the forest, which they had now entered, and keeping his eyes fixed on objects before him, like a man who is looking deep into futurity, he replied as follows:—
"There has always been one point of difference between us, Judge Temple, I may say, since our nativity; not that I would insinuate that you are at all answerable for the acts of nature; for a man is no more to be condemned for the misfortunes of his birth, than he is to be commended for the natural advantages he may possess; but on one point we may be said to have differed from our births, and they, you know, occurred within two days of each other."
"I really marvel, Richard, what this one point can be; for, to my eyes, we seem to differ so materially, and so often"—
"Mere consequences, sir," interrupted the Sheriff, "all our minor differences proceed from one cause, and that is, our opinions of the universal attainments of genius."
"In what, Dickon!" exclaimed the Judge.
"I speak plain English, I believe, Judge Temple; at least I ought; for my father, who taught me, could speak"—
"Greek and Latin," interrupted Marmaduke—"I well know the qualifications of your family in tongues, Dickon. But proceed to the point; why are we travelling over this mountain to-day?"
"To do justice to any subject, sir, the narrator must be suffered to proceed in his own way," continued the Sheriff. "You are of opinion, Judge Temple, that a man is to be qualified by nature and education to do only one thing well, whereas I know that genius will supply the place of learning, and that a certain sort of man can do any thing and every thing."
