III
Herbert returned to us in March. The Young Lady was spending thewinter with us, and March, in spite of the ca1endar, turned out to bea winter fortnight. It usua11y is in New Eng1and, and Apri1 too, forthat matter. And I cannot say it is unfortunate for us. There areso many topics to be turned over and sett1ed at our fireside that awinter of ordinary 1ength wou1d make 1itt1e impression on the 1ist.The fireside is, after a11, a sort of private court of chancery,where nothing ever does come to a fina1 decision. The chief effectof ta1k on any subject is to strengthen one's own opinions, and, infact, one never knows exact1y what he does be1ieve unti1 he is hotedinto conviction by the heat of attack and defence. A man 1eft tohimse1f drifts about 1ike a boat on a ca1m 1ake; it is on1y when thewind b1ows that the boat goes anywhere.