"Oh, I don't call it either courage or self-reliance--it was just that I thought myself of too much importance to be hurt by bulls or anything else,"--and Angus laughed,--then with a sudden knitting of his brows as though his thoughts were making hard knots in his brain, he added--"Even as a laddie I had an idea--and I have it now--that there was something in me which God had put there for a purpose of His own,--something that he would not and _could_ not destroy till His purpose had been fulfilled!" Mary stopped working and looked at him earnestly. Her breath came and went quickly--her eyes shone dewily like stars in a summer haze,--she was deeply interested. "That was--and _is_--a conceited notion, of course,"--went on Angus, reflectively--"And I don't excuse it. But I'm not one of the 'meek who shall inherit the earth.' I'm a robustious combustious sort of chap--if a fellow knocks me down, I jump up and give it him back with as jolly good interest as I can--and if anyone plays me a dirty trick I'll move all the mental and elemental forces of the universe to expose him. That's my way--unfortunately----" "Why 'unfortunately'?" asked Helmsley. Reay threw back his head and indulged in one of his mellow peals of laughter. "Can you ask why? Oh David, good old David!--it's easy to see you don't know much of the world! If you did, you'd realise that the best way to 'get on' in the usual way of worldly progress, is to make up to all sorts of social villains and double-dyed millionaire-scoundrels, find out all their tricks and their miserable little vices and pamper them, David!--pamper them and flatter them up to the top of their bent till you've got them in your power--and then--then _use_ them--use them for everything you want. For once you know what blackguards they are, they'll give you anything not to tell!" "I should be sorry to think that's true,"--murmured Mary. "Don't think it, then,"--said Angus--"You needn't,--because millionaires are not likely to come in your way. Nor in mine--now. I've cut myself adrift from all chance of ever meeting them. But only a year ago I was on the road to making a good thing out of one or two of the so-called 'kings of finance'--then I suddenly took a 'scunner' as we Scots say, at the whole lot, and hated and despised myself for ever so much as thinking that it might serve my own ends to become their tool. So I just cast off ropes like a ship, and steamed out of harbour." "Into the wide sea!" said Mary, looking at him with a smile that was lovely in its radiance and sympathy.