374 HIS THOROUGHNESS. CHAP, xxit 



obliging when consulted, or more lavish in communi- 

 cating the results of his careful observation and gar- 

 nered thought of so many studious years. 



Men who did not know him, thought him to be a 

 morose man strange, abstracted, and rather unsociable. 

 But those who did know him, and were admitted to the 

 sanctum of his bakehouse, found him the very reverse. 

 There he was kindly, sociable, humorous, full of infor- 

 mation, sometimes full of fancy, and always ready to 

 communicate everything that he knew about the fossil- 

 bearing strata, the botany, and the natural history of 

 Caithness. 



" On one occasion," says Dr. Shearer, " a point was 

 raised and settled rather dubiously on Mr. Dick's own 

 ipse dixit. Without giving us any reason to suppose 

 that he suspected any incredulity, he made his appear- 

 ance at my father's house in his baker's dress within a 

 quarter of an hour afterwards, bringing with him an 

 armful of books, from which he proceeded to quote in 

 rapid succession, and then went away, leaving us 

 amazed at his zeal and thoroughness. For it was one of 

 his peculiarities as it is with most enthusiasts to 

 believe that every person must be as deeply interested in 

 his subject as he was himself." 



It was not often, however, that Dick went into any 

 person's house in Thurso. He declined invitations to 

 breakfast with Sir George Sinclair, when he had dis- 

 tinguished men with him; and he declined all other 

 invitations. When a public breakfast was given in 

 honour of Hugh Miller, during one of his short visits tc 



