Whentwooftheseassesmet，therewouldbeananxious\"Haveyougotyourlantern？\"andagratified\"Yes!\"Thatwastheshibboleth，andveryneedfultoo；for，asitwastheruletokeepourglorycontained，nonecouldrecognisealantern-bearer，unlesslikethepolecatbythesmell。Fourorfivewouldsometimesclimbintothebellyofaten-manlugger，withnothingbutthethwartsabovethem-forthecabinwasusuallylocked，orchooseoutsomehollowofthelinkswherethewindmightwhistleoverhead。Therethecoatswouldbeunbuttonedandthebull\'s-eyesdiscovered；andinthechequeringglimmer，underthehugewindyhallofthenight，andcheeredbyarichsteamoftoastingtinware，thesefortunateyounggentlemenwouldcrouchtogetherinthecoldsandofthelinksoronthescalybilgesofthefishing-boat，anddelightthemselveswithinappropriatetalk。WoeismethatImaynotgivesomespecimens-
someoftheirforesightsoflife，ordeepinquiriesintotherudimentsofmanandnature，theseweresofieryandsoinnocent，theyweresorichlysilly，soromanticallyyoung。Butthetalk，atanyrate，wasbutacondiment；andthesegatheringsthemselvesonlyaccidentsinthecareerofthelantern-bearer。Theessenceofthisblisswastowalkbyyourselfintheblacknight；theslideshut，thetop-coatbuttoned；notarayescaping，whethertoconductyourfootstepsortomakeyourglorypublic:amerepillarofdarknessinthedark；andallthewhile，deepdownintheprivacyofyourfool\'sheart，toknowyouhadabull\'s-eyeatyourbelt，andtoexultandsingovertheknowledge。
II
Itissaidthatapoethasdiedyounginthebreastofthemoststolid。Itmaybecontended，rather，thatthissomewhatminor
bardinalmosteverycasesurvives，andisthespiceoflifetohispossessor。Justiceisnotdonetotheversatilityandtheunplumbedchildishnessofman\'simagination。Hislifefromwithoutmayseembutarudemoundofmud；therewillbesomegoldenchamberattheheartofit，inwhichhedwellsdelighted；andforasdarkashispathwayseemstotheobserver，hewillhavesomekindofabull\'s-eyeathisbelt。