Produced by Juliet Sutherland, John Hagerson, Terry Gilliland and PG
Distributed Proofreaders
Wilson's
HISTORICAL, TRADITIONARY, & IMAGINATIVE.
REVISED BY ALEXANDER LEIGHTON, One of the Original Editors and Contributors.
THE LAWYER'S TALES (Alexander Leighton)—LORD KAMES'S PUZZLE.
THE ORPHAN (John Mackay Wilson).
THE BURGHER'S TALES (Alexander Leighton)—THE
BROWNIE OF THE WEST BOW.
GLEANINGS OF THE COVENANT (Professor Thomas
Gillespie)—THE LAST SCRAP.
THE STORY OF MARY BROWN (Alexander Leighton).
TIBBY FOWLER (John Mackay Wilson).
THE CRADLE OF LOGIE (Alexander Leighton).
THE DEATH OF THE CHEVALIER DE LA BEAUTÉ (John Mackay Wilson).
THE STORY OF THE PELICAN (Alexander Leighton).
THE WIDOW'S AE SON (John Mackay Wilson).
THE LAWYER'S TALES (Alexander Leighton)—THE
STORY OF MYSIE CRAIG.
THE TWIN BROTHERS (John Mackay Wilson).
THE GIRL FORGER (Alexander Leighton).
THE TWO RED SLIPPERS (Alexander Leighton).
THE FAITHFUL WIFE (Alexander Leighton).
* * * * *
On looking over some Session papers which had belonged to Lord Kames,with the object, I confess, of getting hold of some facts—thoseentities called by Quintilian the bones of truth, the more by token, Ifancy, that they so often stick in the throat—which might contribute tomy legends, I came to some sheets whereon his lordship had written somehasty remarks, to the effect that the case Napier versus Napier wasthe most curious puzzle that ever he had witnessed since he had takenhis seat on the bench. The papers were fragmentary, consisting of partsof a Reclaiming Petition and some portion of a Proof that had been ledin support of a brieve of service; but I got enough to enable me to givethe story, which I shall do in such a connected manner as to take thereader along with me, I hope pleasantly, and without any inclination tochoke upon the foresaid bones.
Without being very particular about the year, which really I do not knowwith further precision than that it was within the first five years ofLord Kames's senator-ship, I request the reader to fancy himself in asmall domicile in Toddrick's Wynd, in the old city of Edinburgh; and Irequest this the more readily that, as we all know, Nature does notexclude very humble places from the regions of romance, neither does shedeny to very humble personages the characters of heroes and heroines.Not that I have much to say in the first instance either of the place orthe persons; the former being no more than a solitary room and abed-closet, where yet the throb of life was as strong and quick as inthe mansions of the great, and the latter composed of two persons—one,a decent, hard-working woman called Mrs.