“Well，afterall，he’sthemostwonderfullittlefellowIevercameacross。Thereain’tsuchameek，humbleboyintheschool。
HangedifIdon’tthinknow，really，Tom，thathebelieveshimselfamuchworsefellowthanyouorI，andthathedon’tthinkhehasmoreinfluenceinthehousethanDotBowles，whocamelastquarter，andisn’ttenyet。Butheturnsyouandmeroundhislittlefinger，oldboy——there’snomistakeaboutthat。“AndEastnoddedatTomsagaciously。
“Nowornever！“thoughtTom；so，shuttinghiseyesandhardeninghisheart，hewentstraightatit，repeatingallthatArthurhadsaid，asnearashecouldrememberit，intheverywords，andallhehadhimselfthought。Thelifeseemedtooozeoutofitashewenton，andseveraltimeshefeltinclinedtostop，giveitallup，andchangethesubject。Butsomehowhewasborneon；
hehadanecessityuponhimtospeakitallout，anddidso。AttheendhelookedatEastwithsomeanxiety，andwasdelightedtoseethatthatyounggentlemanwasthoughtfulandattentive。
Thefactis，thatinthestageofhisinnerlifeatwhichTomhadlatelyarrived，hisintimacywithandfriendshipforEastcouldnothavelastedifhehadnotmadehimawareof，andasharerin，thethoughtsthatwerebeginningtoexercisehim。
NorindeedcouldthefriendshiphavelastedifEasthadshownnosympathywiththesethoughts；sothatitwasagreatrelieftohaveunbosomedhimself，andtohavefoundthathisfriendcouldlisten。
TomhadalwayshadasortofinstinctthatEast’slevitywasonlyskin-deep，andthisinstinctwasatrueone。Easthadnowantofreverenceforanythinghefelttobereal；buthiswasoneofthosenaturesthatburstintowhatisgenerallycalledrecklessnessandimpietythemomenttheyfeelthatanythingisbeingpoureduponthemfortheirgoodwhichdoesnotcomehometotheirinbornsenseofright，orwhichappealstoanythinglikeself-interestinthem。Daringandhonestbynature，andoutspokentoanextentwhichalarmedallrespectabilities，withaconstantfundofanimalhealthandspiritswhichhedidnotfeelboundtocurbinanyway，hehadgainedforhimselfwiththesteadypartoftheschool(includingaswellthosewhowishedtoappearsteadyasthosewhoreallywereso)thecharacterofaboywithwhomitwouldbedangeroustobeintimate；whilehisownhatredofeverythingcruel，orunderhand，orfalse，andhisheartyrespectforwhathewouldseetobegoodandtrue，keptofftherest。
Tom，besidesbeingverylikeEastinmanypointsofcharacter，hadlargelydevelopedinhiscompositionthecapacityfortakingtheweakestside。Thisisnotputtingitstronglyenough:itwasanecessitywithhim；hecouldn’thelpitanymorethanhecouldeatingordrinking。Hecouldneverplayonthestrongestsidewithanyheartatfootballorcricket，andwassuretomakefriendswithanyboywhowasunpopular，ordownonhisluck。
Now，thoughEastwasnotwhatisgenerallycalledunpopular，Tomfeltmoreandmoreeveryday，astheircharactersdeveloped，thathestoodalone，anddidnotmakefriendsamongtheircontemporaries，andthereforesoughthimout。Tomwashimselfmuchmorepopular，forhispowerofdetectinghumbugwasmuchlessacute，andhisinstinctsweremuchmoresociable。Hewasatthisperiodofhislife，too，largelygiventotakingpeopleforwhattheygavethemselvesouttobe；buthissinglenessofheart，fearlessness，andhonestywerejustwhatEastappreciated，andthusthetwohadbeendrawnintogreatintimacy。
