"Indeed I did," said he, without a moment’s hesitation—and he was standing in front of her now, for she had sate down on a smooth grey rock. "I suppose I must let you into my dark and terrible secret, and give you the power of sending the Supervisor over, and haling me off to Dingwall. It is not a grotto, however, it is a cave; and very few people know of its existence. In fact, you can’t get to it by the shore at all; you must go by water; and I hope to show it to you some day, if you would care to go round in a boat. But then there are no wonders—no hasheesh—no heaps of diamonds and rubies—only little casks of spirits: perhaps they wouldn’t interest you?" "Oh, but I think they would," she said—and yet with a little caution, for she did not quite know how to take this confession. He observed her face for a moment. "I see I must begin and justify myself," said he, lightly, "if justification is possible. For of course it’s very wrong and wicked to evade the customs duties of your native land; only in my case there are two or three qualifying circumstances. For one thing, I am a Highlander; and smuggling comes natural to a Highlander. Then I have the proud consciousness that I am circumventing Mr. Purdie—and that of itself is a praiseworthy achievement. You may have heard, Miss Stanley, that Purdie plumes himself on having routed out the very last of the illicit stills from this country-side—and it was done merely out of ill-will to the people; but he forgot that it is difficult to watch a rough coast like this. I can put a counter-check on Mr. Purdie’s zeal. But my real excuse is simply this—the old people about here are too poor to buy spirits of any kind, but especially of a wholesome quality; and it is the only little bit of comfort they have when they are cold and wet, just as it is the only medicine they believe in; and really I think the Government, that gives lavish grants here, there, and everywhere—except here, by the way—I think the Government can afford to wink at such a small trifle. Am I convincing you?" he went on, with a laugh. "I’m afraid you look very stern. Is there to be no palliation?" Then up and spoke Kate Glendinning, valiantly— "I consider you are perfectly justified, Mr. Ross; yes, I do, indeed," said she. "You see I have Miss Glendinning on my side," he pointed out, still addressing Mary. "Ah, but you are both Highlanders," Mary said, as she rose from the rock; "and how can I argue one against two?" "Shall I be quite honest," said he, as they were setting out for home again, "and confess that there is a spice of adventure in going away to the south for the cargo, and running it safely here? It is a break in the monotony of one’s life on the island." "Yes, I shouldn’t wonder if that had something to do with all those fine reasons," she observed, with demure significance.