“Ibegintogetaglimmeringofwhatyoumean，“saidEast。
　　“Isay，now，“saidTomeagerly，“doyourememberhowwebothhatedFlashman？“
　　“OfcourseIdo，“saidEast；“Ihatehimstill。Whatthen？“
　　“Well，whenIcametotaketheSacrament，Ihadagreatstruggleaboutthat。Itriedtoputhimoutofmyhead；andwhenI
　　couldn’tdothat，Itriedtothinkofhimasevil——assomethingthattheLordwhowaslovingmehated，andwhichImighthatetoo。Butitwouldn’tdo。Ibrokedown；IbelieveChristHimselfbrokemedown。AndwhentheDoctorgavemethebreadandwine，andleantovermepraying，IprayedforpoorFlashman，asifithadbeenyouorArthur。“
　　Eastburiedhisfaceinhishandsonthetable。Tomcouldfeelthetabletremble。Atlasthelookedup。“Thankyouagain，Tom，“saidhe；“youdon’tknowwhatyoumayhavedoneformeto-
　　night。IthinkIseenowhowtherightsortofsympathywithpoordevilsisgotat。“
　　“Andyou’llstoptheSacramentnexttime，won’tyou？“saidTom。
　　“CanI，beforeI’mconfirmed？“
　　“GoandasktheDoctor。“
　　“Iwill。“
　　Thatverynight，afterprayers，EastfollowedtheDoctor，andtheoldvergerbearingthecandle，upstairs。Tomwatched，andsawtheDoctorturnroundwhenheheardfootstepsfollowinghimcloserthanusual，andsay，“Hah，East！Doyouwanttospeaktome，myman？“
　　“Ifyouplease，sir。“Andtheprivatedoorclosed，andTomwenttohisstudyinastateofgreattroubleofmind。
　　ItwasalmostanhourbeforeEastcameback。Thenherushedinbreathless。
　　“Well，it’sallright，“heshouted，seizingTombythehand。“I
　　feelasifatonweightwereoffmymind。“
　　“Hurrah，“saidTom。“Iknewitwouldbe；buttellusallaboutit。“
　　“Well，Ijusttoldhimallaboutit。Youcan’tthinkhowkindandgentlehewas，thegreatgrimman，whomI’vefearedmorethananybodyonearth。WhenIstuck，heliftedmejustasifI’dbeenalittlechild。AndheseemedtoknowallI’dfelt，andtohavegonethroughitall。AndIburstoutcrying——morethanI’vedonethisfiveyears；andhesatdownbyme，andstrokedmyhead；andIwentblunderingon，andtoldhimall——
　　muchworsethingsthanI’vetoldyou。Andhewasn’tshockedabit，anddidn’tsnubme，ortellmeIwasafool，anditwasallnothingbutprideorwickedness，thoughIdaresayitwas。Andhedidn’ttellmenottofollowoutmythoughts，andhedidn’tgivemeanycut-and-driedexplanation。ButwhenI’ddonehejusttalkedabit。Icanhardlyrememberwhathesaidyet；butitseemedtospreadroundmelikehealing，andstrength，andlight，andtobearmeup，andplantmeonarock，whereIcouldholdmyfootingandfightformyself。Idon’tknowwhattodo，Ifeelsohappy。Andit’sallowingtoyou，dearoldboy！“AndheseizedTom’shandagain。
　　“Andyou’retocometotheCommunion？“saidTom。
　　“Yes，andtobeconfirmedintheholidays。“
　　Tom’sdelightwasasgreatashisfriend’s。Buthehadn’tyethadoutallhisowntalk，andwasbentonimprovingtheoccasion:soheproceededtopropoundArthur’stheoryaboutnotbeingsorryforhisfriends’deaths，whichhehadhithertokeptinthebackground，andbywhichhewasmuchexercised；forhedidn’tfeelithonesttotakewhatpleasedhim，andthrowovertherest，andwastryingvigorouslytopersuadehimselfthatheshouldlikeallhisbestfriendstodieoff-hand。
　　ButEast’spowersofremainingseriouswereexhausted，andinfiveminuteshewassayingthemostridiculousthingshecouldthinkof，tillTomwasalmostgettingangryagain。
　　Despiteofhimself，however，hecouldn’thelplaughingandgivingitup，whenEastappealedtohimwith，“Well，Tom，youain’tgoingtopunchmyhead，Ihope，becauseIinsistuponbeingsorrywhenyougottoearth？“
　　Andsotheirtalkfinishedforthattime，andtheytriedtolearnfirstlesson，withverypoorsuccess，asappearednextmorning，whentheywerecalledupandnarrowlyescapedbeingfloored，whichill-luck，however，didnotsitheavilyoneitheroftheirsouls。
　　“Heavengrantthemanlierheart，thattimelyereYouthfly，withlife’srealtempestwouldbecoping；
　　ThefruitofdreamyhopingIs，waking，blankdespair。“-CLOUGH，Ambarvalia。
　　Thecurtainnowrisesuponthelastactofourlittledrama，forhard-heartedpublisherswarnmethatasinglevolumemustofnecessityhaveanend。Well，well！thepleasantestthingsmustcometoanend。Ilittlethoughtlastlongvacation，whenI
