"You have shaken Professor
Valeyon's confidence in his wisdom and judgment, and the value of his
experience; you have made him realize that the more God has to do with
education the better; you have broken down Cornelia's self-complacency,
and shown her that a beautiful body cannot be safe or happy without a
soul to take care of it. Abbie has learned from you that love, and
generosity, and self-sacrifice, may all be worthless if they be founded
only upon individual grounds, to the exclusion of humanity; and Sophie
has been taught, by the love she has felt for you, to be humble and
charitable, and to see how easily self-interest and pride may be made to
look like zeal for others, and benevolence."
And then Bressant seemed to be conscious that Sophie was bidding him
farewell, but he could not see her nor touch her; he was shaken with
grief, and yet was filled with a strange kind of happiness, and a
feeling of resolute power. Gradually the influence of her presence faded
away, and he seemed alone.
Some one shook him by the shoulder. He looked up and saw the conductor;
in the background a lady and gentleman waiting to sit down. The car was
full of people.
"Come, sir," said the conductor, "you're a pretty big man, but you
didn't pay for more than one seat, I reckon.
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