Волны

           TowhomshallIgiveallthatnowflowsthroughme,frommywarm,myporousbody?Iwillgathermyflowersandpresentthem--Oh!towhom?

           ’Sailorsloiterontheparade,andamorouscouples;theomnibusesrattlealongtheseafronttothetown.Iwillgive;Iwillenrich;Iwillreturntotheworldthisbeauty.Iwillbindmyflowersinonegarlandandadvancingwithmyhandoutstretchedwillpresentthem--Oh!towhom?’

           ’Nowwehavereceived,’saidLouis,’forthisisthelastdayofthelastterm--Neville’sandBernard’sandmylastday--whateverourmastershavehadtogiveus.Theintroductionhasbeenmade;theworldpresented.Theystay,wedepart.ThegreatDoctor,whomofallmenImostrevere,swayingalittlefromsidetosideamongthetables,theboundvolumes,hasdealtoutHorace,Tennyson,thecompleteworksofKeatsandMatthewArnold,suitablyinscribed.Irespectthehandwhichgavethem.Hespeakswithcompleteconviction.Tohimhiswordsaretrue,thoughnottous.Speakinginthegruffvoiceofdeepemotion,fiercely,tenderly,hehastoldusthatweareabouttogo.Hehasbidus"quitourselveslikemen".(OnhislipsquotationsfromtheBible,fromTheTimes,seemequallymagnificent.)Somewilldothis;othersthat.Somewillnotmeetagain.Neville,BernardandIshallnotmeethereagain.Lifewilldivideus.Butwehaveformedcertainties.Ourboyish,ourirresponsibleyearsareover.Butwehaveforgedcertainlinks.Aboveall,wehaveinheritedtraditions.Thesestoneflagshavebeenwornforsixhundredyears.