‘I wish,’ said he, ‘just to put one question to the witness. How long is it since your son has been so incapable of acting for himself?’ ‘I canna gie you day nor date,’ replied the Leddy; ‘but he has been in a state of condumacity ever since his dochter died.’ ‘Indeed!’ said Mr. Queerie; ‘then he was not always incapable?’ ‘O no,’ cried the Leddy; ‘he was a most tractable creature, and the kindliest son,’ she added, with a sigh; ‘but since that time he’s been neither to bind nor to haud, threatening to send me, his mother, a-garsing--garing me lay out my own lawful jointure on the house, and using me in the most horridable manner--wastring his income in the most thoughtless way.’ Mr. Threeper began to whisper to our friend Gabriel, and occasionally to look, with an afflicted glance, towards the Leddy. Mr. Queerie resumed,-- ‘Your situation, I perceive, has been for some time very unhappy--but, I suppose, were Mr. Walkinshaw to make you a reasonable compensation for the trouble you take in managing his house, you would have no objections still to continue with him.’ ‘Oh! to be surely,’ said the Leddy;--‘only it would need to be something worth while; and my gude-dochter and her family would require to be obligated to gang hame.’ ‘Certainly, what you say, Madam, is very reasonable,’ rejoined Mr. Queerie;--‘and I have no doubt that the Court perceives that a great part of your distress, from the idiotry of your son, arises from his having brought in the lady alluded to and her family.’ ‘It has come a’ frae that,’ replied the witness, unconscious of the force of what she was saying;--‘for, ’cepting his unnaturality to me about them, his idiocety is very harmless.’ ‘Perhaps not worse than formerly?’ A look from George at this crisis put her on her guard; and she instantly replied, as if eager to redeem the effects of what she had just said,-- ‘’Deed, Sir, it’s no right to let him continue in the rule and power o’ the property; for nobody can tell what he may commit.’ At this juncture, Mr. Queerie, perceiving her wariness, sat down; and the Reverend Dr. Denholm being called by Mr. Threeper, stated, in answer to the usual question,-- ‘I acknowledge, that I do not think Mr. Walkinshaw entirely of a sound mind; but he has glaiks and gleams o’ sense about him, that mak me very dootful if I could judicially swear, that he canna deport himsel wi’ sufficient sagacity.’ ‘But,’ said the advocate, ‘did not you yourself advise Mr. George Walkinshaw to institute these proceedings.’ ‘I’ll no disown that,’ replied the Doctor; ‘but Mr. Walter has since then done such a humane and a Christian duty to his brother’s widow, and her two defenceless and portionless bairns, that I canna, in my conscience, think now so lightly of him as I once did.’