"My dear sir," said Lorimer, "England does not possess these climatic advantages, and yet Shakespeare was an Englishman."
"He must have travelled," returned Güldmar positively. "No one will make me believe that the man never visited Italy. His Italian scenes prove it,--they are full of the place and the people. The whole of his works, full of such wonderful learning, and containing so many types of different nations, show,--to my mind, at least,--that countries were his books of study. Why I, who am only a farmer and proprietor of a bit of Norwegian land,--I have learned many a thing from simply taking a glance at a new shore each year. That's the way I used to amuse myself when I was young,--now I am old, the sea tempts me less, and I am fonder of my arm-chair; yet I've seen a good deal in my time--enough to provide me with memories for my declining days. And it's a droll thing, too," he added, with a laugh, "the further south you go, the more immoral and merry are the people; the further north, the more virtuous and miserable. There's a wrong balance somewhere,--but where, 'tis not easy to find out."
"Weel," said Macfarlane, "I can give ye a direct contradeection to your theory. Scotland lies to the north, and ye'll not find a grander harvest o' sinfu' souls anywhere between this an' the day o' judgment. I'm a Scotchman, an' I'm just proud o' my country--I'd back its men against a' the human race,--but I wadna say much for the stabeelity o' its women. I wad just tak to my heels and run if I saw a real, thumpin', red-cheeked, big-boned Scotch lassie makin' up to me. There's nae bashfulness in they sort, and nae safety."
"I will go to Scotland!" said Duprèz enthusiastically. "I feel that those--what do you call them, lassies?--will charm, me!"
"Scotland I never saw," said Güldmar. "From all I have heard, it seems to me 'twould be too much like Norway. After one's eyes have rested long on these dark mountains and glaciers, one likes now and then to see a fertile sunshiny stretch of country such as France, or the plains of Lombardy. Of course there may be exceptions, but I tell you climatic influences have a great deal to do with the state of mind and morals. Now, take the example of that miserable old Lovisa Elsland. She is the victim of religious mania--and religious mania, together with superstition of the most foolish kind, is common in Norway. It happens often during the long winters; the people have not sufficient to occupy their minds; no clergyman--not even Dyceworthy--can satisfy the height of their fanaticism. They preach and pray and shriek and groan in their huts; some swear that they have the spirit of prophecy,--others that they are possessed of devils,--others imagine witchcraft, like Lovisa--and altogether there is such a howling on the name of Christ, that I am glad to be out of it,--for 'tis a sight to awaken the laughter and contempt of a pagan such as I am!"