happiness to him; for, smarting under his poverty among rich
neighbors, and fallen from the social rank to which he was actually
entitled, he now welcomed the secondary joy which originates in the
revenge men take upon each other through the superiority of their
children.

One thing both agreed in: that this explained their son. He had
certainly always needed an explanation. But no wonder; he was to be
a minister. And who had a right to understand a minister? He was
entitled to be peculiar.

When David came in to supper that night and took his seat, shame-
faced, frowning and blinking at the candle-light, his father began
to talk to him as he had never believed possible; and his mother,
placing his coffee before him, let her hand rest on his shoulder.

He, long ahungered for their affection and finding it now when
least expected, filled to the brim, choked at every morsel, got
away as soon as he could into the sacred joy of the night Ah, those
thrilling hours when the young disciple, having for the first time
confessed openly his love of the Divine, feels that the Divine
returns his love and accepts his service!




IV


Autumn came, the university opened wide its harmonious doors,