182 CALVIN: A STUDY OF CHARACTER. 



royal condescension. In this whole matter 

 of " getting a living," Calvin was a great 

 contrast to the rapacity 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 understood 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 returned 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 com- 

 monly 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 con- 

 descend 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 



