Mannering by this time was aware that one thought linked strangely on to another in the concatenation of worthy Mr. Bertram’s ideas,

     Like orient pearls at random strung;

and therefore, before the current of his associations had drifted farther from the point he had left, he brought him back by some inquiry about Dirk Hatteraick.

’O he’s a—­a—­gude sort of blackguard fellow eneugh; naebody cares to trouble him—­smuggler, when his guns are in ballast—­privateer, or pirate, faith, when he gets them mounted.  He has done more mischief to the revenue folk than ony rogue that ever came out of Ramsay.’

’But, my good sir, such being his character, I wonder he has any protection and encouragement on this coast.’

’Why, Mr. Mannering, people must have brandy and tea, and there’s none in the country but what comes this way; and then there’s short accounts, and maybe a keg or two, or a dozen pounds, left at your stable-door, instead of a d—­d lang account at Christmas from Duncan Robb, the grocer at Kippletringan, who has aye a sum to make up, and either wants ready money or a short-dated bill.  Now, Hatteraick will take wood, or he’ll take bark, or he’ll take barley, or he’ll take just what’s convenient at the time.  I’ll tell you a gude story about that.  There was ance a laird—­that’s Macfie of Gudgeonford,—­he had a great number of kain hens—­ that’s hens that the tenant pays to the landlord, like a sort of rent in kind.  They aye feed mine very ill; Luckie Finniston sent up three that were a shame to be seen only last week, and yet she has twelve bows sowing of victual; indeed her goodman, Duncan Finniston—­that’s him that’s gone—­(we must all die, Mr. Mannering, that’s ower true)—­and, speaking of that, let us live in the meanwhile, for here’s breakfast on the table, and the Dominie ready to say the grace.’

The Dominie did accordingly pronounce a benediction, that exceeded in length any speech which Mannering had yet heard him utter.  The tea, which of course belonged to the noble Captain Hatteraick’s trade, was pronounced excellent.  Still Mannering hinted, though with due delicacy, at the risk of encouraging such desperate characters.  ’Were it but in justice to the revenue, I should have supposed—­’

’Ah, the revenue lads’—­for Mr. Bertram never embraced a general or abstract idea, and his notion of the revenue was personified in the commissioners, surveyors, comptrollers, and riding officers whom he happened to know—­’the revenue lads can look sharp eneugh out for themselves, no ane needs to help them; and they have a’ the soldiers to assist them besides; and as to justice—­you’ll be surprised to hear it, Mr. Mannering, but I am not a justice of peace!’

Mannering assumed the expected look of surprise, but thought within himself that the worshipful bench suffered no great deprivation from wanting the assistance of his good-humoured landlord.  Mr. Bertram had now hit upon one of the few subjects on which he felt sore, and went on with some energy.