"Well, you know, Angus," says she pleasantly, "you have definitely promised to go up to the Outer Hebrides with us, and back. The longer the calms last, the longer we shall have you. So we shall gladly put up with the fine weather."
"It is very kind of you to say so; but I have already had such a long holiday——"
"Oh!" said Mary Avon, with her eyes full of wonder and indignation. She was too surprised to say any more. She only stared at him. She knew he had been working night and day in Edinburgh.
"I mean," said he hastily, and looking down, "I have been away so long from London. Indeed, I was getting rather anxious about my next month's number; but luckily, just before I left Edinburgh, a kind friend sent me a most valuable paper, so I am quite at ease again. Would you like to read it, sir? It is set up in type."
He took the sheets from his pocket, and handed them to the Laird. Denny-mains looked at the title. It was On the Radiolarians of the Coal Measures, and it was the production of a well-known professor. The Laird handed back the paper without opening it.
"No, thank you," said he, with some dignity. "If I wished to be instructed, I would like a safer guide than that man."
We looked with dismay on this dangerous thing that had been brought on board: might it not explode and blow up the ship?
"Why," said our Doctor, in unaffected wonder, and entirely mistaking the Laird's exclamation, "he is a perfect master of his subject."
"There is a great deal too much speculation nowadays on these matters, and parteecularly among the younger men," remarked the Laird severely. And he looked at Angus Sutherland. "I suppose now ye are well acquainted with the Vestiges of Creation?"
"I have heard of the book," said Brose—regretfully confessing his ignorance, "but I never happened to see it."