ThisintimacyhadnotbeeninterruptedbyTom’sguardianshipofArthur。
Easthadoften，ashasbeensaid，joinedtheminreadingtheBible；buttheirdiscussionshadalmostalwaysturneduponthecharactersofthemenandwomenofwhomtheyread，andnotbecomepersonaltothemselves。Infact，thetwohadshrunkfrompersonalreligiousdiscussion，notknowinghowitmightend，andfearfulofriskingafriendshipverydeartoboth，andwhichtheyfeltsomehow，withoutquiteknowingwhy，wouldneverbethesame，buteithertenfoldstrongerorsappedatitsfoundation，aftersuchacommuningtogether。
Whatabotherallthisexplainingis！Iwishwecouldgetonwithoutit。Butwecan’t。However，you’llallfind，ifyouhaven’tfounditoutalready，thatatimecomesineveryhumanfriendshipwhenyoumustgodownintothedepthsofyourself，andlaybarewhatistheretoyourfriend，andwaitinfearforhisanswer。Afewmomentsmaydoit；anditmaybe(mostlikelywillbe，asyouareEnglishboys)thatyouwillneverdoitbutonce。Butdoneitmustbe，ifthefriendshipistobeworththename。Youmustfindwhatisthere，attheveryrootandbottomofoneanother’shearts；andifyouareatonethere，nothingonearthcanoratleastoughttosunderyou。
EasthadremainedlyingdownuntilTomfinishedspeaking，asiffearingtointerrupthim；henowsatupatthetable，andleanthisheadononehand，takingupapencilwiththeother，andworkinglittleholeswithitinthetable-cover。Afterabithelookedup，stoppedthepencil，andsaid，“Thankyouverymuch，oldfellow。There’snootherboyinthehousewouldhavedoneitformebutyouorArthur。Icanseewellenough，“hewenton，afterapause，“allthebestbigfellowslookonmewithsuspicion；theythinkI’madevil-may-care，recklessyoungscamp。SoIam——elevenhoursoutoftwelve，butnotthetwelfth。Thenallofourcontemporariesworthknowingfollowsuit，ofcourse:we’reverygoodfriendsatgamesandallthat，butnotasoulofthembutyouandArthurevertriedtobreakthroughthecrust，andseewhethertherewasanythingatthebottomofme；andthenthebadonesIwon’tstandandtheyknowthat。“
“Don’tyouthinkthat’shalffancy，Harry？“
“Notabitofit，“saidEastbitterly，peggingawaywithhispencil。“Iseeitallplainenough。Blessyou，youthinkeverybody’sasstraightforwardandkindheartedasyouare。“
“Well，butwhat’sthereasonofit？Theremustbeareason。
Youcanplayallthegamesaswellasanyoneandsingthebestsong，andarethebestcompanyinthehouse。Youfancyyou’renotliked，Harry。It’sallfancy。“
“Ionlywishitwas，Tom。IknowIcouldbepopularenoughwithallthebadones，butthatIwon’thave，andthegoodoneswon’thaveme。“
“Whynot？“persistedTom；“youdon’tdrinkorswear，orgetoutatnight；youneverbully，orcheatatlessons。Ifyouonlyshowedyoulikedit，you’dhaveallthebestfellowsinthehouserunningafteryou。“
“NotI，“saidEast。Thenwithanefforthewenton，“I’lltellyouwhatitis。IneverstoptheSacrament。Icansee，fromtheDoctordownwards，howthattellsagainstme。“
“Yes，I’veseenthat，“saidTom，“andI’vebeenverysorryforit，andArthurandIhavetalkedaboutit。I’veoftenthoughtofspeakingtoyou，butit’ssohardtobeginonsuchsubjects。
I’mverygladyou’veopenedit。Now，whydon’tyou？“
“I’veneverbeenconfirmed，“saidEast。
