TheletterwentontorequestthathewouldclimbnomoreAlps，sincehehadbeensenttoSwitzerland，toscalenotmountains，butthepeaksofknowledge。Itadded，withthatnaiveselfishnessfromwhichsometimeseventhemostpiousarenotexempt，“hadyoubeenkilled，inadditiontolosingyourownlife，whichwouldnotsomuchhavemattered，sinceItrustthatyouwouldhavepassedtoabetter，youwouldhavedoneawrongtoyourfamily。Inthatevent，asyouarenotyetofage，Ibelievethemoneywhichyourfriendlefttoyourecently，wouldhavereturnedtoherestateinsteadofgoingtobenefityournaturalheirs。“
Godfreyponderedoverthewords“naturalheirs，“wonderingwhothesemightbe。Comingfinallytotheconclusionthathehadbutone，namelyhisfather，whichaccountedforthesolicitudeexpressedsoearnestlyintheletter，heutteredanexpletive，whichshouldnothavepassedhisyouthfullips，andthrewitdownuponthetopofthatofMadameRiennes。
Afterthishelefttheroommuchdepressed，andwatchinghisopportunity，forthemerrypartyinthe/salon/whohadgatheredtogreethimwerestilltheredrinkingheavywhitewine，heslippedthroughthebackdoortowalkinthewoods。Thesewoodswerelonely，butthentheysuitedhismood。Intruth，neverhadhefeltmorealoneinhislife。Hisfatherandhewereutterlydifferent，andestranged，andhehadnootherrelatives。Infriendshewasequallylacking。MissOgilvy，whomhehadbeguntolove，wasdead，andafriendinheavenissomewayoff，althoughhedidthinkhehadheardhervoicewhenhewassoneartojoiningher。
ThereremainednoonesavethePasteur，ofwhomhewasgrowingtrulyfond，somuchso，thathewishedthattheoldgentlemanhadbeenappointedtobehisfatheraccordingtotheflesh。Therestoftheworldwasablanktohim，exceptforIsobel，whohaddesertedhim。
Besides，somenewsentimenthadenteredintohisrelationswithIsobel，wherebythesewerehalfspoiled。Ofcourse，althoughhedidnotaltogetherunderstandit，thiswastheeternalcomplicationofsexwhichcursesmorethanitblessesintheworld；ofsex，theeatingfirethatissobeautifulbutburns。Forwhenthatfirehaspassedovertheflowersoffriendship，theyarechangedintosomenewgrowth，thathowevergorgeousitmaybe，yetalwayssmellsofflame。Sexbeingtheoriginoflifeisnecessarilyalsotheoriginoftrouble，sincelifeandtroubleareinseparable，anddevoursthegentlejoysoffriendship，asakitedevourslittlesingingbirds。Thesegotoitssustenance，itistrue，andbotharebirds，butthekiteisaverydifferentcreaturefromthenightingaleorthelark。Oneofthegreatadvantagesofmatrimony，ifitendureslongenough，isthatwhenthesexattraction，whichwasitscause，hasfaded，orpracticallydied，oncemoreitmakesfriendshippossible。