He had fitted in sufficiently to satisfy his fellows but not to satisfy himself.

He had been perturbed always by a feeling of unrest, had heard always the call of something from beyond, and had wandered on through life seeking it until he found books and art and love.

And here he was, in the midst of all this, the only one of all the comrades he had adventured with who could have made themselves eligible for the inside of the Morse home.
But such thoughts and visions did not prevent him from following Professor Caldwell closely.

And as he followed, comprehendingly and critically, he noted the unbroken field of the other's knowledge.

As for himself, from moment to moment the conversation showed him gaps and open stretches, whole subjects with which he was unfamiliar.