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And it's a droll thing, too," he
added, with a laugh, "the further south you go, the more immoral and
merry are the people; the further north, the more virtuous and
miserable. There's a wrong balance somewhere,--but where, 'tis not easy
to find out."
"Weel," said Macfarlane, "I can give ye a direct contradeection to your
theory. Scotland lies to the north, and ye'll not find a grander harvest
o' sinfu' souls anywhere between this an' the day o' judgment. I'm a
Scotchman, an' I'm just proud o' my country--I'd back its men against a'
the human race,--but I wadna say much for the stabeelity o' its women. I
wad just tak to my heels and run if I saw a real, thumpin', red-cheeked,
big-boned Scotch lassie makin' up to me. There's nae bashfulness in they
sort, and nae safety."
"I will go to Scotland!" said Duprez enthusiastically. "I feel that
those--what do you call them, _lassies_?--will charm, me!"
"Scotland I never saw," said Gueldmar. "From all I have heard, it seems
to me 'twould be too much like Norway.


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