Tastes may not be infallible guides
to what is fit for us, but they may lead us to the knowledge of what
we are fit for."
"Extremely well said!" returned the earl.
I do not think he understood in the least what Donal meant.
"Shall I try how he takes to trigonometry? He might care to learn
land-surveying! Gentlemen now, not unfrequently, take charge of the
properties of their more favoured relatives. There is Mr. Graeme,
your own factor, my lord--a relative, I understand!"
"A distant one," answered his lordship with marked coldness, "--the
degree of relationship hardly to be counted."
"In the lowlands, my lord, you do not care to count kin as we do in
the highlands! My heart warms to the word kinsman."
"You have not found kinship so awkward as I, possibly!" said his
lordship, with a watery smile. "The man in humble position may allow
the claim of kin to any extent: he has nothing, therefore nothing
can be taken from him! But the man who has would be the poorest of
the clan if he gave to every needy relation."
"I never knew the man so poor," answered Donal, "that he had nothing
to give. But the things of the poor are hardly to the purpose of the
predatory relative."
"'Predatory relative!'--a good phrase!" said his lordship, with a
sleepy laugh, though his eyes were wide open. His lips did not seem
to care to move, yet he looked pleased.
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