MAY 117 



be in flood ; and should we not be going 

 up the hill ? Now, though his town 

 could go comfortably into half of St. 

 James's Park, the Provost is in his own 

 sphere no less a personage than the Lord 

 Mayor of London is in the city or in 

 Paris. His invitations are little other 

 than commands. Thus, by nine o'clock 

 we were high among the hills. Having 

 intended to seek a few trout in the Tay, 

 I had set out on the climb with reluct- 

 ance ; but, now that I was on the bank 

 of the tributary, the prospect was not 

 unpleasing. It was good from the height 

 to see, in a wide expanse, still greater 

 heights, witli drifts of snow lying dead- 

 white in the sunshine ; the south-west 

 wind was bright and light ; and the 

 stream, singing through the heather, had 

 a tawny and attractive fulness. 



Despite his seventy -five years, the 

 Provost is an agile sportsman. His 

 municipal duties allow him to have no 

 more than a few days' fishing in a season, 

 and therefore he makes good use of his 



