ALONE ON THE HILLS. 81 



somehow ; and, like the distaste to Dr. Fell, the 

 reason why I cannot tell. As to places, Puss and 

 Ponto affect certain nooks for shade or sunshine, and 

 most people do so likewise. I wonder if the French 

 cynic means to indicate the indifferents when he says 

 that a good digestion and a bad heart are the grand 

 requisites for happiness ; for there are people who, 

 provided things about them be comfortable, care 

 little for places or persons. 



" Halte la!" whispers my mental mentor; "all 

 men are not bundles of whims like yourself." 



True, Mentor; but, en revanche, the want of 

 a little fancy and geniality usually indicates the shell 

 of a human mollusc, not a nice sort of person for 

 a friend. I plead for no extremes in fact, plead 

 for nothing ; so permit me, good Mentor, to get^ any 

 whims that may crop up among the heather. 



In an hour or two I had finished my letters, &c., 

 so, placing the whole in a safe corner, I set off to 

 explore the terra incognita away to the north-east 

 march of the moors. Many people might find such 

 a walk lonely and tiresome, but to me it is delightful. 

 The day bright and hot, but the air, notwithstanding, 

 pure and bracing, and I passed lightly over miles 

 of springy heather, every now and then coming to 



G 



