“Hold your tongue, Fraser,” said Spears. “This young fellow,”--he laid his hand upon Paul as he spoke, with a kind, paternal air, which perhaps the young man might have liked at another time, but which made him wince now--“is in earnest--no sort of doubt that he’s in earnest. He is giving up a great deal more than any of us are doing. We--that’s the worst of it--are making no sacrifice--we’re going because it suits us; but, to show his principles, he is giving up--a great deal more than was ever within our reach.” “A man cannot give up more than he has got,” said the clerk. “What we are sacrificing is every bit as much to us.” Spears kept his hand on Paul’s arm. He meant it very kindly, but it was warm and heavy, and Paul had all the desire in the world to pitch it off. He did not care for the paternal character of his instructor’s kindness. “I don’t know what you are giving up,” said Spears. “I have got nothing to sacrifice, except perhaps a little bit of a perverse liking for the old country, bad as she is. It takes away a good deal of my pride in myself, if the truth were known, to feel that after all the talk I’ve gone through in my life, it isn’t for principle that I’m going, but to better myself. I told this young fellow he oughtn’t to go--that is the truth. He has no reason to be discontented. As long as the present state of things holds out, it’s to his interest, and doubly to his interest, to stay where he is. But this isn’t the kind of fellow to stand on what’s pleasant to himself. He’s coming for the grand sake of the cause--eh, Paul?--or if there’s another little bit of motive alongside, why that’s nothing to anybody. We are not going to make a talk of that.” To imagine anything more distasteful to Paul than this speech would be impossible. Only by the most strenuous exercise of self-control could he keep from thrusting off Spears’s hand, his intolerable approval, and still more intolerable pleasantry. He got up at last, unable to bear it any longer. “We didn’t come here to comment on each other’s motives,” he said. “Suppose you go on with the business we met for, Spears.”