第30部分(第2/8 頁)

ident；　but　gradually　quitting　it；　as　I　found　it　for　the　present　inexplicable；　I　turned　to　the　consideration　of　my　master’s　manner　to　myself。　The　confidence　he　had　thought　fit　to　repose　in　me　seemed　a　tribute　to　my　discretion：　I　regarded　and　accepted　it　as　such。　His　deportment　had　now　for　some　weeks　been　more　uniform　towards　me　than　at　the　first。　I　never　seemed　in　his　way；　he　did　not　take　fits　of　chilling　hauteur：　when　he　met　me　unexpectedly；　the　encounter　seemed　wele；　he　had　always　a　word　and　sometimes　a　smile　for　me：　when　summoned　by　formal　invitation　to　his　presence；　I　was　honoured　by　a　cordiality　of　reception　that　made　me　feel　I　really　possessed　the　power　to　amuse　him；　and　that　these　evening　conferences　were　sought　as　much　for　his　pleasure　as　for　my　benefit。

I；　indeed；　talked　paratively　little；　but　I　heard　him　talk　with　relish。　It　was　his　nature　to　be　municative；　he　liked　to　open　to　a　mind　unacquainted　with　the　world　glimpses　of　its　scenes　and　ways　（I　do　not　mean　its　corrupt　scenes　and　wicked　ways；　but　such　as　derived　their　interest　from　the　great　scale　on　which　they　were　acted；　the　strange　novelty　by　which　they　were　characterised）；　and　I　had　a　keen　delight　in　receiving　the　new　ideas　he　offered；　in　imagining　the　new　pictures　he　portrayed；　and　following　him　in　thought　through　the　new　regions　he　disclosed；　never　startled　or　troubled　by　one　noxious　allusion。

The　ease　of　his　manner　freed　me　from　painful　restraint：　the　friendly　frankness；　as　correct　as　cordial；　wi