“Yesterday, when I came out from my examination,” Bernard said, without hearing him, “some demon or other urged me into a hall where there was a public meeting going on. The talk was all about national honour, devotion to one’s country, and a whole lot of things that made my heart beat. I came within an ace of signing a paper by which I pledged myself on my honour to devote my energies to the service of a cause, which certainly seemed to me a fine and noble one.” “I am glad you didn’t sign, but what prevented you?” “No doubt some secret instinct....” Bernard reflected a few moments, and then added, laughing: “I think it was chiefly the looks of the audience--starting with my brother, whom I recognized among them. It seemed to me all the young men I saw there, were animated by the best of sentiments, and that they were doing quite right to abdicate their initiative (for it wouldn’t have led them far) and their judgment (for it was inadequate) and their independence of mind (for it was still-born). I said to myself too, that it was a good thing for the country to count among its citizens a large number of these well-intentioned individuals with subservient wills, but that my will would never be of that kind. It was then that I began to ask myself how to establish a rule, since I did not accept life without a rule and yet would not accept a rule from anyone else.” “The answer seems to me simple: to find the rule in oneself; to have for goal the development of oneself.” “Yes ... that, as a matter of fact, is what I said to myself. But I wasn’t much further on. If I were certain of preferring what is best in myself, I might develop that rather than the rest. But I can’t even find out what _is_ best in myself.... I wrestled over it all night, I tell you. Towards morning I was so tired that I thought of enlisting--before I was called up.” “Running away from the question doesn’t solve it.” “That’s what I said to myself, and that even if I put the question off now, it would come up again more seriously than ever after my service. So I came to ask you your advice.” “I have none to give you. You can only find counsel in yourself; you can only learn how you ought to live by living.” “And if I live badly, whilst I’m waiting to decide how to live?” “That in itself will teach you. It’s a good thing to follow one’s inclination, provided it leads up hill.” “Are you joking?... No; I think I understand you, and I accept your formula. But while I am developing myself, as you say, I shall have to earn my living. What do you say to an alluring advertisement in the papers: “Young man of great promise requires a job. Could be employed in any capacity?” Edouard laughed. “No job is so difficult to find as any job. Better be a little more explicit.” “Perhaps one of the innumerable little wheels in the organization of a big newspaper would do? Oh! I’d accept any post however subordinate--proof-reader--printer’s devil--anything. I need so little.”