fool of myself, as I said in the beginning; and I have gone back, and

asked my father's pardon, and placed myself wholly in his hands - and he

has sent me to Hermiston," with a wretched smile, "for life, I suppose -

and what can I say? he strikes me as having done quite right, and let me

off better than I had deserved."

"My poor, dear boy!" observed Glenalmond. "My poor dear and, if you

will allow me to say so, very foolish boy! You are only discovering

where you are; to one of your temperament, or of mine, a painful

discovery. The world was not made for us; it was made for ten hundred

millions of men, all different from each other and from us; there's no

royal road there, we just have to sclamber and tumble. Don't think that

I am at all disposed to be surprised; don't suppose that I ever think of

blaming you; indeed I rather admire! But there fall to be offered one

or two observations on the case which occur to me and which (if you will

listen to them dispassionately) may be the means of inducing you to view

the matter more calmly. First of all, I cannot acquit you of a good

deal of what is called intolerance. You seem to have been very much

offended because your father talks a little sculduddery after dinner,

which it is perfectly licit for him to do, and which (although I am not

very fond of it myself) appears to be entirely an affair of taste. Your

father, I scarcely like to remind you, since it is so trite a

commonplace, is older than yourself. At least, he is MAJOR and SUI

JURIS, and may please himself in the matter of his conversation. And,

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