Having　succeeded　in　securing　the　favourable　attention　of　the　court；　the　young　lawyer；　using　the　lights　which　his　father's　experience　and　knowledge　of　business　had　afforded　him；　proceeded　with　an　address　and　clearness；　unexpected　from　one　of　his　years；　to　remove　from　the　case　itself　those　complicated　formalities　with　which　it　had　been　loaded；　as　a　surgeon　strips　from　a　wound　the　dressings　which　had　been　hastily　wrapped　round　it；　in　order　to　proceed　to　his　cure　SECUNDUM　ARTEM。　　Developed　of　the　cumbrous　and　complicated　technicalities　of　litigation；　with　which　the　perverse　obstinacy　of　the　client；　the　inconsiderate　haste　or　ignorance　of　his　agents；　and　the　evasions　of　a　subtle　adversary；　had　invested　the　process；　the　cause　of　Poor　Peter　Peebles；　standing　upon　its　simple　merits；　was　no　bad　subject　for　the　declamation　of　a　young　counsel；　nor　did　our　friend　Alan　fail　to　avail　himself　of　its　strong　points。
  He　exhibited　his　client　as　a　simple…hearted；　honest；　well…meaning　man；　who；　during　a　copartnership　of　twelve　years；　had　gradually　become　impoverished；　while　his　partner　（his　former　clerk）　having　no　funds　but　his　share　of　the　same　business；　into　which　he　had　been　admitted　without　any　advance　of　stock；　had　become　gradually　more　and　more　wealthy。
  'Their　association；'　said　Alan；　and　the　little　flight　was　received　with　some　applause；　'resembled　the　ancient　story　of　the　fruit　which　was　carved　with　a　knife　poisoned　on　one　side　of　the　blade　only；　so　that　the　individual　to　whom　the　envenomed　portion　was　served；　drew　decay　and　death　from　what　afforded　savour　and　sustenance　to　the　consumer　of　the　other　moiety。'　　He　then　plunged　boldly　into　the　MARE　MAGNUM　of　accompts　between　the　parties；　he　pursued　each　false　statement　from　the　waste…book　to　the　day…book；　from　the　day…book　to　the　bill…book；　from　the　bill…book　to　the　ledger；　placed　the　artful　interpolations　and　insertions　of　the　fallacious　Plainstanes　in　array　against　each　other；　and　against　the　fact；　and　availing　himself　to　the　utmost　of　his　father's　previous　labours；　and　his　own　knowledge　of　accompts；　in　which　he　had　been　sedulously　trained；　he　laid　before　the　court　a　clear　and　intelligible　statement　of　the　affairs　of　the　copartnery；　showing；　with　precision；　that　a　large　balance　must；　at　the　dissolution；　have　been　due　to　his　client；　sufficient　to　have　enabled　him　to　have　carried　on　business　on　his　own　account；　and　thus　to　have　retained　his　situation　in　society　as　an　independent　and　industrious　tradesman。　　'But　instead　of　this　justice　being　voluntarily　rendered　by　the　former　clerk　to　his　former　master；　by　the　party　obliged　to　his　benefactor；by　one　honest　man　to　another；his　wretched　client　had　been　compelled　to　follow　his　quondam　clerk；　his　present　debtor；　from　court　to　court；　had　found　his　just　claims　met　with　well…invented　but　unfounded　counter…　claims；　had　seen　his　party　shift　his　character　of　pursuer　or　defender；　as　often　as　Harlequin　effects　his　transformations；　till；　in　a　chase　so　varied　and　so　long；　the　unhappy　litigant　had　lost　substance；　reputation；　and　almost　the　use　of　reason　itself；　and　came　before　their　lordships　an　object　of　thoughtless　derision　to　the　unreflecting；　of　compassion　to　the　better…hearted；　and　of　awful　meditation　to　every　one　who　considered　that；　in　a　country　where　excellent　laws　were　administered　by　upright　and　incorruptible　judges；　a　man　might　pursue　an　almost　indisputable　claim　through　all　the　mazes　of　litigation；　lose　fortune；　reputation；　and　reason　itself　in　the　chase；　and　now　come　before　the　supreme　court　of　his　country　in　the　wretched　condition　of　his　unhappy　client；　a　victim　to　protracted　justice；　and　to　that　hope　delayed　which　sickens　the　heart。'
  The　force　of　this　appeal　to　feeling　made　as　much　impression　on　the　Bench　as　had　been　previously　effected　by　the　clearness　of　Alan's　argument。　　The　absurd　form　of　Peter　himself；　with　his　tow…　wig；　was　fortunately　not　present　to　excite　any　ludicrous　emotion；　and　the　pause　that　took　place　when　the　young　lawyer　had　concluded　his　speech；　was　followed　by　a　murmur　of　approbation；　which　the　ears　of　his　father　drank　in　as　the　sweetest　sounds　that　had　ever　entered　them。　　Many　a　hand　of　gratulation　was　thrust　out　to　his　grasp；　trembling　as　it　was　with　anxiety；　and　finally　with　delight；　his　voice　faltering　as　he　replied；　'Aye；　aye；　I　kend　Alan　was　the　lad　to　make　a　spoon　or　spoil　a　horn。'　　＇Said　of　an　adventurous　gipsy；　who　resolves　at　all　risks　to　convert　a　sheep's　horn　into　a　spoon。＇
