I hastily thought to myself that if I were Lenin I . . . but I did not follow out my daydream, for the stranger brought me back to earth by inquiring what was my honest and unbiassed opinion of the Peruvians. I very cleverly pretended that I had swallowed some nicotine, and, after a polite pause for my answer, he went off to the subject of pearl fishing at Thursday Island. Then he looked at Dauvit's clock. "Jerusalem!" he gasped, "the pub shuts at twa o'clock!" and he rushed out of the shop. I heaved a great sigh of relief, and then I heaved a greater sigh of relief. I seized Dauvit by the arm. "Dauvit," I gasped, "who--who is your cosmopolitan friend?" "My what kind o' a friend?" "Your world-travelled friend, Dauvit. Tell me who he is." Dauvit laughed softly. "That," he said, "was Joe Mill. He bides wi' his old mother in that cottage at the foot o' the brae. To the best o' my knowledge he hasna been further than Perth in his life." "But!" I cried in amazement, "he has been everywhere!" "He hasna," said Dauvit shortly, "but he works the cinema lantern at the Farfar picter hoose." * * * * * I had a long talk to-night with Macdonald about self-government in schools, and I told him of my plans for running a self-governing school in Highgate. At the end of the discussion I had the biggest surprise of my life. Mac smoked for a long time in silence, then he turned to me suddenly. "Look here, old chap, I'll have a shot at introducing self-government to-morrow," he said with enthusiasm. I grasped his hand. "Excellent! Mac, you're a wonder! You're a brave man!" "I don't feel brave," he said nervously. "It's going to be a very difficult job." "It is," I said grimly, "and the most difficult part is for you to keep out of it." "What do you mean?" "I mean that you have been an authority for so long that you'll find yourself issuing orders unthinkingly. More than that the kiddies are so much dependent on you that they will wait to see how you vote." "What's the best way to begin it?" he asked. "Simply walk in to-morrow and say: 'Look here, you are going to govern yourselves. I have no power; I won't order anyone to do anything; I won't punish anyone. Now, do what you like'." Mac looked frightened. "But, good Lord, man, they'll--they'll wreck the school!" "Funk!" I laughed. His eyes were full of excitement. "It'll be an awful job to keep my hands off them," he said half to himself. "Funk!" I said again. "It's all very well, but . . . well, I'm rather strict you know." "So much the better! All the better a row!" "You Bolshevist!" he laughed. He was like a boy divided between two desires--to steal the apples and to escape the policeman. I half feared that his courage would desert him. "Here," he said, "why not come over to school?" The temptation was great and I wavered.