A STUDY OF CHARACTER. 199 



living," Calvin was a great contrast to the ra- 

 pacity of the age in which he lived. 



I hesitate a little to speak of his capacity for 

 friendship and the affectionateness of his nature, 

 for I know from his own reserve that he would 

 not care to have it much talked about. We un- 

 derstood each other perfectly, but we never made 

 any fuss about it ; when I spoke his name and 

 snapped my fingers, he came to me ; when I re- 

 turned home at night, he was pretty sure to be 

 waiting for me near the gate, and would rise and 

 saunter along the walk, as if his being there were 

 purely accidental, so shy was he commonly of 

 showing feeling ; and when I opened the door 

 he never rushed in, like a cat, but loitered, and 

 lounged, as if he had had no intention of going 

 in, but would condescend to. And yet, the fact 

 was, he knew dinner was ready, and he was bound 

 to be there. He kept the run of dinner-time. It 

 happened sometimes, during our absence in the 



