ineering　class　under　Professor　Fleeming　Jenkin。　　　He　still　stuck　to　his　old　courses　…　wandering　about；　and；　in　　sheltered　corners；　writing　in　the　open　air；　and　was　not　present　in　　class　more　than　a　dozen　times。　　When　the　session　was　ended　he　went　　up　to　try　for　a　certificate　from　Fleeming　Jenkin。　　〃No；　no；　Mr　　Stevenson；〃　said　the　Professor；　〃I　might　give　it　in　a　doubtful　　case；　but　yours　is　not　doubtful：　　you　have　not　kept　my　classes。〃　　　And　the　most　characteristic　thing　…　honourable　to　both　men　…　is　to　　come；　for　this　was　the　beginning　of　a　friendship　which　grew　and　　strengthened　and　is　finally　celebrated　in　the　younger　man's　sketch　　of　the　elder。　　He　learned　from　Professor　Fleeming　Jenkin；　perhaps　　unconsciously；　more　of　the　HUMANIORES；　than　consciously　he　did　of　　engineering。　　A　friend　of　mine；　who　knew　well　both　the　Stevenson　　family　and　the　Balfours；　to　which　R。　L。　Stevenson's　mother　　belonged；　recalls；　as　we　have　seen；　his　acting　in　the　private　　theatricals　that　were　got　up　by　the　Professor；　and　adds；　〃He　was　　then　a　very　handsome　fellow；　and　looked　splendidly　as　Sir　Charles　　Pomander；　and　essayed；　not　wholly　without　success；　Sir　Peter　　Teazle；〃　which　one　can　well　believe；　no　less　than　that　he　acted　　such　parts　splendidly　as　well　as　looked　them。
  LONGMAN'S　MAGAZINE；　immediately　after　his　death；　published　the　　following　poem；　which　took　a　very　pathetic　touch　from　the　　circumstances　of　its　appearance　…　the　more　that；　while　it　　imaginatively　and　finely　commemorated　these　days　of　truant　　wanderings；　it　showed　the　ruling　passion　for　home　and　the　old　　haunts；　strongly　and　vividly；　even　not　unnigh　to　death：
  〃The　tropics　vanish；　and　meseems　that　I；　From　Halkerside；　from　topmost　Allermuir；　Or　steep　Caerketton；　dreaming　gaze　again。　Far　set　in　fields　and　woods；　the　town　I　see　Spring　gallant　from　the　shallows　of　her　smoke；　Cragg'd；　spired；　and　turreted；　her　virgin　fort　Beflagg'd。　　About；　on　seaward　drooping　hills；　New　folds　of　city　glitter。　　Last；　the　Forth　Wheels　ample　waters　set　with　sacred　isles；　And　populous　Fife　smokes　with　a　score　of　towns；　There；　on　the　sunny　frontage　of　a　hill；　Hard　by　the　house　of　kings；　repose　the　dead；　My　dead；　the　ready　and　the　strong　of　word。　Their　works；　the　salt…encrusted；　still　survive；　The　sea　bombards　their　founded　towers；　the　night　Thrills　pierced　with　their　strong　lamps。　　The　artificers；　One　after　one；　here　in　this　grated　cell；　Where　the　rain　erases　and　the　rust　consumes；　Fell　upon　lasting　silence。　　Continents　And　continental　oceans　intervene；　A　sea　uncharted；　on　a　lampless　isle；　Environs　and　confines　their　wandering　child　In　vain。　　The　voice　of　generations　dead　Summons　me；　sitting　distant；　to　arise；　My　numerous　footsteps　nimbly　to　retrace；　And　all　mutation　over；　stretch　me　down　In　that　denoted　city　of　the　dead。〃
  CHAPTER　IV　…　HEREDITY　ILLUSTRATED
