ned man, the
young girl did not press her father with any more inquiries, but turned
to me.

"Do you not think learned people are very often dull, Mr. Griggs?" she
asked.

"Oppressively," I answered.

"What makes them so?"

"It is the very low and common view which they take of life," put in
Miss Dabstreak, who entered the room while we were speaking, and sank
upon the couch with a little sigh. "They have no aspirations after the
beautiful,--and what else can satisfy the human mind? The Greeks were
never dull."

"What do you call dull?" asked Mrs. Carvel very mildly.

"Oh--anything; parliamentary reports, for instance, and agricultural
shows, and the Rural Dean,--anything of that sort," answered Miss
Chrysophrasia languidly.

"In other words, civilization as compared with barbarism," I suggested.
"It is true that there cannot be much boredom among barbarous tribes who
are always scalping their enemies or being scalped themselves; those
things help to pass the time."

"Yes, scalping must be most interesting," murmured Chrysophrasia, with
an air of conviction.

Hermione laughed.

"I really believe you would like to see it done, aunt Chrysophrasia,"
said she.

"Hermy, Hermy, what dreadful ideas you have!" exclaimed Mrs. Carvel, in
gentle horror. But she immediately returned to her embroidery, and
relapsed into silence.

"It is Mr. Griggs, mamma," said Hermione, still laughing. "He agrees
with me that learned people are all oppressively dull, and that the only
tolerably exciting society is found among scalping Indians."

"Did you not once scalp somebody yourself, Griggs?" asked John, suddenly
lowering his newspaper.

"Not quite," I answered; "but I once shaved a poodle with a
pocket-knife. Perhaps you were thinking of that?"

While I spoke there was a sound of wheels without, and John rose to his
feet. He seemed impatient.

"That must be Cutter at last'" he exclaimed, moving towards the door
that led into the hall. "I thought he was never coming."

I rose also, and followed him. It was Cutter. The learned professor
arrived wrapped in a huge ulster overcoat, his hands in the deep pockets
thereof, and the end of an extinguished cigar between his teeth. He
furtively disposed of the remains of the weed before shaking hands with
our host. After the first greetings John led him away to his room, and I
remained standing in the hall. The professor's luggage was rather
voluminous, and various boxes, bags, an