“Notbeenconfirmed！“saidTom，inastonishment。“Ineverthoughtofthat。Whyweren’tyouconfirmedwiththerestofusnearlythreeyearsago？Ialwaysthoughtyou’dbeenconfirmedathome。“
“No，“answeredEastsorrowfully；“youseethiswashowithappened。LastConfirmationwassoonafterArthurcame，andyouweresotakenupwithhimIhardlysaweitherofyou。Well，whentheDoctorsentroundforusaboutit，IwaslivingmostlywithGreen’sset。Youknowthesort。Theyallwentin。Idaresayitwasallright，andtheygotgoodbyit；Idon’twanttojudgethem。OnlyallIcouldseeoftheirreasonsdrovemejusttheotherway。’Twas’becausetheDoctorlikedit；’’noboygotonwhodidn’tstaytheSacrament；’itwasthe’correctthing，’
infact，likehavingagoodhattowearonSundays。Icouldn’tstandit。Ididn’tfeelthatIwantedtoleadadifferentlife。
IwasverywellcontentasIwas，andIwasn’tgoingtoshamreligioustocurryfavourwiththeDoctor，oranyoneelse。“
Eaststoppedspeaking，andpeggedawaymorediligentlythaneverwithhispencil。Tomwasreadytocry。Hefelthalfsorryatfirstthathehadbeenconfirmedhimself。Heseemedtohavedesertedhisearliestfriend——tohavelefthimbyhimselfathisworstneedforthoselongyears。HegotupandwentandsatbyEast，andputhisarmoverhisshoulder。
“Dearoldboy，“hesaid，“howcarelessandselfishI’vebeen。
Butwhydidn’tyoucomeandtalktoArthurandme？“
“IwishtoHeavenIhad，“saidEast，“butIwasafool。It’stoolatetalkingofitnow。“
“Whytoolate？Youwanttobeconfirmednow，don’tyou？“
“Ithinkso，“saidEast。“I’vethoughtaboutitagooddeal；
only，oftenIfancyImustbechanging，becauseIseeit’stodomegoodhere——justwhatstoppedmelasttime。AndthenIgobackagain。“
“I’lltellyounowhow’twaswithme，“saidTomwarmly。“Ifithadn’tbeenforArthur，Ishouldhavedonejustasyoudid。I
hopeIshould。Ihonouryouforit。Butthenhemadeitoutjustasifitwastakingtheweaksidebeforealltheworld——
goinginonceforallagainsteverythingthat’sstrongandrich，andproudandrespectable，alittlebandofbrothersagainstthewholeworld。AndtheDoctorseemedtosaysotoo，onlyhesaidagreatdealmore。“
“Ah！“groanedEast，“butthereagain，that’sjustanotherofmydifficultieswheneverIthinkaboutthematter。Idon’twanttobeoneofyoursaints，oneofyourelect，whatevertherightphraseis。Mysympathiesarealltheotherway——withthemany，thepoordevilswhorunaboutthestreetsanddon’tgotochurch。Don’tstare，Tom；mind，I’mtellingyouallthat’sinmyheart——asfarasIknowit——butit’sallamuddle。Youmustbegentlewithmeifyouwanttolandme。NowI’veseenadealofthissortofreligion；Iwasbredupinit，andIcan’tstandit。Ifnineteen-twentiethsoftheworldaretobelefttouncovenantedmercies，andthatsortofthing，whichmeansinplainEnglishtogotohell，andtheothertwentietharetorejoiceatitall，why——“
“Oh！but，Harry，theyain’t，theydon’t，“brokeinTom，reallyshocked。“Oh，howIwishArthurhadn’tgone！I’msuchafoolaboutthesethings。Butit’sallyouwanttoo，East；itisindeed。Itcutsbothwayssomehow，beingconfirmedandtakingtheSacrament。Itmakesyoufeelonthesideofallthegoodandallthebadtoo，ofeverybodyintheworld。Onlythere’ssomegreatdarkstrongpower，whichiscrushingyouandeverybodyelse。That’swhatChristconquered，andwe’vegottofight。WhatafoolIam！Ican’texplain。IfArthurwereonlyhere！“
