The person upon whom the schoolboys' attention centred was, of course, the Headmaster.

But my doubt would not be overcome. Kierkegaard had declared that it was only to the consciousness of sin that Christianity was not horror or madness. For me it was sometimes both.

It is useless to send armies against ideas.

Just about this time, when in imagination I was so great a warrior, I had good use in real life for more strength, as I was no longer taken to school by the nurse, but instead had myself to protect my brother, two years my junior.

Dostoevsky preaches the morality of the pariah, the morality of the slave.

Any feeling that I was enriching my mind from those surrounding me was unfortunately rare with me.

A love for humanity came over me, and watered and fertilised the fields of my inner world which had been lying fallow, and this love of humanity vented itself in a vast compassion.