"I have felt it very strongly indeed. I live so very much alone, and
have always done so. Fortunately I am of a very cheerful
disposition, or I might have suffered much. The young fellows I see
every day haven't much intellect, it must be confessed. I used to
try to get them under the influence of my own enthusiasms, but they
didn't seem to understand me. They care only for things which either
repel me, or are utterly without interest."

"Ha! you understand what that means!" Waymark had risen from his low
chair, and stood with his back to the fire. His eyes had a new life,
and he spoke in a strong, emphatic way which suited well with his
countenance. "You know what it is to have to do exclusively with
fools and brutes, to rave under the vile restraints of Philistine
surroundings? Then you can form some notion of the state I was in
when I took the step of writing that advertisement; I was, I firmly
believe, on the verge of lunacy! For two or three days I had come
back home from the school only to pace up and down the room in an
indescribable condition. I get often like that, but this time things
seemed reaching a head. Why, I positively cried with misery, absurd
as it may sound. My blood seemed too hot, seemed to be swelling out
the veins beyond endurance. As a rule I get over these moods by
furious walking about the streets half through the night, but I
couldn't even do that. I had no money to go in for dissipation: that
often helps me. Every book was loathsome to me. My landlady must
have overheard something, for she came in and began a conversation
about God knows what; I fear I mortally offended her; I could have
pitched the poor old woman out of the window! Heavens, how did I get
through those nights?"