“Taketheexamplewhichwehavenowinview，“pursuedSirPatrick——“theexampleofanaverageyounggentlemanofourtime，blestwitheveryadvantagethatphysicalcultivationcanbestowonhim。Letthismanbetriedbyatemptationwhichinsidiouslycallsintoaction，inhisowninterests，thesavageinstinctslatentinhumanity——theinstinctsofself-seekingandcrueltywhichareatthebottomofallcrime。Letthismanbeplacedtowardsomeotherperson，guiltlessofinjuringhim，inapositionwhichdemandsoneoftwosacrifices：thesacrificeoftheotherperson，orthesacrificeofhisowninterestsandhisowndesires。Hisneighbor’shappiness，orhisneighbor’slife，stands，letussay，betweenhimandtheattainmentofsomethingthathewants。Hecanwreckthehappiness，orstrikedownthelife，without，tohisknowledge，anyfearofsufferingforithimself。Whatistopreventhim，beingthemanheis，fromgoingstraighttohisend，onthoseconditions？Willtheskillinrowing，theswiftnessinrunning，theadmirablecapacityandenduranceinotherphysicalexercises，whichhehasattained，byastrenuouscultivationinthiskindthathasexcludedanysimilarlystrenuouscultivationinotherkinds——willthesephysicalattainmentshelphimtowinapurelymoralvictoryoverhisownselfishnessandhisowncruelty？Theywon’tevenhelphimtoseethatit_is_selfishness，andthatit_is_cruelty。Theessentialprincipleofhisrowingandracingaharmlessprincipleenough，ifyoucanbesureofapplyingittorowingandracingonlyhastaughthimtotakeeveryadvantageofanothermanthathissuperiorstrengthandsuperiorcunningcansuggest。
　　Therehasbeennothinginhistrainingtosoftenthebarbaroushardnessinhisheart，andtoenlightenthebarbarousdarknessinhismind。Temptationfindsthismandefenseless，whentemptationpasseshisway。Idon’tcarewhoheis，orhowhighhestandsaccidentallyinthesocialscale——heis，toallmoralintentsandpurposes，anAnimal，andnothingmore。Ifmyhappinessstandsinhisway——andifhecandoitwithimpunitytohimself——hewilltrampledownmyhappiness。Ifmylifehappenstobethenextobstacleheencounters——andifhecandoitwithimpunitytohimself——hewilltrampledownmylife。Not，Mr。Delamayn，inthecharacterofavictimtoirresistiblefatality，ortoblindchance；butinthecharacterofamanwhohassowntheseed，andreapstheharvest。That，Sir，isthecasewhichIputasanextremecaseonly，whenthisdiscussionbegan。Asanextremecaseonly——butasaperfectlypossiblecase，atthesametime——I
　　restateitnow。“
　　Beforetheadvocatesoftheothersideofthequestioncouldopentheirlipstoreply，Geoffreysuddenlyflungoffhisindifference，andstartedtohisfeet。
　　“Stop!“hecried，threateningtheothers，inhisfierceimpatiencetoanswerforhimself，withhisclenchedfist。
　　Therewasageneralsilence。
　　GeoffreyturnedandlookedatSirPatrick，asifSirPatrickhadpersonallyinsultedhim。
　　“Whoisthisanonymousman，whofindshiswaytohisownends，andpitiesnobodyandsticksatnothing？“heasked。“Givehimaname!“
　　“Iamquotinganexample，“saidSirPatrick。“Iamnotattackingaman。“
　　“Whatrighthaveyou，“criedGeoffrey——utterlyforgetful，inthestrangeexasperationthathadseizedonhim，oftheinterestthathehadincontrollinghimselfbeforeSirPatrick——“whatrighthaveyoutopickoutanexampleofarowingmanwhoisaninfernalscoundrel——whenit’squiteaslikelythatarowingmanmaybeagoodfellow：ay!andabetterfellow，ifyoucometothat，thaneverstoodinyourshoes!“
　　“IftheonecaseisquiteaslikelytooccurastheotherwhichIreadilyadmit，“answeredSirPatrick，“IhavesurelyarighttochoosewhichcaseIpleaseforillustration。Wait，Mr。
　　Delamayn!ThesearethelastwordsIhavetosayandImeantosaythem。Ihavetakentheexample——notofaspeciallydepravedman，asyouerroneouslysuppose——butofanaverageman，withhisaverageshareofthemean，cruel，anddangerousqualities，whicharepartandparcelofunreformedhumannature——asyourreligiontellsyou，andasyoumayseeforyourself，ifyouchoosetolookatyouruntaughtfellow-creaturesanywhere。Isupposethatmantobetriedbyatemptationtowickedness，outofthecommon；andIshow，tothebestofmyability，howcompletelythemoralandmentalneglectofhimself，whichthepresentmaterialtoneofpublicfeelinginEnglandhastacitlyencouraged，leaveshimatthemercyofalltheworstinstinctsinhisnature；andhowsurely，underthoseconditions，he_must_godowngentlemanasheisstepbystep——asthelowestvagabondinthestreetsgoesdownunder_his_specialtemptation——fromthebeginninginignorancetotheendincrime。Ifyoudenymyrighttotakesuchanexampleasthat，inillustrationoftheviewsIadvocate，youmusteitherdenythataspecialtemptationtowickednesscanassailamaninthepositionofagentleman，oryoumustassertthatgentlemenwhoarenaturallysuperiortoalltemptationaretheonlygentlemenwhodevotethemselvestoathleticpursuits。
