"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.
"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.
"And then," he continued, frankly, and perhaps not noticing her sarcasm, "I like to be on friendly terms with the old people who knew our family in former days. I like them to speak well of me; I like to think that they have some trifle of affection for me. And this is about the only way I can keep up the old relationship that used to exist between them and the ’big house;’ it’s very little kindness I am able to show them: they’ve got to take the will for the deed nowadays." He turned to her. "What, not convinced yet?" he said, laughing again. "What is to be the verdict? Not acquittal?"