A WALK. 55

but a very. little way under the cliffs before she
comes to the end.”

“ The end of what?” said Lucy.

“Why, the end of the level place where she
can walk,” said Comfort. “ After you go out
there a little way, the rocks go right down, as
steep as the sides of a house.”

“Then Vm afraid that she will fall down
there,” said Lucy.

Comfort told her there was no danger ; but Lu-
cy would not be convinced. The more she ar-
gued, the less possibility there seemed to be of
making any impression. ‘The truth was, Lucy
was not really afraid for her mother, but for her-
self. And the reason which she offered for wish-
ing to return, was only the ostensible reason, not
the real one; that is, it was a reason that she
chose to offer, not the one that she really felt. It
is of no use to attempt to reply to reasons that are
only ostensible, because they are not the ones
that really influence the mind; and so, even if
you show that such reasons are not good ones,
the person is not convinced any more than before.
If Comfort had known that the real reason why
Lucy did not want to go any farther, was, that
she was afraid herself, perhaps she would have
said something to encourage her, and lead her to