"You seem to be in the habit of speaking your own mind freely, sir,"
observed the latter; "and I shall do the same, on this occasion at least
I'm going to accept you as a pupil, and shall do my best for you; but
you must understand it's by no means on your own account I do it. As far
as I have seen them, I don't like your principles, your beliefs, or your
nature. You're the last man I should pick out for a minister, or for any
other responsible position. In every respect, except intelligence and an
unlimited confidence in yourself, you seem to me unfit to be trusted. In
training you for the ministry, I shall do it with the hope--not the
expectation--of instilling into you some true and useful ideas and
elevated thoughts. If I succeed, I shall have done the work of a whole
churchful of missionaries. If I fail, I shan't recommend you to be
ordained. And never forget that you will be indebted for all this to
some one you've never known, and who, I am at present happy to say,
don't know you. Whether or not you'll ever become acquainted is known to
God alone, and I'm very glad that the matter lies entirely in His hands.
Now, sir, what have you to say?"
Bressant, who had been looking steadily and curiously at the professor
during the whole of this long speech, now passed his hand from his
forehead down over his face and beard--a common trick of his--smiled
meditatively, and said:
"I'm glad you agree to take me.
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