course, in the name of pleasure and common sense let them have it;
but to condemn people, by brandishing the fiery sword of duty over
their heads, to attend uncongenial gatherings seems to me to be
both absurd and unjust.

The case of my friend Perry is, I must admit, complicated by the
fact that he does add greatly to the happiness of any circle of
which he is a member; he is an admirable listener and a sympathetic
talker. But if Egeria desires to make a Numa of him, and to inspire
him with her own gentle wisdom, let her convince him quietly that
he does owe a duty to society, and not censure him before his
friends. If Egeria, in her own inimitable way, would say to him
that the lives of academical ladies were apt to be dull, and that
it was a matter of graceful chivalry for him to brighten the
horizon, why, Perry could not resist her. But chivalry is a thing
which must be courteously and generously conceded, and must never
be pettishly claimed; and indeed I do not want Perry interfered
with in this matter: he fills a very peculiar niche, he is a
lodestar to enthusiastic undergraduates; he is the joy of sober
common-rooms. I wish with all my heart that the convenances of
life permitted Egeria herself to stray into those book-lined rooms,
dim with tobacco-smoke, to warble and sing to the accompaniment of
Perry's cracked piano, to take her place among the casual company.
But as Egeria cannot go to Perry, and as Perry will not go to
Egeria, they must respect each other from a distance, and do their
best alone.

And, after all, simple, sincere, and kindly persons are apt to
find, as Stevenson wisely said, their circle ready-made. The only
people who cannot get the friends and companions they want are