He was so ignorant about these matters that he did not even know if the changes that had taken place in him were normal, or whether they were doing him harm. He made up his mind that he must have advice; as it was unthinkable that he should speak about such shameful things with any grown person, he bethought himself of a classmate in college who was an earnest and sober man. This friend, much older than Thyrsis, was the son of an evangelical clergyman, and was headed for the ministry himself. His name was Warner, and Thyrsis had helped him in arranging for some religious meetings at the college. Warner had been shocked by his theological irregularities; but they were still friends, and now Thyrsis sought a chance to exchange confidences with him. The opportunity came while they were strolling down an avenue near the college, and a woman passed them, a woman with bold and hard features, and obviously-painted cheeks. She smiled at a group of students just ahead, and one of them turned and walked off arm in arm with her. “Good heavens!” exclaimed Warner. “Did you see that?” “Yes,” said Thyrsis. “Who is she?” “She comes from a house just around the corner.” “But who is she?” “Why--she’s a street-walker.” “A street-walker!” This brought to Thyrsis’ mind a problem that had been haunting him for a year or two. Always when he walked about the streets at night there were women who smiled at him and whispered. And he knew that these were bad women, and shrunk from them. But just what did they mean? “What does she do?” he asked again. “Why, don’t you know what a street-walker is?” “Not very well,” said Thyrsis. It took some time for him to get the desired information, because the other could not realize the depths of his ignorance. “They sell themselves to men,” he said. “But what for?” asked Thyrsis. “You don’t mean that they--they let them---” “They have intercourse together. Of course.” Thyrsis was almost dumb with dismay. “But I should think they would have children!” he exclaimed. “Good Lord, man!” laughed the other. “Where do you keep yourself, anyway?” But Thyrsis was too much shaken to think of being ashamed. This was a most appalling revelation to him--it opened quite a new vista of life’s possibilities. “But why should they do such things?” he cried. “They earn their living that way,” said the other. “But why _that_ way?” “I don’t know. They are that kind of women, I suppose.” And so Warner went on to expound to him the facts of prostitution, and all the abysses of human depravity that lie thereabouts. And incidentally the boy got a chance to ask his questions, and to get a common-sense view of his perplexities. Also he got some understanding of human nature, and of the world in which he lived.