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           Totheroommatesitdidnotseemsuchavitalsubjectasithadinthetwoyearsbefore,butthelogicofBurne’sobjectionstothesocialsystemdovetailedsocompletelywitheverythingtheyhadthought,thattheyquestionedratherthanargued,andenviedthesanitythatenabledthismantostandoutsoagainstalltraditions.

           ThenAmorybranchedoffandfoundthatBurnewasdeepinotherthingsaswell.Economicshadinterestedhimandhewasturningsocialist.Pacifismplayedinthebackofhismind,andhereadTheMassesandLyoffTolstoifaithfully.

           "Howaboutreligion?"Amoryaskedhim.

           "Don’tknow.I’minamuddleaboutalotofthings—I’vejustdiscoveredthatI’veamind,andI’mstartingtoread."

           "Readwhat?"

           "Everything.Ihavetopickandchoose,ofcourse,butmostlythingstomakemethink.I’mreadingthefourgospelsnow,andthe’VarietiesofReligiousExperience.’"

           "Whatchieflystartedyou?"

           "Wells,Iguess,andTolstoi,andamannamedEdwardCarpenter.I’vebeenreadingforoverayearnow—onafewlines,onwhatIconsidertheessentiallines."

           "Poetry?"

           "Well,frankly,notwhatyoucallpoetry,orforyourreasons—youtwowrite,ofcourse,andlookatthingsdifferently.Whitmanisthemanthatattractsme."

           "Whitman?"

           "Yes;he’sadefiniteethicalforce."

           "Well,I’mashamedtosaythatI’mablankonthesubjectofWhitman.Howaboutyou,Tom?"

           Tomnoddedsheepishly.