“Taketheexamplewhichwehavenowinview，“pursuedSirPatrick——“theexampleofanaverageyounggentlemanofourtime，blestwitheveryadvantagethatphysicalcultivationcanbestowonhim。Letthismanbetriedbyatemptationwhichinsidiouslycallsintoaction，inhisowninterests，thesavageinstinctslatentinhumanity——theinstinctsofself-seekingandcrueltywhichareatthebottomofallcrime。Letthismanbeplacedtowardsomeotherperson，guiltlessofinjuringhim，inapositionwhichdemandsoneoftwosacrifices：thesacrificeoftheotherperson，orthesacrificeofhisowninterestsandhisowndesires。Hisneighbor’shappiness，orhisneighbor’slife，stands，letussay，betweenhimandtheattainmentofsomethingthathewants。Hecanwreckthehappiness，orstrikedownthelife，without，tohisknowledge，anyfearofsufferingforithimself。Whatistopreventhim，beingthemanheis，fromgoingstraighttohisend，onthoseconditions？Willtheskillinrowing，theswiftnessinrunning，theadmirablecapacityandenduranceinotherphysicalexercises，whichhehasattained，byastrenuouscultivationinthiskindthathasexcludedanysimilarlystrenuouscultivationinotherkinds——willthesephysicalattainmentshelphimtowinapurelymoralvictoryoverhisownselfishnessandhisowncruelty？Theywon’tevenhelphimtoseethatit_is_selfishness，andthatit_is_cruelty。Theessentialprincipleofhisrowingandracingaharmlessprincipleenough，ifyoucanbesureofapplyingittorowingandracingonlyhastaughthimtotakeeveryadvantageofanothermanthathissuperiorstrengthandsuperiorcunningcansuggest。
Therehasbeennothinginhistrainingtosoftenthebarbaroushardnessinhisheart，andtoenlightenthebarbarousdarknessinhismind。Temptationfindsthismandefenseless，whentemptationpasseshisway。Idon’tcarewhoheis，orhowhighhestandsaccidentallyinthesocialscale——heis，toallmoralintentsandpurposes，anAnimal，andnothingmore。Ifmyhappinessstandsinhisway——andifhecandoitwithimpunitytohimself——hewilltrampledownmyhappiness。Ifmylifehappenstobethenextobstacleheencounters——andifhecandoitwithimpunitytohimself——hewilltrampledownmylife。Not，Mr。Delamayn，inthecharacterofavictimtoirresistiblefatality，ortoblindchance；butinthecharacterofamanwhohassowntheseed，andreapstheharvest。That，Sir，isthecasewhichIputasanextremecaseonly，whenthisdiscussionbegan。Asanextremecaseonly——butasaperfectlypossiblecase，atthesametime——I
restateitnow。“
Beforetheadvocatesoftheothersideofthequestioncouldopentheirlipstoreply，Geoffreysuddenlyflungoffhisindifference，andstartedtohisfeet。
“Stop!“hecried，threateningtheothers，inhisfierceimpatiencetoanswerforhimself，withhisclenchedfist。
Therewasageneralsilence。
GeoffreyturnedandlookedatSirPatrick，asifSirPatrickhadpersonallyinsultedhim。
“Whoisthisanonymousman，whofindshiswaytohisownends，andpitiesnobodyandsticksatnothing？“heasked。“Givehimaname!“
“Iamquotinganexample，“saidSirPatrick。“Iamnotattackingaman。“
“Whatrighthaveyou，“criedGeoffrey——utterlyforgetful，inthestrangeexasperationthathadseizedonhim，oftheinterestthathehadincontrollinghimselfbeforeSirPatrick——“whatrighthaveyoutopickoutanexampleofarowingmanwhoisaninfernalscoundrel——whenit’squiteaslikelythatarowingmanmaybeagoodfellow：ay!andabetterfellow，ifyoucometothat，thaneverstoodinyourshoes!“
“IftheonecaseisquiteaslikelytooccurastheotherwhichIreadilyadmit，“answeredSirPatrick，“IhavesurelyarighttochoosewhichcaseIpleaseforillustration。Wait，Mr。
Delamayn!ThesearethelastwordsIhavetosayandImeantosaythem。Ihavetakentheexample——notofaspeciallydepravedman，asyouerroneouslysuppose——butofanaverageman，withhisaverageshareofthemean，cruel，anddangerousqualities，whicharepartandparcelofunreformedhumannature——asyourreligiontellsyou，andasyoumayseeforyourself，ifyouchoosetolookatyouruntaughtfellow-creaturesanywhere。Isupposethatmantobetriedbyatemptationtowickedness，outofthecommon；andIshow，tothebestofmyability，howcompletelythemoralandmentalneglectofhimself，whichthepresentmaterialtoneofpublicfeelinginEnglandhastacitlyencouraged，leaveshimatthemercyofalltheworstinstinctsinhisnature；andhowsurely，underthoseconditions，he_must_godowngentlemanasheisstepbystep——asthelowestvagabondinthestreetsgoesdownunder_his_specialtemptation——fromthebeginninginignorancetotheendincrime。Ifyoudenymyrighttotakesuchanexampleasthat，inillustrationoftheviewsIadvocate，youmusteitherdenythataspecialtemptationtowickednesscanassailamaninthepositionofagentleman，oryoumustassertthatgentlemenwhoarenaturallysuperiortoalltemptationaretheonlygentlemenwhodevotethemselvestoathleticpursuits。
