n spite of everything, of those
which are arranged in the medical schools.

"But that a being in whom the will-power is dead obeys every external
impulse is a truth which reason admits and which experience proves. The
example which you cited reminds me of another one somewhat similar.
It is that of my unfortunate comrade, Alexandre Le Mansel. A verse of
Sophocles killed your heroine. A phrase of Lampridius destroyed the
friend of whom I will tell you.

"Le Mansel, with whom I studied at the high school of Avranches, was
unlike all his comrades. He seemed at once younger and older than he
really was. Small and fragile, he was at fifteen years of age afraid
of everything that alarms little children. Darkness caused him an
overpowering terror, and he could never meet one of the servants of the
school, who happened to have a big lump on the top of his head, without
bursting into tears. And yet at times, when we saw him close at hand, he
looked quite old. His parched skin, glued to his temples, nourished his
thin hair very inadequately. His forehead was polished like that of a
middle-aged man. As for his eyes, they had no expression, and strangers
often thought he was blind. His mouth alone gave character to his
face. His sensitive lips expressed in turn a child-like joy and strange
sufferings. The sound of his voice was clear and charming. When he
recited his lessons he gave the verses their full harmony and rhythm,
which made us laugh very much. During recreation he willingly joined
our games, and he was not awkward, but he played with such feverish
enthusiasm, and yet he was so absent-minded, that some of us felt an
insurmountable aversion towards him.

"He was not popular, and we would have made him our butt had he not
rather overawed us by something of savage pride and by his reputation as
a clever scholar, for though he was unequal in his work he was often at
the head of his class. It was said that he would often talk in his sleep
and that he would leave his bed in the dormitory while sound asleep.
This, however, we had not observed for ourselves as we were at the age
of sound sleep.

"For a long time he inspired me with more surprise than sympathy. Then
of a sudden we became friends during a walk which the whole class took
to the Abbey of Mont St. Michel. We tramped barefooted along the beach,
carrying our shoes and our bread at the end of a stick and singing at
the top of our voices. We passed the postern, and ha