zie did not
know much about them, and he confirmed my opinion of his genius for
small talk by saying: "Buff Orpingtons! They are named after Orpington
in Kent. I remember staying a night there before I went to Switzerland
. . ." and the dirty dog took the conversation back to his mountain
climbing.

I made a gesture to the younger man and got him out into the garden.

"Why does he waste precious time talking about cabbages and dreary
Swiss inns?" I asked.

Smart laughed shortly.

"You know how rich folk talk at table when the servants are present?"

I nodded.

"Well, that's the Chief's attitude to teachers; he never says anything
of any importance whatever."

"But why?"

"He is of the old school. He has been inspecting schools for forty
years. In the olden days an inspector was a sort of Almighty; teachers
quaked before him because with a stroke of his pen he could reduce
their money grant. To this day the old man treats teachers as a king
treats his subjects--with kindness but with distance."

"Has he any views on education?" I asked.

Smart shook his head.

"None, but he has heaps of views on instruction and discipline. By the
way, he thinks that Macdonald's discipline is very good."

"And you?"

"I think it rotten," he said ruefully, "but what can I do? A junior
inspector is a nobody; if he has any views of his own he has to pocket
them. I would chuck out all this discipline rot and go in for the
Montessori stunt. Take my tip and never accept an inspectorship."

"I won't," I said hastily.

I liked Smart, and I wish we had more of his stamp in the inspectorate.

When we returned to the dining-room Mackenzie looked at me with
interest.

"I didn't know that you were the _Dominie's Log_ man till Mr. Macdonald
told me two minutes ago," he said. "I am delighted to meet you. I
enjoyed your book very much indeed. Very amusing."

He was quite affable now. Writing a book gives a man a certain
standing. I fancy it is the dignity of print that does it, and we all
have the print superstition. I find myself accepting statements in
books, whereas if someone said the same things to me over a
dinner-table I should refute them with scorn. "If it is in _John Bull_
it is so!" Mr. Bottomley is a sound psychologist.

When they were departing I said to Smart: "Yes, he's very amiable and
all that, but I am jolly glad I had Frank Michie and not him as my
chief inspector when I wrote my _Log_."

Sm