SirPatricktookupthenewspaperwhichhehadbroughtinfromthegarden，andlookedoncemoretoseeifthesurgeonwasattendingtohim。
　　No!Thesurgeon’sattentionwasabsorbedinhisownsubject。
　　Therehewasinthesameposition，withhismindstillhardatworkonsomethinginGeoffreywhichatonceinterestedandpuzzledit!“Thatman，“hewasthinkingtohimself，“hascomeherethismorningaftertravelingfromLondonallnight。DoesanyordinaryfatigueexplainwhatIseeinhisface？No!“
　　“Ourlittlediscussioninthegarden，“resumedSirPatrick，answeringBlanche’sinquiringlookasshebentoverhim，“began，mydear，inaparagraphhereannouncingMr。Delamayn’sforthcomingappearanceinafoot-raceintheneighborhoodofLondon。IholdveryunpopularopinionsastotheathleticdisplayswhicharesomuchinvogueinEnglandjustnow。AnditispossiblethatImayhaveexpressedthoseopinionsalittletoostrongly，intheheatofdiscussion，withgentlemenwhoareopposedtome——Idon’tdoubt，conscientiouslyopposed——onthisquestion。“
　　AlowgroanofprotestrosefromOne，Two，andThree，inreturnforthelittlecomplimentwhichSirPatrickhadpaidtothem。
　　“HowaboutrowingandrunningendingintheOldBaileyandthegallows？Yousaidthat，Sir——youknowyoudid!“
　　Thetwochoralgentlemenlookedateachother，andagreedwiththeprevalentsentiment。“Itcametothat，Ithink，Smith。““Yes，Jones，itcertainlycametothat。“
　　TheonlytwomenwhostillcarednothingaboutitwereGeoffreyandthesurgeon。Theresatthefirst，stolidlyneutral——indifferentaliketotheattackandthedefense。Therestoodthesecond，pursuinghisinvestigation——withthegrowinginterestinitofamanwhowasbeginningtoseehiswaytotheend。
　　“Hearmydefense，gentlemen，“continuedSirPatrick，ascourteouslyasever。“Youbelong，remember，toanationwhichespeciallyclaimstopracticetherulesoffairplay。ImustbegtoremindyouofwhatIsaidinthegarden。Istartedwithaconcession。Iadmitted——aseverypersonofthesmallestsensemustadmit——thatamanwill，inthegreatmajorityofcases，beallthefitterformentalexerciseifhewiselycombinesphysicalexercisealongwithit。Thewholequestionbetweenthetwoisaquestionofproportionanddegree，andmycomplaintofthepresenttimeisthatthepresenttimedoesn’tseeit。PopularopinioninEnglandseemstometobe，notonlygettingtoconsiderthecultivationofthemusclesasofequalimportancewiththecultivationofthemind，buttobeactuallyextending——inpractice，ifnotintheory——totheabsurdanddangerouslengthofputtingbodilytraininginthefirstplaceofimportance，andmentaltraininginthesecond。Totakeacaseinpoint：IcandiscovernoenthusiasminthenationanythinglikesogenuineandanythinglikesogeneralastheenthusiasmexcitedbyyourUniversityboat-race。Again：IseethisAthleticEducationofyoursmadeamatterofpubliccelebrationinschoolsandcolleges；andIaskanyunprejudicedwitnesstotellmewhichexcitesmostpopularenthusiasm，andwhichgetsthemostprominentplaceinthepublicjournals——theexhibition，indoorsonPrize-day，ofwhattheboyscandowiththeirminds？ortheexhibition，outofdoorsonSports-day，ofwhattheboyscandowiththeirbodies？Youknowperfectlywellwhichperformanceexcitestheloudestcheers，whichoccupiestheprominentplaceinthenewspapers，andwhich，asanecessaryconsequence，confersthehighestsocialhonorsontheherooftheday。“
　　AnothermurmurfromOne，Two，andThree。“Wehavenothingtosaytothat，Sir；haveitallyourownway，sofar。“
　　AnotherratificationofagreementwiththeprevalentopinionbetweenSmithandJones。
