Wynne laughed, turning to look at his companion as if from afar.

"I doubt," he observed, "if anything I could tell you directly would
give you so good an idea of how upset I am, and how completely out of
the routine of our life, as the fact that I seem to have forgotten that
there ever were any walks before."

"I am afraid that I am a good deal out of touch with the life here,"
Ashe responded seriously. "I have been troubled, and tempted, and--Oh,
Maurice," he broke off suddenly, "Maynard is right: no spiritual calm
is possible in the world outside!"

"Even if that were true," returned Maurice, "I don't know that I am
prepared to agree that calm is the best thing in life."

"It is the highest thing."

"I don't believe it. It isn't growth."

The bell for study sounded, and ended their talk. Maurice went to his
work uneasy, perhaps a little irritated. He was disquieted that Philip
should be so monastically out of sympathy, and he was annoyed with
himself for being out of key with his friend. He felt as if he had
returned to his old place in the body without being here at all in the
spirit. He had while at Mrs. Staggchase's looked into many books which
in the Clergy House would never have come in his way; he had more than
once been startled to encounter thoughts which had been in his own
mind, but which he had felt it wrong to entertain. Here they were
stated coolly, dispassionately, with no consciousness, apparently, that