Strong and deep-rooted is the instinct of confession.

Unable to ease his conscience regarding outward circumstances, he turned at length to the question of his intellectual attitude.
"Do you remember, when I was here last, I spoke to you of a French book I had been reading, a sociological work?
As I told you, it had a great influence on my mind.

It helped to set my ideas in order.

Before then, I had only the vaguest way of thinking about political and social questions.

That book supplied me with a scientific principle, which I have since been working out for myself." "Ha!" interjected the vicar, looking up oddly.