r boots. Give me your hand and try again."

"No, thanks," said Lister. "Do you think I'm going to let you pull me
up?"

"Why not?" she asked with a twinkle.

"To begin with, I'm obstinate and don't mean to be beaten by a bit of
greasy rock. Then I expect I'm heavier than you think."

"You're ridiculously proud. It would hurt to let a girl help," Barbara
rejoined. "After all, you're a conventionalist, and I rather thought you
were not."

"Anyhow, I'm going up myself," Lister declared.

He got up, but his clothes gathered some slime from the rock and his
skin was stained by soil and moss. Barbara looked at him with a twinkle.

"Your obstinacy cost you something," she remarked. "If you're tired, you
had better stop and smoke."

Lister lighted a cigarette. She had been rather keen about rejoining the
others, but he thought she had forgotten. Barbara's carelessness gave
her charm. Perhaps he ought to go on, but he meant to take the extra few
minutes luck had given him.

"I'm really sorry I forgot about your boots and brought you up the
rock," she said.

"I wonder why you did bring me up?"

"Oh, well, a number of the men I know have a comfortable feeling of
superiority. Of course, nice men don't make you feel this, but it's
there. One likes to give such pride a jolt."

"I think I see. If it's some comfort, I'll own you can beat me going up
awkward rocks. But where does this take us?"

Barbara smiled. "It takes us some distance. When you admit a girl's your
equal, friendship's easier. You know, one reason Mortimer and I can't
agree is, his feeling of superiority is horribly strong."

"Couldn't you take him up an awkward gully and get him stuck?"

"No," said Barbara, in a regretful voice. "He's really a good cragsman
and knows exactly how far he can go. When he starts an awkward climb he
reckons up all the obstacles and is ready to get round them when they
come. The plan's good. People like Mortimer don't get stuck."

"It's possible, but I expect they miss something now and then. There
isn't much thrill in knowing you are safe."

"Sometimes you play up rather well," Barbara remarked.

"I'm not playing up. I'm preaching my code. I'm not as sober and
cautious as you perhaps think."

"For example?"

"You'll probably get bored, but in Canada I turned down a pretty good
job because it was monotonous. I wanted something fresh, and thought I'd
go across and see the Old Country. Well, I'm here and all's charmin