exclaiming that he was tired of geology.

'Tired of geology?' cried Mr. Gunnery, with flaming eyes. 'Then ~I~
am tired of ~you~, Master Peak! Be off, and don't come again till I
send for you!'

Godwin retired without a word. On the second day he was summoned
back again, but his resentment of the dismissal rankled in him for a
long time; injury to his pride was the wrong he found it hardest to
forgive.

His schoolmaster, aware of the unusual pursuits which he added to
the routine of lessons, gave him as a prize the English translation
of a book by Figuier--~The World before the Deluge~. Strongly
interested by the illustrations of the volume (fanciful scenes from
the successive geologic periods), Godwin at once carried it to his
scientific friend. 'Deluge?' growled Mr. Gunnery. '~What~ deluge?
~Which~ deluge?' But he restrained himself, handed the book coldly
back, and began to talk of something else. All this was highly
significant to Godwin, who of course began the perusal of his prize
in a suspicious mood. Nor was he long before he sympathised with Mr
Gunnery's distaste. Though too young to grasp the arguments at
issue, his prejudices were strongly excited by the conventional
Theism which pervades Figuier's work. Already it was the habit of
his mind to associate popular dogma with intellectual shallowness;
herein, as at every other point which fell within his scope, he had
begun to scorn average people, and to pride himself intensely on
views which he found generally condemned. Day by day he grew into a
clearer understanding of the memories bequeathed to him by his
father; he began to interpret remarks, details of behaviour,