it can be dune as easy as taking out a decreet in absence.’

’To her and him, after my demise, and to their heirs-male,—­but preferring the second son, if God shall bless them with two, who is to carry the name and arms of Bradwardine of that Ilk, without any other name or armorial bearings whatsoever.’

‘Tut, your Honour!’ whispered the Bailie, ’I’ll mak a slight jotting the morn; it will cost but a charter of resignation in FAVOREM; and I’ll hae it ready for the next term in Exchequer.