  AT　first　sight　it　would　seem　hard　to　trace　any　illustration　of　the　　doctrine　of　heredity　in　the　case　of　this　master　of　romance。　　George　　Eliot's　dictum　that　we　are；　each　one　of　us；　but　an　omnibus　carrying　　down　the　traits　of　our　ancestors；　does　not　appear　at　all　to　hold　　here。　　This　fanciful　realist；　this　naive…wistful　humorist；　this　　dreamy　mystical　casuist；　crossed　by　the　innocent　bohemian；　this　　serious　and　genial　essayist；　in　whom　the　deep　thought　was　hidden　by　　the　gracious　play　of　wit　and　phantasy；　came；　on　the　father's　side；　　of　a　stock　of　what　the　world　regarded　as　a　quiet；　ingenious；　　demure；　practical；　home…keeping　people。　　In　his　rich　colour；　　originality；　and　graceful　air；　it　is　almost　as　though　the　bloom　of　　japonica　came　on　a　rich　old　orchard　apple…tree；　all　out　of　season　　too。　　Those　who　go　hard　on　heredity　would　say；　perhaps；　that　he　was　　the　result　of　some　strange　back…stroke。　　But；　on　closer　　examination；　we　need　not　go　so　far。　　His　grandfather；　Robert　　Stevenson；　the　great　lighthouse…builder；　the　man　who　reared　the　　iron…bound　pillar　on　the　destructive　Bell　Rock；　and　set　life…saving　　lights　there；　was　very　intent　on　his　professional　work；　yet　he　had　　his　ideal；　and　romantic；　and　adventurous　side。　　In　the　delightful　　sketch　which　his　famous　grandson　gave　of　him；　does　he　not　tell　of　　the　joy　Robert　Stevenson　had　on　the　annual　voyage　in　the　LIGHTHOUSE　　YACHT　…　how　it　was　looked　forward　to；　yearned　for；　and　how；　when　he　　had　Walter　Scott　on　board；　his　fund　of　story　and　reminiscence　all　　through　the　tour　never　failed　…　how　Scott　drew　upon　it　in　THE　　PIRATE　and　the　notes　to　THE　PIRATE；　and　with　what　pride　Robert　　Stevenson　preserved　the　lines　Scott　wrote　in　the　lighthouse　album　　at　the　Bell　Rock　on　that　occasion：
  〃PHAROS　LOQUITUR
  〃Far　in　the　bosom　of　the　deep　O'er　these　wild　shelves　my　watch　I　keep；　A　ruddy　gem　of　changeful　light　Bound　on　the　dusky　brow　of　night。　The　seaman　bids　my　lustre　hail；　And　scorns　to　strike　his　timorous　sail。〃
  And　how　in　1850　the　old　man；　drawing　nigh　unto　death；　was　with　the　　utmost　difficulty　dissuaded　from　going　the　voyage　once　more；　and　　was　found　furtively　in　his　room　packing　his　portmanteau　in　spite　of　　the　protests　of　all　his　family；　and　would　have　gone　but　for　the　　utter　weakness　of　death。
  His　father　was　also　a　splendid　engineer；　was　full　of　invention　and　　devoted　to　his　profession；　but　he；　too；　was　not　without　his　　romances；　and　even　vagaries。　　He　loved　a　story；　was　a　fine　teller　　of　stories；　used　to　sit　at　night　and　spin　the　most　wondrous　yarns；　　a　man　of　much　reserve；　yet　also　of　much　power　in　discourse；　with　an　　aptness　and　felicity　in　the　use　of　phrases　…　so　much　so；　as　his　son　　tells；　that　on　his　deathbed；　when　his　power　of　speech　was　passing　　from　him；　and　he　couldn't　articulate　the　right　word；　he　was　silent　　rather　than　use　the　wrong　one。　　I　shall　never　forget　how　in　these　　early　morning　walks　at　Braemar；　finding　me　sympathetic；　he　unbent　　with　the　air　of　a　man　who　had　unexpectedly　found　something　he　had　　sought；　and　was　fairly　confidential。
