e had been taught to despise. Scotty had been brought up with
no hazy ideas of right and wrong. Though Big Malcolm had left the
boy's training almost entirely to his wife, still, as much by example
as precept, he had instilled into his grandson's very soul a proud
contempt for anything resembling a lie. Any form of deceit, sharp
dealing or trickery came under one despised category, and within
Scotty's earliest memory had been looked upon by all his household with
supreme scorn.

And now in his new environment he found himself a daily witness of a
dozen little petty transactions such as he had been taught to loathe.
Sometimes, when he was compelled to assist in the sharp tricks of his
employers and received afterwards their laughing congratulations upon
his success, he turned away from them with a feeling of nausea. He
tried to picture his grandfather in similar circumstances, but could
not. Well he knew Big Malcolm would not stoop from his lofty height to
touch the business of Raye & Hemming with his finger-tips.

And yet they were not absolutely dishonest; perhaps this was only what
the world considered being "sharp" in business, he argued. But he
could not quite convince himself, and in his perplexity hinted at his
troubles in a letter to Monteith.

The schoolmaster's answer did not succeed in putting his mind at rest.
"I know those fellows have the name of doing some slippery things," he
wrote, "and personally I wish you had hit upon men who had a better
reputation, but there's no denying they know how to make money, and the
shareholders are naturally rather fond of them. You must just learn to
shut your eyes to little things that don't exactly suit you and go
ahead. Your chance in life depends upon your ability to please those
fellows. Don't lose it, my boy, it means everything."

Scotty was rather bewildered by this advice, coming from one whom he
had long regarded as an infallible authority. In his backwoods
simplicity he felt himself at sea. Was there, then, a different code
of honour in the country from that which was adhered to in the town?

Not since the days when Granny had had to chide him for childish
naughtiness had he been greatly troubled over the vexed question of
right and wrong. Looking back now, he could see that he had been
hedged about by what he chose to call circumstances. First there had
been the influences of that home beneath the Silver Maple, and the
strong, gentle control o