ThetensionbetweenJamesandhisparentsbecamenotless,butgreater.Thatbarrierwhich,almostfromthebeginning,theyhadwatchedwithpainriseupbetweenthemnowseemedindestructible,andalltheireffortsonlymadeitmoreobviousandmorestable.Itwaslikesometropicalplantwhich,forbeingcutdown,greweverwithgreaterluxuriance.Andtherewasamischievousdevilpresentatalltheirconversationsthatmadethemmisunderstandoneanotherascompletelyasthoughtheyspokeindifferenttongues.Notwithstandingtheirlove,theywerelikestrangerstogethertheycouldlookatnothingfromthesamepointofview.
TheParsonshadlivedtheirwholelivesinanartificialstate.Ill-educatedasmostoftheircontemporariesinthatparticularclass,theyhadjustenoughknowledgetorenderthemdogmaticandintolerant.Itrequiresagooddealofinformationtodiscoverone'sownignorance,buttotheconsciousnessofthisthegoodpeoplehadneverarrived.Theyfelttheyknewasmuchasnecessary,andnaturallyonthemostdebatablequestionsweremostassured.Theirstandpointwasinconceivablynarrow.Theyhadthebestintentionsintheworldofdoingtheirduty,butwhattheirdutywastheyacceptedontrust,frivolously.Theywalkedroundandroundinanarrowcircle,hemmedinbyfalseidealsandbyuglyprejudices,puttingfortheloveofGodunnecessaryobstaclesintheirpathandconvincedthattheirswastheonlypossibleway,whileallothersledtodamnation.Theyhadneverworkedoutanideaforthemselves,neverdoneasingledeedontheirownaccount,butinvariablyactedandthoughtaccordingtotheruleoftheircaste.Theywerenotlivingcreatures,butdogmaticmachines.
James,goingintotheworld,quicklyrealisedthathehadbeenbroughtuptoastateofthingswhichdidnotexist.Hewaslikeasailorwhohasputouttoseainanornamentalboat,andfindsthathissailisuseless,theropesnotmadetowork,andtherudderimmovable.Thelong,buoyantwindoftheworldblewawaylikethistle-downtheconventionswhichhadseemedsosecureafoundation.Buthediscoveredinhimselfawonderfulcuriosity,aneagernessforadventurewhichledhimboldlytoaffronteveryperilandtheunknownlandsoftheintellectareeverybitasdangerouslyfascinatingasarethose