Thereismydefense。Instatingmycase，Ihavespokenoutofmyownsincererespectfortheinterestsofvirtueandoflearning；
outofmyownsincereadmirationforthoseyoungmenamonguswhoareresistingthecontagionofbarbarismaboutthem。In_their_
futureisthefuturehopeofEngland。Ihavedone。“
Angrilyreadywithaviolentpersonalreply，Geoffreyfoundhimselfchecked，inhisturnbyanotherpersonwithsomethingtosay，andwitharesolutiontosayitatthatparticularmoment。
ForsomelittletimepastthesurgeonhaddiscontinuedhissteadyinvestigationofGeoffrey’sface，andhadgivenallhisattentiontothediscussion，withtheairofamanwhoseself-imposedtaskhadcometoanend。Asthelastsentencefellfromthelastspeaker’slips，heinterposedsoquicklyandsoskillfullybetweenGeoffreyandSirPatrick，thatGeoffreyhimselfwastakenbysurprise，“ThereissomethingstillwantingtomakeSirPatrick’sstatementofthecasecomplete，“hesaid。“IthinkIcansupplyit，fromtheresultofmyownprofessionalexperience。BeforeIsaywhatI
havetosay，Mr。Delamaynwillperhapsexcuseme，ifIventureongivinghimacautiontocontrolhimself。“
“Are_you_goingtomakeadeadsetatme，too？“inquiredGeoffrey。
“Iamrecommendingyoutokeepyourtemper——nothingmore。Thereareplentyofmenwhocanflyintoapassionwithoutdoingthemselvesanyparticularharm。Youarenotoneofthem。“
“Whatdoyoumean？“
“Idon’tthinkthestateofyourhealth，Mr。Delamayn，isquitesosatisfactoryasyoumaybedisposedtoconsiderityourself。“
Geoffreyturnedtohisadmirersandadherentswitharoarofderisivelaughter。Theadmirersandadherentsallechoedhimtogether。ArnoldandBlanchesmiledateachother。EvenSirPatricklookedasifhecouldhardlycredittheevidenceofhisownears。TherestoodthemodernHercules，self-vindicatedasaHercules，beforealleyesthatlookedathim。Andthere，opposite，stoodamanwhomhecouldhavekilledwithoneblowofhisfist，tellinghim，inseriousearnest，thathewasnotinperfecthealth!
“Youareararefellow!“saidGeoffrey，halfinjestandhalfinanger。“What’sthematterwithme？“
“Ihaveundertakentogiveyou，whatIbelievetobe，anecessarycaution，“answeredthesurgeon。“Ihave_not_undertakentotellyouwhatIthinkisthematterwithyou。Thatmaybeaquestionforconsiderationsomelittletimehence。Inthemeanwhile，I
shouldliketoputmyimpressionaboutyoutothetest。Haveyouanyobjectiontoansweraquestiononamatterofnoparticularimportancerelatingtoyourself？“
“Let’shearthequestionfirst。“
“IhavenoticedsomethinginyourbehaviorwhileSirPatrickwasspeaking。Youareasmuchinterestedinopposinghisviewsasanyofthosegentlemenaboutyou。Idon’tunderstandyoursittinginsilence，andleavingitentirelytotheotherstoputthecaseonyourside——untilSirPatricksaidsomethingwhichhappenedtoirritateyou。Hadyou，allthetimebeforethat，noanswerreadyinyourownmind？“
“Ihadasgoodanswersinmymindasanythathavebeenmadehereto-day。“
“Andyetyoudidn’tgivethem？“
“No；Ididn’tgivethem。“
“Perhapsyoufelt——thoughyouknewyourobjectionstobegoodones——thatitwashardlyworthwhiletotakethetroubleofputtingthemintowords？Inshort，youletyourfriendsanswerforyou，ratherthanmaketheeffortofansweringforyourself？“
Geoffreylookedathismedicaladviserwithasuddencuriosityandasuddendistrust。
“Isay，“heasked，“howdoyoucometoknowwhat’sgoingoninmymind——withoutmytellingyouofit？“
“Itismybusinesstofindoutwhatisgoingoninpeople’sbodies——andtodothatitissometimesnecessaryformetofindoutifIcanwhatisgoingonintheirminds。IfIhaverightlyinterpretedwhatwasgoingonin_your_mind，thereisnoneedformetopressmyquestion。Youhaveanswereditalready。“
HeturnedtoSirPatricknext“Thereisasidetothissubject，“hesaid，“whichyouhavenottouchedonyet。ThereisaPhysicalobjectiontothepresentrageformuscularexercisesofallsorts，whichisquiteasstrong，initsway，astheMoralobjection。Youhavestatedtheconsequencesasthey_may_affectthemind。Icanstatetheconsequencesasthey_do_affectthebody。“
“Fromyourownexperience？“
“Frommyownexperience。Icantellyou，asamedicalman，thataproportion，andnotbyanymeansasmallone，oftheyoungmenwhoarenowputtingthemselvestoviolentathletictestsoftheirstrengthandendurance，aretakingthatcoursetotheseriousandpermanentinjuryoftheirownhealth。Thepublicwhoattendrowing-matches，foot-races，andotherexhibitionsofthatsort，seenothingbutthesuccessfulresultsofmusculartraining。
Fathersandmothersathomeseethefailures。TherearehouseholdsinEngland——miserablehouseholds，tobecounted，SirPatrick，bymorethanonesandtwos——inwhichthereareyoungmenwhohavetothankthestrainlaidontheirconstitutionsbythepopularphysicaldisplaysofthepresenttime，forbeingbrokenmen，andinvalidedmen，fortherestoftheirlives。“