　　“Verygood，“pursuedSirPatrick。“Weareallofonemindastowhichwaythepublicfeelingsets。Ifitisafeelingtoberespectedandencouraged，showmethenationaladvantagewhichhasresultedfromit。Whereistheinfluenceofthismodernoutburstofmanlyenthusiasmontheseriousconcernsoflife？andhowhasitimprovedthecharacterofthepeopleatlarge？Areweanyofusindividuallyreadierthanweeverweretosacrificeourownlittleprivateintereststothepublicgood？Arewedealingwiththeserioussocialquestionsofourtimeinaconspicuouslydetermined，downright，anddefiniteway？Arewebecomingavisiblyandindisputablypurerpeopleinourcodeofcommercialmorals？Isthereahealthierandhighertoneinthosepublicamusementswhichfaithfullyreflectinallcountriesthepublictaste？Producemeaffirmativeanswerstothesequestions，whichrestonsolidproof，andI’llacceptthepresentmaniaforathleticsportsassomethingbetterthananoutbreakofourinsularboastfulnessandourinsularbarbarityinanewform。“
　　“Question!question!“inageneralcry，fromOne，Two，andThree。
　　“Question!question!“inmeekreverberation，fromSmithandJones。
　　“Thatisthequestion，“rejoinedSirPatrick。“YouadmittheexistenceofthepublicfeelingandIask，whatgooddoesitdo？“
　　“Whatharmdoesitdo？“fromOne，Two，andThree。
　　“Hear!hear!“fromSmithandJones。
　　“That’safairchallenge，“repliedSirPatrick。“Iamboundtomeetyouonthatnewground。Iwon’tpoint，gentlemen，bywayofanswer，tothecoarsenesswhichIcanseegrowingonournationalmanners，ortothedeteriorationwhichappearstometobespreadingmoreandmorewidelyinournationaltastes。YoumaytellmewithperfecttruththatIamtoooldamantobeafairjudgeofmannersandtasteswhichhavegotbeyondmystandards。
　　Wewilltrytheissue，asitnowstandsbetweenus，onitsabstractmeritsonly。Iassertthatastateofpublicfeelingwhichdoespracticallyplacephysicaltraining，initsestimation，abovemoralandmentaltraining，isapositivelybadanddangerousstateoffeelinginthis，thatitencouragestheinbredreluctanceinhumanitytosubmittothedemandswhichmoralandmentalcultivationmustinevitablymakeonit。WhichamI，asaboy，naturallymostreadytodo——totryhowhighIcanjump？ortotryhowmuchIcanlearn？Whichtrainingcomeseasiesttomeasayoungman？Thetrainingwhichteachesmetohandleanoar？orthetrainingwhichteachesmetoreturngoodforevil，andtolovemyneighborasmyself？Ofthosetwoexperiments，ofthosetwotrainings，whichoughtsocietyinEnglandtomeetwiththewarmestencouragement？AndwhichdoessocietyinEnglandpracticallyencourage，asamatteroffact？“
　　“Whatdidyousayyourselfjustnow？“fromOne，Two，andThree。
　　“Remarkablywellput!“fromSmithandJones。
　　“Isaid，“admittedSirPatrick，“thatamanwillgoallthebettertohisbooksforhishealthyphysicalexercise。AndIsaythatagain——providedthephysicalexerciseberestrainedwithinfitlimits。Butwhenpublicfeelingentersintothequestion，anddirectlyexaltsthebodilyexercisesabovethebooks——thenIsaypublicfeelingisinadangerousextreme。Thebodilyexercises，inthatcase，willbeuppermostintheyouth’sthoughts，willhavethestrongestholdonhisinterest，willtakethelion’sshareofhistime，andwill，bythosemeans——barringthefewpurelyexceptionalinstances——slowlyandsurelyendinleavinghim，toallgoodmoralandmentalpurpose，certainlyanuncultivated，and，possibly，adangerousman。“
　　Acryfromthecampoftheadversaries：“He’sgottoitatlast!
