"It's a crooded place London, and the fouks aye in a tiravie(commotion), rinnin' here an' rinnin' there, and the maist feck o'them dinna ken whar they're gaein.

"It's officer this and officer that frae mornin' till nicht. It'speetifu' tae look at the helplessness o' the bodies in their ain toon.And they're freevolous," continued the figure, refreshing itselfwith a reminiscence.

"It wes this verra mornin' that a man askit me hoo tae get tae theStrand.

"'Haud on,' I says, 'till ye come tae a cross street, and dinna gangdoon it, and when ye look at anither pass it, but whup roond the third,and yir nose 'ill bring ye tae the Strand.'

"He sometimes was a shachlin bit cratur, and he lookit up at me.

"'Where were you born, officer?' inside his clippit English tongue.

"'Drumtochty,' a' said, 'an' we hev juist ae man as sma' as you inthe hale Glen.'