y even be a double-edged compliment!"

"Scored!" cried the Chieftain gaily, as he waved his stick in the air,
and led the way forward with a jaunty tread. "Proposed, seconded, and
carried that cleverness is a delusion to be sedulously avoided! Just
what I always said. I've known clever people in my day--squillions of
them, and, my hat! how stupid they were! That little lass dabbling in
the lake is wiser than the whole crowd." He pointed to a fair-haired
child wading by the side of the tarn. "The spirit of childhood--that's
what we want! the spirit of joy in present blessings, and untroubled
trust for the future. That little lass has a life of hardship and toil
ahead--but what does she care? The sun shines to-day, and the funny wee
mannie fra the inn is going to gie her a bawbee for goodies. It's a bad
habit which he has fallen into; a shocking bad habit, but he canna cure
himself of it." He threw a penny to the smiling, expectant child, then
turning sharply to the left, led the way across the low-lying ground
towards the base of the nearest hill.

Margot noticed that, as he went, he turned from time to time quick,
scrutinising glances at Ron's face, as though trying to satisfy a doubt,
and classify him in his own mind. Evidently the lad's serious, somewhat
pedantic manner of replying had invested him with a new interest, but
when he spoke again it was only in reference to the afternoon's
expedition itself.

"I am not going to take you far," he announced. "I object to walking,
on principle. What I maintain is, that we were never intended to walk!
If we had been, we should have had four legs, instead of two. I never
walk if I can possibly induce something else to carry me. And climbing
is another mistake. What is it that one admires about mountains? Their
height and grandeur! Very well, then, where is the point of vantage
from which to view them? The base, of course. Climb up to the top, and
you lose the whole effect, to say nothing of chucking away your valuable
breath. See that little path winding up the slope? That leads to the
moors, and when you are once on the moors you can walk about on the
level all day long, if you are so disposed, and the air goes to the head
of even a lazy old fellow like myself, and makes me quite gay and
frisky. You two youngsters can go on ahead and engage in light
conversation, while I puff along in the rear. At my age and bulk even
the most witty conversation pall