  On　the　mother's　side　our　author　came　of　ministers。　　His　maternal　　grandfather；　the　Rev。　Dr　Balfour　of　Colinton；　was　a　man　of　handsome　　presence；　tall；　venerable…looking；　and　not　without　a　mingled　　authority　and　humour　of　his　own　…　no　very　great　preacher；　I　have　　heard；　but　would　sometimes　bring　a　smile　to　the　faces　of　his　　hearers　by　very　naive　and　original　ways　of　putting　things。　　R。　L。　　Stevenson　quaintly　tells　a　story　of　how　his　grandfather　when　he　had　　physic　to　take；　and　was　indulged　in　a　sweet　afterwards；　yet　would　　not　allow　the　child　to　have　a　sweet　because　he　had　not　had　the　　physic。　　A　veritable　Calvinist　in　daily　action　…　from　him；　no　　doubt；　our　subject　drew　much　of　his　interest　in　certain　directions　　…　John　Knox；　Scottish　history；　the　'15　and　the　'45；　and　no　doubt　　much　that　justifies　the　line　〃something　of　shorter…catechist；〃　as　　applied　by　Henley　to　Stevenson　among　very　contrasted　traits　indeed。
  But　strange　truly　are　the　interblendings　of　race；　and　the　way　in　　which　traits　of　ancestors　reappear；　modifying　and　transforming　each　　other。　　The　gardener　knows　what　can　be　done　by　grafts　and　buddings；　　but　more　wonderful　far　than　anything　there；　are　the　mysterious　　blendings　and　outbursts　of　what　is　old　and　forgotten；　along　with　　what　is　wholly　new　and　strange；　and　all　going　to　produce　often　what　　we　call　sometimes　eccentricity；　and　sometimes　originality　and　　genius。
  Mr　J。　F。　George；　in　SCOTTISH　NOTES　AND　QUERIES；　wrote　as　follows　on　　Stevenson's　inheritances　and　indebtedness　to　certain　of　his　　ancestors：
  〃About　1650；　James　Balfour；　one　of　the　Principal　Clerks　of　the　　Court　of　Session；　married　Bridget；　daughter　of　Chalmers　of　　Balbaithan；　Keithhall；　and　that　estate　was　for　some　time　in　the　　name　of　Balfour。　　His　son；　James　Balfour　of　Balbaithan；　Merchant　　and　Magistrate　of　Edinburgh；　paid　poll…tax　in　1696；　but　by　1699　the　　land　had　been　sold。　　This　was　probably　due　to　the　fact　that　Balfour　　was　one　of　the　Governors　of　the　Darien　Company。　　His　grandson；　　James　Balfour　of　Pilrig　（1705　…　1795）；　sometime　Professor　of　Moral　　Philosophy　in　Edinburgh　University；　whose　portrait　is　sketched　in　　CATRIONA；　also　made　a　Garioch　＇Aberdeenshire　district＇　marriage；　　his　wife　being　Cecilia；　fifth　daughter　of　Sir　John　Elphinstone；　　second　baronet　of　Logie　（Elphinstone）　and　Sheriff　of　Aberdeen；　by　　Mary；　daughter　of　Sir　Gilbert　Elliot；　first　baronet　of　Minto。
  〃Referring　to　the　Minto　descent；　Stevenson　claims　to　have　'shaken　a　　spear　in　the　Debatable　Land　and　shouted　the　slogan　of　the　Elliots。'　　　He　evidently　knew　little　or　nothing　of　his　relations　on　the　　Elphinstone　side。　　The　Logie　Elphinstones　were　a　cadet　branch　of　　Glack；　an　estate　acquired　by　Nicholas　Elphinstone　in　1499。　　William　　Elphinstone；　a　younger　son　of　James　of　Glack；　and　Elizabeth　Wood　of　　Bonnyton；　married　Margaret　Forbes；　and　was　father　of　Sir　James　　Elphinstone；　Bart。；　of　Logie；　so　created　in　1701。　。　。　。
  〃Stevenson　would　have　been　delighted　to　acknowledge　his　　relationship；　remote　though　it　was；　to　'the　Wolf　of　Badenoch；'　who　　burned　Elgin　Cathedral　without　the　Earl　of　Kildare's　excuse　that　he　　thought　the　Bishop　was　in　it；　and　to　the　Wolf's　son；　the　Victor　of　　Harlaw　＇and＇　to　his　nephew　'John　O'Coull；'　Constable　of　France。　。　。　　。　Also　among　Tusitala's　kin　may　be　noted；　in　addition　to　the　later　　Gordons　of　Gight；　the　Tiger　Earl　of　Crawford；　familiarly　known　as