Thiswasadelicate，interestinggamethatheplayed。Underoneinnocentpretextoranother，heinvadedthisorthatspecialprovinceshehadmadeherown。Hewouldcollectthethemesandhavethemallreadandmarked，answerallthepuzzlingquestionsinmathematics，maketheotherteacherscometohimfordirections，andinthiswaygraduallytookuponhimselfnotonlyallthegeneralsuperintendencethatbelongedtohisoffice，butstoleawaysomanyofthespecialdutieswhichmightfairlyhavebelongedtohisassistant，that，beforesheknewit，shewaslookingbetterandfeelingmorecheerfulthanformanyandmanyamonthbefore。
Whenthenervousenergyisdepressedbyanybodilycause，orexhaustedbyoverworking，therefolloweffectswhichhaveoftenbeenmisinterpretedbymoralists，andespeciallybytheologians。Theconscienceitselfbecomesneuralgic，sometimesactuallyinflamed，sothattheleasttouchisagony。Ofallliarsandfalseaccusers，asickconscienceisthemostinventiveandindefatigable。Thedevoteddaughter，wife，mother，whoselifehasbeengiventounselfishlabors，whohasfilledaplacewhichitseemstoothersonlyanangelwouldmakegood，reproachesherselfwithincompetenceandneglectofduty。ThehumbleChristian，whohasbeenamodeltoothers，callshimselfawormofthedustononepageofhisdiary，andarraignshimselfonthenextforcomingshortoftheperfectionofanarchangel。
Conscienceitselfrequiresaconscience，ornothingcanbemoreunscrupulous。IttoldSaulthathedidwellinpersecutingtheChristians。Ithasgoadedcountlessmultitudesofvariouscreedstoendlessformsofself-torture。ThecitiesofIndiaarefullofcripplesithasmade。Thehill-sidesofSyriaareriddledwithholes，wheremiserablehermits，whoselivesithadpalsied，livedanddiedlikethevermintheyharbored。Ourlibrariesarecrammedwithbookswrittenbyspiritualhypochondriacs，whoinspectedalltheirmoralsecretionsadozentimesaday。Theyarefullofinterest，buttheyshouldbetransferredfromtheshelfofthetheologiantothatofthemedicalmanwhomakesastudyofinsanity。
ThiswasthestateintowhichtoomuchworkandtoomuchresponsibilitywerebringingHelenDarley，whenthenewmastercameandliftedsomuchoftheburdenthatwascrushingherasmustberemovedbeforeshecouldhaveachancetorecoverhernaturalelasticityandbuoyancy。Manyofthenoblestwomen，sufferinglikeher，butlessfortunateinbeingrelievedattherightmoment，dieworriedoutoflifebytheperpetualteasingofthisinflamed，neuralgicconscience。Sosubtileisthelinewhichseparatesthetrueandalmostangelicsensibilityofahealthy，butexaltednature，fromthesorenessofasoulwhichissympathizingwithamorbidstateofthebodythatitisnowondertheyareoftenconfounded。Andthusmanygoodwomenaresufferedtoperishbythatformofspontaneouscombustioninwhichthevictimgoesontoilingdayandnightwiththehiddenfireconsumingher，untilallatoncehercheekwhitens，and，aswelookuponher，shedropsaway，aheapofashes。Themoretheyoverworkthemselves，themoreexactingbecomesthesenseofduty，——asthedraughtofthelocomotive’sfurnaceblowsstrongerandmakesthefireburnmorefiercely，thefasteritspinsalongthetrack。
Itisnotverylikely，aswassaidatthebeginningofthischapter，thatweshalltroubleourselvesagreatdealabouttheinternalaffairsoftheApollineanInstitute。Theseschoolsare，inthenatureofthings，notsoveryunlikeeachotherastorequireaminutedescriptionforeachparticularoneamongthem。Theyhaveallverymuchthesamegeneralfeatures，pleasinganddispleasing。Allfeeding-establishmentshavesomethingodiousaboutthem，——fromthewretchedcountry-houseswherepaupersarefarmedouttothelowestbidder，uptothecommons-tablesatcollegesandeventhefashionableboarding-house。Aperson’sappetiteshouldbeatwarwithnootherpursethanhisown。Youngpeople，especially，whohaveabone-