He even went out in the dinghy in storms, though he kept inside the reefs, and fought with wave and undertow and swell, until, pleasantly exhausted, he retreated to the beach, drawing his little boat after him, where he watched the sea, vainly struggling to reach the one who had defied it.

It was after such contests that he felt strongest of the spirit, ready to challenge anything.
He plunged deeper and deeper into his studies, striving to understand everything.

The intensity of his application was possible only because he was alone.

Forced to probe, to examine and to ponder, his mind acquired new strength.

Many things which otherwise would have been obscure to him became plain.