"You are a strange creature!" she said--"You think a great deal too
much of all these abstruse subjects. After all, I'm glad you are
going on this cruise with the Harland people. They will bring you
down from the spheres with a run! They will, I'm sure! You'll hear
no conversation that does not turn on baths, medicines, massage, and
general cure-alls! And when you come on to stay with me in
Inverness-shire you'll be quite commonplace and sensible!"

I smiled. The dear Francesca always associated 'the commonplace and
sensible' together, as though they were fitted to companion each
other. The complete reverse is, of course, the case, for the
'commonplace' is generally nothing more than the daily routine of
body which is instinctively followed by beasts and birds as equally
as by man, and has no more to do with real 'sense' or pure mentality
than the ticking of a watch has to do with the enormous forces of
the sun. What we call actual 'Sense' is the perception of the Soul,-
-a perception which cannot be limited to things which are merely
material, inasmuch as it passes beyond outward needs and appearances
and reaches to the causes which create those outward needs and
appearances. I was, however, satisfied to leave my friend in
possession of the field of argument, the more readily as our parting
from each other was so near at hand.

We journeyed together by the steamer 'Columba' to Rothesay, where,
on entering the beautiful bay, crowded at this season with pleasure
craft, the first object which attracted our attention was the very
vessel for which I was bound, the 'Diana,' one of the most
magnificent yachts ever built to gratify the whim of a millionaire.
Tourists on board our steamer at once took up positions where they