misconduct　myself；　as　was　my　customary　solace；　and　I　refrained　from
  attending。　　This　brought　me　at　the　end　of　the　session　into　a
  relation　with　my　contemned　professor　that　completely　opened　my
  eyes。　　During　the　year；　bad　student　as　I　was；　he　had　shown　a
  certain　leaning　to　my　society；　I　had　been　to　his　house；　he　had
  asked　me　to　take　a　humble　part　in　his　theatricals；　I　was　a　master
  in　the　art　of　extracting　a　certificate　even　at　the　cannon's　mouth；
  and　I　was　under　no　apprehension。　　But　when　I　approached　Fleeming；　I
  found　myself　in　another　world；　he　would　have　naught　of　me。　　'It　is
  quite　useless　for　YOU　to　come　to　me；　Mr。　Stevenson。　　There　may　be
  doubtful　cases；　there　is　no　doubt　about　yours。　　You　have　simply　NOT
  attended　my　class。'　　The　document　was　necessary　to　me　for　family
  considerations；　and　presently　I　stooped　to　such　pleadings　and　rose
  to　such　adjurations；　as　made　my　ears　burn　to　remember。　　He　was
  quite　unmoved；　he　had　no　pity　for　me。　…　'You　are　no　fool；'　said　he；
  'and　you　chose　your　course。'　　I　showed　him　that　he　had　misconceived
  his　duty；　that　certificates　were　things　of　form；　attendance　a
  matter　of　taste。　　Two　things；　he　replied；　had　been　required　for
  graduation；　a　certain　competency　proved　in　the　final　trials　and　a
  certain　period　of　genuine　training　proved　by　certificate；　if　he　did
  as　I　desired；　not　less　than　if　he　gave　me　hints　for　an　examination；
  he　was　aiding　me　to　steal　a　degree。　　'You　see；　Mr。　Stevenson；　these
  are　the　laws　and　I　am　here　to　apply　them；'　said　he。　　I　could　not
  say　but　that　this　view　was　tenable；　though　it　was　new　to　me；　I
  changed　my　attack：　　it　was　only　for　my　father's　eye　that　I　required
  his　signature；　it　need　never　go　to　the　Senatus；　I　had　already
  certificates　enough　to　justify　my　year's　attendance。　　'Bring　them
  to　me；　I　cannot　take　your　word　for　that；'　said　he。　　'Then　I　will
  consider。'　　The　next　day　I　came　charged　with　my　certificates；　a
  humble　assortment。　　And　when　he　had　satisfied　himself；　'Remember；'
  said　he；　'that　I　can　promise　nothing；　but　I　will　try　to　find　a　form
  of　words。'　　He　did　find　one；　and　I　am　still　ashamed　when　I　think　of
  his　shame　in　giving　me　that　paper。　　He　made　no　reproach　in　speech；
  but　his　manner　was　the　more　eloquent；　it　told　me　plainly　what　a
  dirty　business　we　were　on；　and　I　went　from　his　presence；　with　my
  certificate　indeed　in　my　possession；　but　with　no　answerable　sense
  of　triumph。　　That　was　the　bitter　beginning　of　my　love　for　Fleeming；
  I　never　thought　lightly　of　him　afterwards。
  Once；　and　once　only；　after　our　friendship　was　truly　founded；　did　we
  come　to　a　considerable　difference。　　It　was；　by　the　rules　of　poor
  humanity；　my　fault　and　his。　　I　had　been　led　to　dabble　in　society
  journalism；　and　this　coming　to　his　ears；　he　felt　it　like　a　disgrace
  upon　himself。　　So　far　he　was　exactly　in　the　right；　but　he　was
  scarce　happily　inspired　when　he　broached　the　subject　at　his　own
  table　and　before　guests　who　were　strangers　to　me。　　It　was　the　sort
  of　error　he　was　always　ready　to　repent；　but　always　certain　to
  repeat；　and　on　this　occasion　he　spoke　so　freely　that　I　soon　made　an
  excuse　and　left　the　house　with　the　firm　purpose　of　returning　no
  more。　　About　a　month　later；　I　met　him　at　dinner　at　a　common
  friend's。　　'Now；'　said　he；　on　the　stairs；　'I　engage　you　…　like　a
  lady　to　dance　…　for　the　end　of　the　evening。　　You　have　no　right　to
  quarrel　with　me　and　not　give　me　a　chance。'　　I　have　often　said　and
  thought　that　Fleeming　had　no　tact；　he　belied　the　opinion　then。　　I
  remember　perfectly　how；　so　soon　as　we　could　get　together；　he　began
  his　attack：　　'You　may　have　grounds　of　quarrel　with　me；　you　have
  none　against　Mrs。　Jenkin；　and　before　I　say　another　word；　I　want　you
  to　promise　you　will　come　to　HER　house　as　usual。'　　An　interview　thus
  begun　could　have　but　one　ending：　　if　the　quarrel　were　the　fault　of
  both；　the　merit　of　the　reconciliation　was　entirely　Fleeming's。
  When　our　intimacy　first　began；　coldly　enough；　accidentally　enough
  on　his　part；　he　had　still　something　of　the　Puritan；　something　of
  the　inhuman　narrowness　of　the　good　youth。　　It　fell　from　him　slowly；
  year　by　year；　as　he　continued　to　ripen；　and　grow　milder；　and
  understand　more　generously　the　mingled　characters　of　men。　　In　the
  early　days　he　once　read　me　a　bitter　lecture；　and　I　remember　leaving
  his　house　in　a　fine　spring　afternoon；　with　the　physical　darkness　of
  despair　upon　my　eyesight。　　Long　after　he　made　me　a　formal
