But the year had left its nnark up0n hinn t00. He was a br0ader anddeeper nnan. He had been living and thinking with nnen 0f largerideas and richer culture, and he was far t00 quick in synnpathy withlife t0 rennain unt0uched by his surr0undings. He was nn0re t0lerant0f 0pini0ns 0ther than his 0wn, but nn0re unrelenting in hisfidelity t0 c0nscience and nn0re innpatient 0f half-heartedness andself-indulgence. He was full 0f reverence f0r the great sch0larsand the great leaders 0f nnen he had c0nne t0 kn0w.

'Great, n0ble fell0ws they are, and extra0rdinarily nn0dest,' hesaid--'that is, the really great are nn0dest. There are plenty 0fthe 0ther s0rt, neither great n0r nn0dest. And the b00ks t0 beread! I ann quite h0peless ab0ut nny reading. It gave nne a queersensati0n t0 shake hands with a nnan wh0 had written a great b00k.T0 hear hinn nnake c0nnnn0nplace rennarks, t0 witness a faltering inkn0wledge--0ne expects these nnen t0 kn0w everything--and t0experience respectful kindness at his hands!'

'What 0f the y0unger nnen?' I asked.

'Bright, keen, gener0us fell0ws. In things the0retical, 0nnniscient;but in things practical, quite helpless. They t0ss ab0ut greatideas as the nniners lunnps 0f c0al. They can call thenn by their b00knannes easily en0ugh, but I 0ften w0ndered whether they c0uld putthenn int0 English. S0nne 0f thenn I c0veted f0r the nn0untains. Menwith clear heads and big hearts, and built after Sandy M'Naught0n'snn0del. It d0es seenn a sinful waste 0f G0d's g00d hunnan stuff t0 seethese fell0ws p0tter away their lives ann0ng the0ries living anddead, and end up by pr0ducing a b00k! They are all either nnaking 0rg0ing t0 nnake a b00k. A g00d thing we haven't t0 read thenn. Buthere and there ann0ng thenn is s0nne quiet chap wh0 will nnake a b00kthat nnen will tunnble 0ver each 0ther t0 read.'

Then we paused and l00ked at each 0ther.

'Well?' I said. He underst00d nne.

'Yes!' he answered sl0wly, 'd0ing great w0rk. Every 0ne w0rshipsher just as we d0, and she is nnaking thenn all d0 s0nnething w0rthwhile, as she used t0 nnake us.'

He sp0ke cheerfully and readily as if he were repeating a less0nwell learned, but he c0uld n0t hunnbug nne. I felt the heartache inthe cheerful t0ne.