The Princess told me without doubt there was one predominating interest
in his mind, and that the supernatural--whether at a British Association
meeting, the College of Physicians, or speaking privately to his own
friends. He realized the impossibility of explaining by scientific
methods the supernatural. He would often say: "There is more in Heaven
and earth than this world dreams of. Given the most _perfect_ scientific
methods, you will find beyond abysses which you are powerless
to explore."

He had the greatest charm of mind, and, needless to say, was a
delightful companion. His topics of conversation were extremely varied:
he liked dialectics for talk and argument's sake, and enjoyed talking to
those who had somewhat the same taste. Possibly for this reason he did
not fully appreciate children, although they amused him, and he liked to
understand their ideas. A friend of Sir Andrew's staying with him at the
time told me the following characteristic anecdote: One afternoon during
his autumn holiday in Scotland the footman came in to put coals on the
fire, and a child (a relation) coughed vehemently. "Why do you cough so
much?" said Sir Andrew. "To make James look at me," said the child. Sir
Andrew was "solemnly interested," and afterwards took it as a parable of
a woman's nature, which, speaking generally, he considered morally and
ethically inferior to a man's. In his opinion very many women were
wanting in the two great qualities--justice and truth--considering their
own, their children's, or their husband's interests first rather than
what was absolutely right.

One subject that interested him very much was heredity, and he had, of
course, countless opportunities of studying it. "Temperance and
morality," he would say, "are most distinctly transmitted, especially by