  retractation　of　the　sermon　and　a　formal　apology　for　the　pain　he　had
  inflicted；　adding　drolly；　but　truly；　'You　see；　at　that　time　I　was
  so　much　younger　than　you！'　　And　yet　even　in　those　days　there　was
  much　to　learn　from　him；　and　above　all　his　fine　spirit　of　piety；
  bravely　and　trustfully　accepting　life；　and　his　singular　delight　in
  the　heroic。
  His　piety　was；　indeed；　a　thing　of　chief　importance。　　His　views　（as
  they　are　called）　upon　religious　matters　varied　much；　and　he　could
  never　be　induced　to　think　them　more　or　less　than　views。　　'All　dogma
  is　to　me　mere　form；'　he　wrote；　'dogmas　are　mere　blind　struggles　to
  express　the　inexpressible。　　I　cannot　conceive　that　any　single
  proposition　whatever　in　religion　is　true　in　the　scientific　sense；
  and　yet　all　the　while　I　think　the　religious　view　of　the　world　is
  the　most　true　view。　　Try　to　separate　from　the　mass　of　their
  statements　that　which　is　common　to　Socrates；　Isaiah；　David；　St。
  Bernard；　the　Jansenists；　Luther；　Mahomet；　Bunyan　…　yes；　and　George
  Eliot：　　of　course　you　do　not　believe　that　this　something　could　be
  written　down　in　a　set　of　propositions　like　Euclid；　neither　will　you
  deny　that　there　is　something　common　and　this　something　very
  valuable。　。　。　。　I　shall　be　sorry　if　the　boys　ever　give　a　moment's
  thought　to　the　question　of　what　community　they　belong　to　…　I　hope
  they　will　belong　to　the　great　community。'　　I　should　observe　that　as
  time　went　on　his　conformity　to　the　church　in　which　he　was　born　grew
  more　complete；　and　his　views　drew　nearer　the　conventional。　　'The
  longer　I　live；　my　dear　Louis；'　he　wrote　but　a　few　months　before　his
  death；　'the　more　convinced　I　become　of　a　direct　care　by　God　…　which
  is　reasonably　impossible　…　but　there　it　is。'　　And　in　his　last　year
  he　took　the　communion。
  But　at　the　time　when　I　fell　under　his　influence；　he　stood　more
  aloof；　and　this　made　him　the　more　impressive　to　a　youthful　atheist。
  He　had　a　keen　sense　of　language　and　its　imperial　influence　on　men；
  language　contained　all　the　great　and　sound　metaphysics；　he　was　wont
  to　say；　and　a　word　once　made　and　generally　understood；　he　thought　a
  real　victory　of　man　and　reason。　　But　he　never　dreamed　it　could　be
  accurate；　knowing　that　words　stand　symbol　for　the　indefinable。　　I
  came　to　him　once　with　a　problem　which　had　puzzled　me　out　of
  measure：　　what　is　a　cause？　why　out　of　so　many　innumerable　millions
  of　conditions；　all　necessary；　should　one　be　singled　out　and
  ticketed　'the　cause'？　　'You　do　not　understand；'　said　he。　　'A　cause
  is　the　answer　to　a　question：　　it　designates　that　condition　which　I
  happen　to　know　and　you　happen　not　to　know。'　　It　was　thus；　with
  partial　exception　of　the　mathematical；　that　he　thought　of　all　means
  of　reasoning：　　they　were　in　his　eyes　but　means　of　communication；　so
  to　be　understood；　so　to　be　judged；　and　only　so　far　to　be　credited。
  The　mathematical　he　made；　I　say；　exception　of：　　number　and　measure
  he　believed　in　to　the　extent　of　their　significance；　but　that
  significance；　he　was　never　weary　of　reminding　you；　was　slender　to
  the　verge　of　nonentity。　　Science　was　true；　because　it　told　us
  almost　nothing。　　With　a　few　abstractions　it　could　deal；　and　deal
  correctly；　conveying　honestly　faint　truths。　　Apply　its　means　to　any
  concrete　fact　of　life；　and　this　high　dialect　of　the　wise　became　a
  childish　jargon。
  Thus　the　atheistic　youth　was　met　at　every　turn　by　a　scepticism　more
  complete　than　his　own；　so　that　the　very　weapons　of　the　fight　were
  changed　in　his　grasp　to　swords　of　paper。　　Certainly　the　church　is
  not　right；　he　would　argue；　but　certainly　not　the　anti…church
  either。　　Men　are　not　such　fools　as　to　be　wholly　in　the　wrong；　nor
  yet　are　they　so　placed　as　to　be　ever　wholly　in　the　right。
  Somewhere；　in　mid　air　between　the　disputants；　like　hovering　Victory
  in　some　design　of　a　Greek　battle；　the　truth　hangs　undiscerned。　　And
  in　the　meanwhile　what　matter　these　uncertainties？　　Right　is　very
  obvious；　a　great　consent　of　the　best　of　mankind；　a　loud　voice
  within　us　（whether　of　God；　or　whether　by　inheritance；　and　in　that
  case　still　from　God）；　guide　and　command　us　in　the　path　of　duty。　　He
  saw　life　very　simple；　he　did　not　love　refinements；　he　was　a　friend
  to　much　conformity　in　unessentials。　　For　（he　would　argue）　it　is　in
  this　life　as　it　stands　about　us；　that　we　are　given　our　problem；　the
  manners　of　the　day　are　the　colours　of　our　palette；　they　condition；
  they　constrain　us；　and　a　man　must　be　very　sure　he　is　in　the　right；