168 EDWARD "A MYSTERY." CHAP. ix. 



Society ; nevertheless I am in favour of everything 

 that would make people more sober and diligent, and 

 tend to man's good, both here and hereafter." 



" But," continued the man, " are ye satisfied that 

 ye got nae help in the way I hinted ?" 



" None whatever ! " 



" But far did ye learn the wrightin' (carpentering), 

 the paintin', and the glazin' ?" 



" At my ain fireside, where everything good should 

 be learnt. My teachers were, first, ' Necessity,' and, 

 secondly, another teacher, of whom you may not have 

 heard, called WILL." 



" Ye're a mystery," said the man. 



" Perhaps I may be, " answered Edward ; " but 

 I'll just tell you three things, whether you may under- 

 stand the 'mystery' or not. My neighbours in Banff 

 say of me, that * that man surely means to tak' the 

 world by speed o' fit.' My shopmates say, that 

 ' Tarn is just the lad for taking time by the forelock ;' 

 and many of the inhabitants say, ' Whoever may be 

 seen lounging about at the lazy corners, you'll never 

 see Edward among them.' Now, these are three 

 little nuts, which I hope you will crack amongst your 

 shopmates ; and I hope they will do them good." 



One day two ladies came to see the Exhibition. 

 They looked over the collection, and one of them 

 came up to Edward, and looked him straight in the 

 face. She asked him if he belonged to Aberdeen. 



" Well," he replied, " although I was not born in 



