ut injuring it (an idol only second in his
heart to Somerled) or any one under its wing, except me and himself, I
feel sure he would risk his own bones for the sake of cracking mine. As
for my sister, he does not approve of her. In looking Aline-ward, his
face seems to become perfectly flat, like a slab of stone, features
almost disappearing, except his slit of a mouth. "Nice, quiet man! So
contented with his uncomfortable perch at his master's feet!" But--when
the slightest mishap befalls the Dragon, and his services are needed as
doctor or surgeon, he lets bottled-up steam escape. Without a word, he
sets to work like a demon, accomplishing what he has to do in about half
the time our best chauffeurs have taken. I should not be surprised at
any moment to see ears, eyes, and nose emit lambent flames. Chauffeurs
are a strange race, and Vedder is the strangest of the lot.

Drawing near Edinburgh, and encountering the first tram lines, it was
pretty to watch Barrie's excitement. To understand, one had to remember
that this was by far the biggest town the child had ever seen, so that
even the outskirts impressed her as something stupendous.

As if for her pleasure, the rain stopped. "The nice, quiet man"
uncovered us pampered passengers, and as we went on again, Edinburgh the
beautiful, lying before us like a shadowy blue and purple map, began to
take shape as a city of spires and monuments and gardens, and reveal its
unique marvels. At this moment, I had my uses. Though it was my first
sight of the Athens of Great Britain, I've fagged it all up so
faithfully for the book that I know what everything is and what most
things mean. I ventured to point out the Salisbury Crags, and Arthur's
Seat watching over the town and Castle like a guardian lion. It was all
very well for Barrie to come to Edinburgh to find her mother, but I
didn't want her to miss realizing that she was entering perhaps the most
beautiful city in the world, and one of the most historic, after Rome. I
knew if I didn't give her this impression Somerled would, and wickedly I
wished her to be primed by me before he got his chance. The only trouble
was that I hadn't enough time to make her see fully all the glorious
contrasts which ought to strike the mind at first sight of Edinburgh,
where Yesterday and To-day gaze at and criticise each other across a
gulf material and imaginary. Even though Somerled brought the Dragon
down to snail's pace, I couldn't do the sub