ulay likes him, and I dare say he
likes Macaulay. They will get on together very well."

"Yes--perhaps so--though I do not see what the two can have in common,"
I answered. "Macaulay can hardly have much sympathy for Patoff's
peculiarities, however much he may like the man himself."

"Macaulay is very young, although he has seen something of the world. He
has not outgrown the age which mistakes eccentricity for genius and bad
temper for boldness. We shall see,--we shall see very soon. They will
both hate Cutter, with his professorial wisdom and his immense
experience of things they have never seen. How do you like him
yourself?"

"Without being congenial to me, he represents what I would like to be
myself."

"Would you change with him, if you could?" asked John.

"No, indeed. I, in my person, would like to be what he is in his,--that
is all. People often talk of changing. No man alive would really
exchange his personality for that of another man, if he had the chance.
He only wishes to adorn what he most admires in himself with those
things which, in his neighbor, excite the admiration of others. He
meditates no change which does not give his vanity a better appearance
to himself, and his reputation a dash of more brilliant color in the
popular eye."

"Perhaps you are right," said John. "At all events, the professor has
qualities that any man might envy."

We reached the station just as the train ran in, and Macaulay Carvel and
Patoff waved their hats from the carriage window. In a moment we were
all shaking hands upon the platform.

"Papa, this is cousin Paul," said Macaulay, and he turned to greet me
next. He is a good-looking fellow, with rather delicate features and a
quiet, conscientious sort of expression, exquisite in his dress and
scrupulous in his manners, with more of his mother's gentleness than of
his father's bold frankness in his brown eyes. His small hand grasped
mine readily enough, but seemed nerveless and lacking in vitality, a
contrast to Paul Patoff's grip. The Russian was as angular as ever, and
his wiry fingers seemed to discharge an electric shock as they touched
mine. I realized that he was a very tall man, and that he was far from
ugly. His prominent nose and high cheek-bones gave a singular eagle-like
look to his face, and his cold, bright eyes added to the impression. He
lacked grace of form, but he had plenty of force, and though his
movements were sometimes sudden and ungainly he w