But how strangeit was that the creative instinct should seize upon this dull stockbroker, tohis own ruin, perhaps, and to the misfortune of such as were dependent on him;and yet no stranger than the way in which the spirit of God has seized men,powerful and rich, pursuing them with stubborn vigilance till at last,conquered, they have abandoned the joy of the world and the love of women forthe painful austerities of the cloister. Conversion may come under many shapes,and it may be brought about in many ways. With some men it needs a cataclysm,as a stone may be broken to fragments by the fury of a torrent; but with someit comes gradually, as a stone may be worn away by the ceaseless fall of a dropof water. Strickland had the directness of the fanatic and the ferocity of the apostle.

But to mypractical mind it remained to be seen whether the passion which obsessed himwould be justified of its works. When I asked him what his brother-students atthe night classes he had attended in London thought of his painting, heanswered with a grin:

"Theythought it a joke. "

"Have youbegun to go to a studio here?"

"Yes. Theblighter came round this morning -- the master, you know; when he saw mydrawing he just raised his eyebrows and walked on. "

但是奇怪的是，这种创作欲竟会抓住了一个头脑有些迟钝的证券经纪人，可能导致他的毁灭，使那些依靠他生活的人陷入不幸。但是如果同上帝的玄旨妙义有时竟也把人们抓住这一点比起来，倒也不足为奇。这些人有钱有势，可是上帝却极其警觉地对他们紧追不舍，直到最后把他们完全征服，这时他们就抛弃掉世俗的欢乐、女人的爱情，甘心到寺院中过着凄苦冷清的生活。皈依能以不同的形态出现，也可以通过不同的途径实现。有一些人通过激变，有如愤怒的激流把石块一下子冲击成齑粉；另一些人则由于日积月累，好象不断的水滴，迟早要把石块磨穿。思特里克兰德有着盲信者的直截了当和使徒的狂热不羁。

但是以我讲求实际的眼睛看来，使他着了迷的这种热情是否能产生出有价值的作品来，还有待时间证明。等我问起他在伦敦学画时夜校的同学对他的绘画如何评价的时候，他笑了笑说：

“他们觉得我是在闹着玩。”

“你到了这里以后，开始进哪个绘画学校了么？”

“进了。今天早晨那个笨蛋还到我住的地方来过——我是说那个老师，你知道；他看了我的画以后，只是把眉毛一挑，连话也没说就走了。