　　Amanwholeadsanout-of-doorlife，andusesthestrengththatGodhasgiventohim，isadangerousman。Didanybodyeverhearthelikeofthat？“
　　Cryreverberated，withvariations，bythetwohumanechoes：“No!
　　Nobodyeverheardthelikeofthat!“
　　“Clearyourmindsofcant，gentlemen，“answeredSirPatrick。“Theagriculturallaborerleadsanout-of-doorlife，andusesthestrengththatGodhasgiventohim。Thesailorinthemerchantservicedoesthename。Bothareanuncultivated，ashamefullyuncultivated，class——andseetheresult!LookattheMapofCrime，andyouwillfindthemosthideousoffensesinthecalendar，committed——notinthetowns，wheretheaveragemandoesn’tleadanout-of-doorlife，doesn’tasarule，usehisstrength，butis，asarule，comparativelycultivated——notinthetowns，butintheagriculturaldistricts。AsfortheEnglishsailor——exceptwhentheRoyalNavycatchesandcultivateshim——askMr。Brinkworth，whohasservedinthemerchantnavy，whatsortofspecimenofthemoralinfluenceofout-of-doorlifeandmuscularcultivation_he_is。“
　　“Inninecasesoutoften，“saidArnold，“heisasidleandviciousasruffianaswalkstheearth。“
　　AnothercryfromtheOpposition：“Are_we_agriculturallaborers？
　　Are_we_sailorsinthemerchantservice？“
　　Asmartreverberationfromthehumanechoes：“Smith!amIalaborer？““Jones!amIasailor？“
　　“Prayletusnotbepersonal，gentlemen，“saidSirPatrick。“Iamspeakinggenerally，andIcanonlymeetextremeobjectionsbypushingmyargumenttoextremelimits。Thelaborerandthesailorhaveservedmypurpose。Ifthelaborerandthesailoroffendyou，byallmeansletthemwalkoffthestage!
　　IholdtothepositionwhichIadvancedjustnow。Amanmaybewellborn，welloff，welldressed，wellfed——butifheisanuncultivatedman，heisinspiteofallthoseadvantagesamanwithspecialcapacitiesforevilinhim，onthatveryaccount。
　　Don’tmistakeme!Iamfarfromsavingthatthepresentrageforexclusivelymuscularaccomplishmentsmustleadinevitablydownwardtothelowestdeepofdepravity。Fortunatelyforsociety，allspecialdepravityismoreorlesscertainlytheresult，inthefirstinstance，ofspecialtemptation。Theordinarymassofus，thankGod，passthroughlifewithoutbeingexposedtootherthanordinarytemptations。Thousandsoftheyounggentlemen，devotedtothefavoritepursuitsofthepresenttime，willgetthroughexistencewithnoworseconsequencestothemselvesthanacoarsetoneofmindandmanners，andalamentableincapabilityoffeelinganyofthosehigherandgentlerinfluenceswhichsweetenandpurifythelivesofmorecultivatedmen。Buttaketheothercasewhichmayoccurtoanybody，thecaseofaspecialtemptationtryingamodernyoungmanofyourprosperousclassandofmine。AndletmebegMr。DelamayntohonorwithhisattentionwhatIhavenowtosay，becauseitreferstotheopinionwhichIdidreallyexpress——asdistinguishedfromtheopinionwhichheaffectstoagreewith，andwhichIneveradvanced。“
　　Geoffrey’sindifferenceshowednosignsofgivingway。“Goon!“
　　hesaid——andstillsatlookingstraightbeforehim，withheavyeyes，whichnoticednothing，andexpressednothing。