  The　counsel　on　the　other　side　arose；　an　old　practitioner；　who　had　noted　too　closely　the　impression　made　by　Alan's　pleading　not　to　fear　the　consequences　of　an　immediate　decision。　　He　paid　the　highest　compliments　to　his　very　young　brother'the　Benjamin；　as　he　would　presume　to　call　him；　of　the　learned　Facultysaid　the　alleged　hardships　of　Mr。　Peebles　were　compensated　by　his　being　placed　in　a　situation　where　the　benevolence　of　their　lordships　had　assigned　him　gratuitously　such　assistance　as　he　might　not　otherwise　have　obtained　at　a　high　priceand　allowed　his　young　brother　had　put　many　things　in　such　a　new　point　of　view；　that；　although　he　was　quite　certain　of　his　ability　to　refute　them；　he　was　honestly　desirous　of　having　a　few　hours　to　arrange　his　answer；　in　order　to　be　able　to　follow　Mr。　Fairford　from　point　to　point。　　He　had　further　to　observe；　there　was　one　point　of　the　case　to　which　his　brother；　whose　attention　had　been　otherwise　so　wonderfully　comprehensive；　had　not　given　the　consideration　which　he　expected；　it　was　founded　on　the　interpretation　of　certain　correspondence　which　had　passed　betwixt　the　parties　soon　after　the　dissolution　of　the　copartnery。'
  The　court　having　heard　Mr。　Tough；　readily　allowed　him　two　days　for　preparing　himself；　hinting　at　the　same　time　that　he　might　find　his　task　difficult；　and　affording　the　young　counsel；　with　high　encomiums　upon　the　mode　in　which　he　had　acquitted　himself；　the　choice　of　speaking；　either　now　or　at　the　next　calling　of　the　cause；　upon　the　point　which　Plainstanes's　lawyer　had　adverted　to。
  Alan　modestly　apologized　for　what　in　fact　had　been　an　omission　very　pardonable　in　so　complicated　a　case；　and　professed　himself　instantly　ready　to　go　through　that　correspondence；　and　prove　that　it　was　in　form　and　substance　exactly　applicable　to　the　view　of　the　case　he　had　submitted　to　their　lordships。　　He　applied　to　his　father；　who　sat　behind　him；　to　hand　him；　from　time　to　time；　the　letters；　in　the　order　in　which　he　meant　to　read　and　comment　upon　them。
  Old　Counsellor　Tough　had　probably　formed　an　ingenious　enough　scheme　to　blunt　the　effect　of　the　young　lawyer's　reasoning；　by　thus　obliging　him　to　follow　up　a　process　of　reasoning；　clear　and　complete　in　itself；　by　a　hasty　and　extemporary　appendix。　　If　so；　he　seemed　likely　to　be　disappointed；　for　Alan　was　well　prepared　on　this　as　on　other　parts　of　the　cause；　and　recommenced　his　pleading　with　a　degree　of　animation　which　added　force　even　to　what　he　had　formerly　stated；　and　might　perhaps　have　occasioned　the　old　gentleman　to　regret　his　having　again　called　him　up；　when　his　father；　as　he　handed　him　the　letters；　put　one　into　his　hand　which　produced　a　singular　effect　on　the　pleader。
  At　the　first　glance；　he　saw　that　the　paper　had　no　reference　to　the　affairs　of　Peter　Peebles；　but　the　first　glance　also　showed　him；　what；　even　at　that　time；　and　in　that　presence；　he　could　not　help　reading；　and　which；　being　read；　seemed　totally　to　disconcert　his　ideas。　　He　stopped　short　in　his　haranguegazed　on　the　paper　with　a　look　of　surprise　and　horror…uttered　an　exclamation；　and　flinging　down　the　brief　which　he　had　in　his　hand；　hurried　out　of　court　without　returning　a　single　word　of　answer　to　the　various　questions；　'What　was　the　matter？''Was　he　taken　unwell？'　'Should　not　a　chair　be　called？'　　&c。　&c。　&c。
  The　elder　Mr。　Fairford；　who　remained　seated；　and　looking　as　senseless　as　if　he　had　been　made　of　stone；　was　at　length　recalled　to　himself　by　the　anxious　inquiries　of　the　judges　and　the　counsel　after　his　son's　health。　　He　then　rose　with　an　air；　in　which　was　mingled　the　deep　habitual　reverence　in　which　he　held　the　court；　with　some　internal　cause　of　agitation；　and　with　difficulty　mentioned　something　of　a　mistakea　piece　of　bad　newsAlan；　he　hoped　would　be　well　enough　to…morrow。　　But　unable　to　proceed　further；　he　clasped　his　hands　together；　exclaiming；　'My　son！　　my　son！'　　and　left　the　court　hastily；　as　if　in　pursuit　of　him。
  'What's　the　matter　with　the　auld　bitch　next？'　　＇Tradition　ascribes　this　whimsical　style　of　language　to　the　ingenious　and　philosophical　Lord　Kaimes。＇　　said　an　acute　metaphysical　judge；　though　somewhat　coarse　in　his　manners；　aside　to　his　brethren。　'This　is　a　daft　cause；　Bladderskatefirst；　it　drives　the　poor　man　mad　that　aught　itthen　your　nevoy　goes　daft　with　fright；　and　flies　the　pitthen　this　smart　young　hopeful　is　aff　the　hooks　with　too　hard　study；　I　fancyand　now　auld　Saunders　Fairford　is　as　lunatic　as　the　best　of　them。　　What　say　ye　till't；　ye　bitch？'
  'Nothing；　my　lord；'　answered　Bladderskate；　much　too　formal　to　admire　the　levities　in　which　his　philosophical　brother　sometimes　indulged'I　say　nothing；　but　pray　to　Heaven　to　keep　our　own　wits。'
  'Amen；　amen；'　answered　his　learned　brother；　'for　some　of　us　have　but　few　to　spare。'
  The　court　then　arose；　and　the　audience　departed；