old Cogia Hassein, with his green turban ?—I once played him a trick, and put a pint of brandy into his sherbet. Egad, the old fellow took care never to discover the cheat until he had got to the bottom of the flagon, and then he strokes his long white beard, and says, 'Ullah Kerim,'— that is, Heaven is merciful,' Mrs. Dods, Mr. Tyrrel knows the meaning of it.-Ullah Kerim, says he, after he had drunk about a gallon of brandy-punch!--Ullah Kerim, says the hypocritical old rogue, as if he had done the finest thing in the world!"

"And what for no? What for shouldna the honest man say a blessing after his drap punch?" demanded Mrs. Dods; 66 it was better, I ween, than blasting, and blawing, and swearing, as if folks shouldna be thankful for the creature-comforts."

"Well said, old Dame Dods," replied the traveller ; "that is a right hostess's maxim, and worthy of Mrs. Quickly herself. Here is to thee, and I pray ye to pledge me before ye leave the room."

"Troth, I'll pledge naebody the night, Maister Touchwood; for, what wi' the upcast and terror that I got a wee while syne, and what wi' the bit taste that I behoved to take of the plottie while I was making it, my head is sair eneugh distressed the night already.-Maister Tirl, the yellow room is ready for ye when you like; and, gentlemen, as the morn is the Sabbath, I canna be keeping the servant queans out of their beds to wait on ye ony langer, for they will make it an excuse for lying till aught o'clock on the Lord's day. So, when your plottie is done, I'll be muckle obliged to ye to light the bedroom candles, and put out the double moulds, and e'en show yoursells to your beds; for douce folks, sic as the like of you, should set an example by ordinary. And so, gude-night to ye baith."

"By my faith," said Touchwood, as she withdrew,

66 our dame turns as obstinate as a Pacha with three tails! -We have her gracious permission to finish our mug, however; so here is to your health once more, Mr. Tyrrel, wishing you a hearty welcome to your own cuntry."

"I thank you, Mr. Touchwood," answered Tyrrel; "and I return you the same good wishes, with, as I sincerely hope, a much greater chance of their being realized-You relieved me, sir, at a time when the villainy of an agent, prompted, as I have reason to think, by an active and powerful enemy, occasioned my being, for a time, pressed for funds.—I made remittances to the Ragion you dealt with, to acquit myself at least of the pecuniary part of my obligation; but the bills were returned, because, it was stated, you had left Smyrna.”

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'Very true-very true-left Smyrna, and here I am in Scotland-as for the bills, we will speak of them another time-something due for picking me out of the gutter."

"I shall make no deduction on that account," said Tyrrel, smiling, though in no jocose mood; "and I beg you not to mistake me. The circumstances of embarrassment, under which you found me at Smyrna, were merely temporary-I am most able and willing to pay my debt; and, let me add, I am most desirous to do so."

“Another time—another time,” said Mr. Touchwood— "time enough before us, Mr. Tyrrel-besides, at Smyrna, you talked of a lawsuit-law is a lick-penny, Mr. Tyrrel -no counsellor like the pound in purse."

"For my lawsuit,” said Tyrrel, “I am fully provided." "But have you good advice?-Have you good adanswer me that."

vice?" said Touchwood;

66

"I have advised with my lawyers,” answered Tyrrel, internally vexed to find that his friend was much disposed to make his generosity upon the former occasion a pretext for prying farther into his affairs now than he thought polite or convenient.

"With your counsel learned in the law-eh, my dear boy? But the advice you should take is of some travelled friend, well acquainted with mankind and the worldsome one that has lived double your years, and is maybe looking out for some bare young fellow that he may do a little good to-one that might be willing to help you farther than I can pretend to guess--for, as to your lawyer, you get just your guinea's worth from him-not even so much as the baker's bargain, thirteen to the dozen."

"I think I should not trouble myself to go far in search of a friend such as you describe," said Tyrrel, who could not affect to misunderstand the senior's drift, "when I was near Mr. Peregrine Touchwood; but the truth is, my affairs are at present so much complicated with those of others, whose secrets I have no right to communicate, that I cannot have the advantage of consulting you, or any other friend. It is possible I may be soon obliged to lay aside this reserve, and vindicate myself before the whole public. I will not fail, when that time shall arrive, to take an early opportunity of confidential communication with you."

"That is right-confidential is the word-No person ever made a confidant of me who repented it-Think what the Pacha might have made of it, had he taken my advice, and cut through the Isthmus of Suez.-Turk and Christian, men of all tongues and countries, used to consult old Touchwood, from the building of a mosque down to the settling of an agio.-But come-Good-night -good-night."

So saying, he took up his bedroom light, and extinguished one of those which stood on the table, nodded to Tyrrel to discharge his share of the duty imposed by Mrs. Dods with the same punctuality, and they withdrew to their several apartments, entertaining very different sentiments of each other.

"A troublesome inquisitive old gentleman," said Tyrrel to himself; "I remember him narrowly escaping the bastinado at Smyrna, for thrusting his advice on the Turkish cadi-and then I lie under a considerable obligation to him, giving him a sort of right to annoy me— Well, I must parry his impertinence as I can."

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"A shy cock this Frank Tyrrel,” thought the traveller ;

a very complete dodger !—But no matter-I shall wind him, were he to double like a fox-I am resolved to make his matters my own, and if I cannot carry him through, I know not who can."

Having formed this philanthropic resolution, Mr. Touchwood threw himself into bed, which luckily declined exactly at the right angle, and, full of self-complacency, consigned himself to slumber.

CHAPTER XXIX.

MEDIATION.

-So, begone!

We will not now be troubled with reply;
We offer fair, take it advisedly.

KING HENRY IV. Part I.

Ir had been the purpose of Tyrrel, by rising and breakfasting early, to avoid again meeting Mr. Touchwood, having upon his hands a matter in which that officious gentleman's interference was likely to prove troublesome. His character, he was aware, had been assailed at the Spaw in the most public manner, and in the most public manner he was resolved to demand redress, conscious that whatever other important concerns had brought him to Scotland, must necessarily be postponed to the vindication of his honour. He was determined, for this purpose, to go down to the rooms when the company was assembled at the breakfast hour, and had just taken his hat to set out, when he was interrupted by Mrs. Dods, who, announcing "a gentleman that was speering for him," ushered into the chamber a very fashionable young man in a military surtout, covered with silk lace and fur, and wearing a foraging-cap; a dress now too familiar to be distinguished, but which at that time was used only by geniuses of a superior order.