the wise man says about the bread of deceit; it
points out much the same moral.

But about the Tor. This was a high elevation--almost a mountain compared
with the surrounding hills for miles--whence the sea could be descried,
a misty mystery, not so far away; and around which sudden fogs wreathed
themselves, shutting in those unfortunate enough to be on its heights in
a rare tangle of perplexity when it thus chose to wrap itself up in this
sullen mood. For there were ugly holes, pitfalls, and crevices in its
ragged sides, making its descent a serious thing, except for adepts in
climbing and scrambling down, even in the fair light of day. Moreover,
there was on one side a disused flint-quarry, called by the ominous name
of the Ugly Leap, because, once in the remote past, a shepherd boy,
seeking a wandering lamb, had lost his way in the fog, having doubled
and turned in his course unknowingly, and finally had fallen over the
quarry side. Ah, well! he lost his life; and so his sad tale was told,
and the Ugly Leap, with its suggestive name, bore witness to the same.

There were sea-fogs which swept up, and made the Tor so dangerous, Mrs.
Grant affirmed; but Oscar always said "Fudge!" to this--a pet word of
his, as he did on that fair March morning, when not a cloud or an atom
of fog was to be seen anywhere, but all was cold and brilliant, as some
March mornings are.

"Just the morning for the old Tor," the lad said decisively: "the views
splendid, sea and all."

"But how about school and your uncle?" inquired Mrs. Grant.

"Oh, they'll do very well, if you don't split upon me. I mean to go, and
Inna won't be mean enough to go with me and play tell-tale-tit
afterwards; and besides, uncle wouldn't refuse me this one day, just to
show Inna the Tor."

"But suppose we were to wait and ask him?" suggested Inna.

"I can't wait. Dick Gregory and his sister are coming over. We shall
make such a jolly party, and there'll be more fun to steal a march upon
someone:" this was Oscar's reasoning.

Perhaps Inna ought to have stood out against this stealing a march, as
it was for her the expedition was said to be planned, but she said
nothing; she had set her heart upon seeing the Tor, and realising
somewhat of the thrilling sensation of an Alpine climber; and she was
but nine--no great age for unerring wisdom. "Young people's heads are
renowned for folly." Mrs. Grant said something like this when Dick and
Jenny mustered at the gate