The sough of the dissolution of parliament, during the whole of the
summer, grew stronger and stronger, and Mr M'Lucre and me were seemingly
pulling at opposite ends of the rope. There was nothing that he proposed
in the council but what I set myself against with such bir and vigour,
that sometimes he could scarcely keep his temper, even while he was
laughing in his sleeve to see how the other members of the corporation
were beglammered. At length Michaelmas drew near, when I, to show, as it
were, that no ill blood had been bred on my part, notwithstanding our
bickerings, proposed in the council that Mr M'Lucre should be the new
bailie; and he on his part, to manifest, in return, that there was as
little heart-burning on his, said "he would have no objections; but then
he insisted that I should consent to be dean of guild in his stead."
"It's true," said he in the council on that occasion, "that Mr Pawkie is
as yet but a greenhorn in the concerns of the burgh: however, he'll never
learn younger, and if he'll agree to this, I'll gie him all the help and
insight that my experience enables me to afford."
At the first, I pretended that really, as was the truth, I had no
knowledge of what were the duties of dean of guild; but after some
fleeching from the other councillors, I consented to have the office, as
it were, forced upon me; so I was made dean of guild, and Mr M'Lucre the
new bailie.
By and by, when the harvest in England was over, the parliament was
dissolved, but no candidate started on my lord's interest, as was
expected by Mr M'Lucre, and he began to fret and be dissatisfied that he
had ever consented to allow himself to be hoodwinked out of the guildry.
However, just three days before the election, and at the dead hour of the
night, the sound of chariot wheels and of horsemen was heard in our
streets; and this was Mr Galore, the great Indian nabob, that had bought
the Beerland estates, and built the grand place that is called Lucknoo
House, coming from London, with the influence of the crown on his side,
to oppose the old member. He drove straight to Provost Picklan's house,
having, as we afterwards found out, been in a secret correspondence with
him through the medium of Mrs Picklan, who was conjunct in the business
with Miss Nelly, the nabob's maiden sister. Mr M'Lucre was not a little
confounded at this, for he had imagined that I was the agent on behalf of
my lord, who was of the government side, so he wist not what to do, in
the morning when he came to me, till I said to him briskly--
"Ye ken, bailie, that ye're trysted to me, and it's our duty to support
the nabob, who is both able and willing, as I have good reason to think,
to requite our services in a very grateful manner." This was a cordial
to his spirit, and, without more ado, we both of us set to work to get
the bailie made the delegate. In this I had nothing in view but the good
of my country by pleasuring, as it was my duty, his majesty's government,
for I was satisfied with my situation as dean of guild. But the handling
required no small slight of skill.
The first thing was, to persuade those that were on the side of the old
member to elect Mr M'Lucre for delegate, he being, as we had concerted,
openly declared for that interest, and the benefit to be gotten thereby
having, by use and wont, been at an established and regular rate. The
next thing was to get some of those that were with me on my lord's side,
kept out of the way on the day of choosing the delegate; for we were the
strongest, and could easily have returned the provost, but I had no clear
notion how it would advantage me to make the provost delegate, as was
proposed. I therefore, on the morning of the business, invited three of
the council to take their breakfast with me, for the ostensible purpose
of going in a body to the council chamber to choose the provost delegate;
but when we were at breakfast, John Snakers, my lad in the shop, by my
suggestion, warily got a bale of broad cloth so tumbled, as it were by
accident, at the door, that it could not be opened; for it bent the key
in such a manner in the lock, and crooket the sneck, that without a smith
there was no egress, and sorrow a smith was to be had. All were out and
around the tolbooth waiting for the upshot of the choosing the delegate.
Those that saw me in the mean time, would have thought I had gone
demented. I ramped and I stamped; I banned and I bellowed like
desperation. My companions, no a bit better, flew fluttering to the
windows, like wild birds to the wires of their cage. However, to make a
long tale short, Bailie M'Lucre was, by means of this device, chosen
delegate, seemingly against my side. But oh! he was a slee tod, for no
sooner was he so chosen, than he began to act for his own behoof; and
that very afternoon, while both parties were holding their public dinner
he sent round the bell to tell that the potato crop on his back rig was
to be sold by way of public roup the same day. There wasna one in the
town that had reached the years of discretion, but kent what na sort of
potatoes he was going to sell; and I was so disturbed by this open
corruption, that I went to him, and expressed my great surprise. Hot
words ensued between us; and I told him very plainly that I would have
nothing further to say to him or his political profligacy. However, his
potatoes were sold, and brought upwards of three guineas the peck, the
nabob being the purchaser, who, to show his contentment with the bargain,
made Mrs M'Lucre, and the bailie's three daughters, presents of new gowns
and princods, that were not stuffed with wool.
In the end, as a natural consequence, Bailie M'Lucre, as delegate, voted
for the Nabob, and the old member was thereby thrown out. But although
the government candidate in this manner won the day, yet I was so
displeased by the jookerie of the bailie, and the selfish manner by which
he had himself reaped all the advantage of the election in the sale of
his potatoes, that we had no correspondence on public affairs till long
after; so that he never had the face to ask me to give up the guildry,
till I resigned it of my own accord after the renewal of the tacks to
which I have alluded, by the which renewals, a great increase was
effected in the income of the town.