OCTOBER 283 



" And so," said Bismarck, " you're a a 

 sort of outlaw ? " 



" In a manner of speakin', yes," Peter 

 answered, not at all offended. "Only," 

 he added, chuckling, "I've very good 

 antecedents. I'm no' what ye can ca' a 

 working man by nature. Neither were 

 the ancestors o' ony o' the nobles in this 

 bonnie country. They just took what 

 they wanted, withoot sayin' 'By your 

 leave ' to onybody. And so " 



"Oh, Peter, Peter," Bismarck inter- 

 rupted, in a disappointed tone, "don't 

 say it it's just common Radicalism ! " 



" I hope to heaven it's no' that ! " Peter 

 answered, with equal fervour. " But I'll 

 tell you, and then you will judge for 

 yoursel'. What I was goin' to say is 

 that an estate in land is no' like a 

 fortune made by industry. It was to 

 begin wi' seized and set apart by force. 

 It has never acquired the same moral 

 title as a fortune made in honest business 

 has. That is why poachin' is no' so bad 

 as other kinds o' theft. In fact, I canna' 



