As he delivered these last words with profound emotion, Gabriel's eyes became moist, and his countenance shone with angelic beauty.
"Such is, indeed, my dear son, the spirit of Christianity; but one must also study and explain the letter," answered Father d'Aigrigny, coldly.
"It is to this study that the seminaries of our Company are specially destined.Now the interpretation of the letter is a work of analysis, discipline, and submission--and not one of heart and sentiment."
"I perceive that only too well, father.On entering this new house, I found, alas! all my hopes defeated.Dilating for a moment, my heart soon sunk within me.Instead of this centre of life, affection, youth, of which I had dreamed.I found, in the silent and ice-cold seminary, the same suppression of every generous emotion, the same inexorable discipline, the same system of mutual prying, the same suspicion, the same invincible obstacles to all ties of friendship.The ardor which had warmed my soul for an instant soon died out; little by little, I fell back into the habits of a stagnant, passive, mechanical life, governed by a pitiless power with mechanical precision, just like the inanimate works of a watch."