the
thing absolute; Hadria makes it a matter of relation."

"Exactly," assented the lecturer, catching the remark. "Difficulties
need not be really obstructive to the best development of a character or
a power, nor a smooth path always favourable. Obstacles may be of a kind
to stimulate one person and to annihilate another. It is _not_ a
question of relative strength between character and circumstance, as
people are so fond of asserting. That is mere gibberish. It means nothing.
The two things cannot be compared, for they are not of the same nature.
They can't be reduced to a common denominator."

Austin appreciated this illustration, being head of his class for
arithmetic.

"We shall never be able to take a reasonable view of this question till
we get rid of that ridiculous phrase, '_If the soul is strong enough, it
can overcome circumstance._' In a room filled with carbonic acid instead
of ordinary air, a giant would succumb as quickly as a dwarf, and his
strength would avail him nothing. Indeed, if there is a difference, it
is in favour of the dwarf."

Ernest frowned. This was all high treason against his favourite author.
He had given his sister a copy of Emerson's works last Christmas, in the
hope that her views might be enlightened, and _this_ was the disgraceful
use she made of it!

"Finally," said Hadria, smiling defiantly at her brother, "let us put
the question shortly thus: Given (say) great artistic power, given also
a conscience and a strong will, is there any combination of circumstances
which might prevent the artistic power (assuming it to be of the highest
order and strength) from developing and displaying itself, so as to meet
with general recognition?"

"No," asserted Ernest, and there was a hesitating chorus on his side.

"There seem to me to be a thousand chances against it," Hadria
continued. "Artistic power, to begin with, is a sort of weakness in
relation to the everyday world, and so, in some respects, is a nice
conscience. I think Emerson is shockingly unjust. His beaming optimism
is a worship of success disguised under lofty terms. There is nothing
to prove that thousands have not been swamped by maladjustment of
character to circumstance, and I would even go so far as to suggest that
perhaps the very greatest of all are those whom the world has never
known, because the present conditions are inharmonious with the very
noblest and the very highest qualities."

No sooner was the last