　　beganthesepagestohelpwhileawaysomesparetimeatawatering-place，howvividlymanyanoldscenewhichhadlainhidawayforyearsinsomedustyoldcornerofmybrain，wouldcomebackagain，andstandbeforemeasclearandbrightasifithadhappenedyesterday。Thebookhasbeenamostgratefultasktome，andIonlyhopethatallyou，mydearyoungfriends，whoreaditfriendsassuredlyyoumustbe，ifyougetasfarasthis，willbehalfassorrytocometothelaststageasIam。
　　Notbutwhattherehasbeenasolemnandasadsidetoit。Astheoldscenesbecameliving，andtheactorsinthembecamelivingtoo，manyagraveintheCrimeaanddistantIndia，aswellasinthequietchurchyardsofourdearoldcountry，seemedtoopenandsendforththeirdead，andtheirvoicesandlooksandwayswereagaininone’searsandeyes，asintheoldSchool-days。Butthiswasnotsad。Howshoulditbe，ifwebelieveasourLordhastaughtus？Howshoulditbe，whenonemoreturnofthewheel，andweshallbebytheirsidesagain，learningfromthemagain，perhaps，aswedidwhenwewerenewboys。
　　Thentherewereothersoftheoldfacessodeartousoncewhohadsomehoworanotherjustgonecleanoutofsight。Aretheydeadorliving？Weknownot，butthethoughtofthembringsnosadnesswithit。Wherevertheyare，wecanwellbelievetheyaredoingGod’sworkandgettingHiswages。
　　Butaretherenotsome，whomwestillseesometimesinthestreets，whosehauntsandhomesweknow，whomwecouldprobablyfindalmostanydayintheweekifweweresettodoit，yetfromwhomwearereallyfartherthanwearefromthedead，andfromthosewhohavegoneoutofourken？Yes，thereareandmustbesuch；andthereinliesthesadnessofoldSchoolmemories。Yetoftheseouroldcomrades，fromwhommorethantimeandspaceseparateus，therearesomebywhosesideswecanfeelsurethatweshallstandagainwhentimeshallbenomore。
　　Wemaythinkofoneanothernowasdangerousfanaticsornarrowbigots，withwhomnotruceispossible，fromwhomweshallonlysevermoreandmoretotheendofourlives，whomitwouldbeourrespectivedutiestoimprisonorhang，ifwehadthepower。
　　Wemustgoourway，andtheytheirs，aslongasfleshandspiritholdtogether；butletourownRugbypoetspeakwordsofhealingforthistrial:-
　　“Toveerhowvain！on，onwardstrain，Bravebarks，inlight，indarknesstoo；
　　Throughwindsandtidesonecompassguides，-
　　Tothat，andyourownselves，betrue。
　　“But，Oblithebreeze，andOgreatseas，Thoughne’erthatearliestpartingpast，Onyourwideplaintheyjoinagain；
　　Togetherleadthemhomeatlast。
　　“Oneport，methought，aliketheysought，Onepurposeholdwhere’ertheyfare。
　　Oboundingbreeze，Orushingseas，Atlast，atlast，unitethemthere！“*
　　*Clough，Ambarvalia。
　　Thisisnotmerelonging；itisprophecy。Sooverthesetoo，ouroldfriends，whoarefriendsnomore，wesorrownotasmenwithouthope。Itisonlyforthosewhoseemtoustohavelostcompassandpurpose，andtobedrivenhelplesslyonrocksandquicksands，whoselivesarespentintheserviceoftheworld，theflesh，andthedevil，forselfalone，andnotfortheirfellow-men，theircountry，ortheirGod，thatwemustmournandpraywithoutsurehopeandwithoutlight，trustingonlythatHe，inwhosehandstheyaswellasweare，whohasdiedforthemaswellasforus，whoseesallHiscreatures“Withlargerothereyesthanours，Tomakeallowanceforusall，“
　　will，inHisownwayandatHisowntime，leadthemalsohome。
　　Anothertwoyearshavepassed，anditisagaintheendofthesummerhalf-yearatRugby；infact，theSchoolhasbrokenup。
　　Thefifth-formexaminationswereoverlastweek，anduponthemhavefollowedthespeeches，andthesixth-formexaminationsforexhibitions；andtheytooareovernow。Theboyshavegonetoallthewindsofheaven，exceptthetownboysandtheeleven，andthefewenthusiastsbesideswhohaveaskedleavetostayintheirhousestoseetheresultofthecricketmatches。ForthisyeartheWellesburnreturnmatchandtheMarylebonematchareplayedatRugby，tothegreatdelightofthetownandneighbourhood，andthesorrowofthoseaspiringyoungcricketerswhohavebeenreckoningforthelastthreemonthsonshowingoffatLord’sground。
　　TheDoctorstartedfortheLakesyesterdaymorning，afteraninterviewwiththecaptainoftheeleven，inthepresenceofThomas，atwhichhearrangedinwhatschoolthecricketdinnersweretobe，andallothermattersnecessaryforthesatisfactorycarryingoutofthefestivities，andwarnedthemastokeepingallspirituousliquorsoutoftheclose，andhavingthegatesclosedbynineo’clock。