“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，whoreadit(friendsassuredlyyoumustbe，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。