　　Thereismydefense。Instatingmycase，Ihavespokenoutofmyownsincererespectfortheinterestsofvirtueandoflearning；
　　outofmyownsincereadmirationforthoseyoungmenamonguswhoareresistingthecontagionofbarbarismaboutthem。In_their_
　　futureisthefuturehopeofEngland。Ihavedone。“
　　Angrilyreadywithaviolentpersonalreply，Geoffreyfoundhimselfchecked，inhisturnbyanotherpersonwithsomethingtosay，andwitharesolutiontosayitatthatparticularmoment。
　　ForsomelittletimepastthesurgeonhaddiscontinuedhissteadyinvestigationofGeoffrey’sface，andhadgivenallhisattentiontothediscussion，withtheairofamanwhoseself-imposedtaskhadcometoanend。Asthelastsentencefellfromthelastspeaker’slips，heinterposedsoquicklyandsoskillfullybetweenGeoffreyandSirPatrick，thatGeoffreyhimselfwastakenbysurprise，“ThereissomethingstillwantingtomakeSirPatrick’sstatementofthecasecomplete，“hesaid。“IthinkIcansupplyit，fromtheresultofmyownprofessionalexperience。BeforeIsaywhatI
　　havetosay，Mr。Delamaynwillperhapsexcuseme，ifIventureongivinghimacautiontocontrolhimself。“
　　“Are_you_goingtomakeadeadsetatme，too？“inquiredGeoffrey。
　　“Iamrecommendingyoutokeepyourtemper——nothingmore。Thereareplentyofmenwhocanflyintoapassionwithoutdoingthemselvesanyparticularharm。Youarenotoneofthem。“
　　“Whatdoyoumean？“
　　“Idon’tthinkthestateofyourhealth，Mr。Delamayn，isquitesosatisfactoryasyoumaybedisposedtoconsiderityourself。“
　　Geoffreyturnedtohisadmirersandadherentswitharoarofderisivelaughter。Theadmirersandadherentsallechoedhimtogether。ArnoldandBlanchesmiledateachother。EvenSirPatricklookedasifhecouldhardlycredittheevidenceofhisownears。TherestoodthemodernHercules，self-vindicatedasaHercules，beforealleyesthatlookedathim。Andthere，opposite，stoodamanwhomhecouldhavekilledwithoneblowofhisfist，tellinghim，inseriousearnest，thathewasnotinperfecthealth!
　　“Youareararefellow!“saidGeoffrey，halfinjestandhalfinanger。“What’sthematterwithme？“
　　“Ihaveundertakentogiveyou，whatIbelievetobe，anecessarycaution，“answeredthesurgeon。“Ihave_not_undertakentotellyouwhatIthinkisthematterwithyou。Thatmaybeaquestionforconsiderationsomelittletimehence。Inthemeanwhile，I
　　shouldliketoputmyimpressionaboutyoutothetest。Haveyouanyobjectiontoansweraquestiononamatterofnoparticularimportancerelatingtoyourself？“
　　“Let’shearthequestionfirst。“
　　“IhavenoticedsomethinginyourbehaviorwhileSirPatrickwasspeaking。Youareasmuchinterestedinopposinghisviewsasanyofthosegentlemenaboutyou。Idon’tunderstandyoursittinginsilence，andleavingitentirelytotheotherstoputthecaseonyourside——untilSirPatricksaidsomethingwhichhappenedtoirritateyou。Hadyou，allthetimebeforethat，noanswerreadyinyourownmind？“
　　“Ihadasgoodanswersinmymindasanythathavebeenmadehereto-day。“
　　“Andyetyoudidn’tgivethem？“
　　“No；Ididn’tgivethem。“
　　“Perhapsyoufelt——thoughyouknewyourobjectionstobegoodones——thatitwashardlyworthwhiletotakethetroubleofputtingthemintowords？Inshort，youletyourfriendsanswerforyou，ratherthanmaketheeffortofansweringforyourself？“
　　Geoffreylookedathismedicaladviserwithasuddencuriosityandasuddendistrust。
　　“Isay，“heasked，“howdoyoucometoknowwhat’sgoingoninmymind——withoutmytellingyouofit？“
　　“Itismybusinesstofindoutwhatisgoingoninpeople’sbodies——andtodothatitissometimesnecessaryformetofindoutifIcanwhatisgoingonintheirminds。IfIhaverightlyinterpretedwhatwasgoingonin_your_mind，thereisnoneedformetopressmyquestion。Youhaveanswereditalready。“
　　HeturnedtoSirPatricknext“Thereisasidetothissubject，“hesaid，“whichyouhavenottouchedonyet。ThereisaPhysicalobjectiontothepresentrageformuscularexercisesofallsorts，whichisquiteasstrong，initsway，astheMoralobjection。Youhavestatedtheconsequencesasthey_may_affectthemind。Icanstatetheconsequencesasthey_do_affectthebody。“
　　“Fromyourownexperience？“
　　“Frommyownexperience。Icantellyou，asamedicalman，thataproportion，andnotbyanymeansasmallone，oftheyoungmenwhoarenowputtingthemselvestoviolentathletictestsoftheirstrengthandendurance，aretakingthatcoursetotheseriousandpermanentinjuryoftheirownhealth。Thepublicwhoattendrowing-matches，foot-races，andotherexhibitionsofthatsort，seenothingbutthesuccessfulresultsofmusculartraining。
　　Fathersandmothersathomeseethefailures。TherearehouseholdsinEngland——miserablehouseholds，tobecounted，SirPatrick，bymorethanonesandtwos——inwhichthereareyoungmenwhohavetothankthestrainlaidontheirconstitutionsbythepopularphysicaldisplaysofthepresenttime，forbeingbrokenmen，andinvalidedmen，fortherestoftheirlives。“