supersaturated　fluid　suddenly　begin　to　crystallize　out。
  Tolstoy　writes：　　〃S。；　a　frank　and　intelligent　man；　told　me　as
  follows　how　he　ceased　to　believe：
  〃He　was　twenty…six　years　old　when　one　day　on　a　hunting
  expedition；　the　time　for　sleep　having　come；　he　set　himself　to
  pray　according　to　the　custom　he　had　held　from　childhood。
  〃His　brother；　who　was　hunting　with　him；　lay　upon　the　hay　and
  looked　at　him。　　When　S。　had　finished　his　prayer　and　was　turning
  to　sleep；　the　brother　said；　'Do　you　still　keep　up　that　thing？'
  Nothing　more　was　said。　　But　since　that　day；　now　more　than　thirty
  years　ago；　S。　　has　never　prayed　again；　he　never　takes　communion；
  and　does　not　go　to　church。　　All　this；　not　because　he　became
  acquainted　with　convictions　of　his　brother　which　he　then　and
  there　adopted；　not　because　he　made　any　new　resolution　in　his
  soul；　but　merely　because　the　words　spoken　by　his　brother　were
  like　the　light　push　of　a　finger　against　a　leaning　wall　already
  about　to　tumble　by　its　own　weight。　　These　words　but　showed　him
  that　the　place　wherein　he　supposed　religion　dwelt　in　him　had　long
  been　empty；　and　that　the　sentences　he　uttered；　the　crosses　and
  bows　which　he　made　during　his　prayer；　were　actions　with　no　inner
  sense。　　Having　once　seized　their　absurdity；　he　could　no　longer
  keep　them　up。〃　　　　Ma　Confession；　p。　8。
  I　subjoin　an　additional　document　which　has　come　into　my
  possession；　and　which　represents　in　a　vivid　way　what　is　probably
  a　very　frequent　sort　of　conversion；　if　the　opposite　of　'falling
  in　love；'　falling　out　of　love；　may　be　so　termed。　　Falling　in　love
  also　conforms　frequently　to　this　type；　a　latent　process　of
  unconscious　preparation　often　preceding　a　sudden　awakening　to　the
  fact　that　the　mischief　is　irretrievably　done。　　The　free　and　easy
  tone　in　this　narrative　gives　it　a　sincerity　that　speaks　for
  itself。
  〃For　two　years　of　this　time　I　went　through　a　very　bad　experience；
  which　almost　drove　me　mad。　　I　had　fallen　violently　in　love　with　a
  girl　who；　young　as　she　was；　had　a　spirit　of　coquetry　like　a　cat。
  As　I　look　back　on　her　now；　I　hate　her；　and　wonder　how　I　could
  ever　have　fallen　so　low　as　to　be　worked　upon　to　such　an　extent　by
  her　attractions。　　Nevertheless；　I　fell　into　a　regular　fever；
  could　think　of　nothing　else；　whenever　I　was　alone；　I　pictured　her
  attractions；　and　spent　most　of　the　time　when　I　should　have　been
  working；　in　recalling　our　previous　interviews；　and　imagining
  future　conversations。　　She　was　very　pretty；　good　humored；　and
  jolly　to　the　last　degree；　and　intensely　pleased　with　my
  admiration。　　Would　give　me　no　decided　answer　yes　or　no　and　the
  queer　thing　about　it　was　that　whilst　pursuing　her　for　her　hand；　I
  secretly　knew　all　along　that　she　was　unfit　to　be　a　wife　for　me；
  and　that　she　never　would　say　yes。　　Although　for　a　year　we　took
  our　meals　at　the　same　boarding…house；　so　that　I　saw　her
  continually　and　familiarly；　our　closer　relations　had　to　be
  largely　on　the　sly；　and　this　fact；　together　with　my　jealousy　of
  another　one　of　her　male　admirers　and　my　own　conscience　despising
  me　for　my　uncontrollable　weakness；　made　me　so　nervous　and
  sleepless　that　I　really　thought　I　should　become　insane。　　I
  understand　well　those　young　men　murdering　their　sweethearts；
  which　appear　so　often　in　the　papers。　　Nevertheless　I　did　love　her
  passionately；　and　in　some　ways　she　did　deserve　it。
  〃The　queer　thing　was　the　sudden　and　unexpected　way　in　which　it
  all　stopped。　　I　was　going　to　my　work　after　breakfast　one　morning；
  thinking　as　usual　of　her　and　of　my　misery；　when；　just　as　if　some
  outside　power　laid　hold　of　me；　I　found　myself　turning　round　and
  almost　running　to　my　room；　where　I　immediately　got　out　all　the
  relics　of　her　which　I　possessed；　including　some　hair；　all　her
  notes　and　letters　and　ambrotypes　on　glass。　　The　former　I　made　a
  fire　of；　the　latter　I　actually　crushed　beneath　my　heel；　in　a　sort
  of　fierce　joy　of　revenge　and　punishment。　　I　now　loathed　and
  despised　her　altogether；　and　as　for　myself　I　felt　as　if　a　load　of
  disease　had　suddenly　been　removed　from　me。　　That　was　the　end。　　I
  never　spoke　to　her　or　wrote　to　her　again　in　all　the　subsequent
  years；　and　I　have　never　had　a　single　moment　of　loving　thought
  towards　one　for　so　many　months　entirely　filled　my　heart。　　In
  fact；　I　have　always　rather　hated　her　memory；　though　now　I　can　see
  that　I　had　gone　unnecessarily　far　in　that　direction。　　At　any
  rate；　from　that　happy　morning　onward　I　regained　possession　of　my
  own　proper　soul；　and　have　never　since　fallen　into　any　similar
  trap。〃
  This　seems　to　me　an　unusually　clear　example　of　two　different
  levels　of　personality；　inconsistent　in　their　dictates；　yet　so
  well　balanced　against　each　other　as　for　a　long　time　to　fill　the
  life　with　discord　and　dissatisfaction。　　At　last；　not　gradually；
  but　in　a　sudden　crisis；　the　unstable　equilibrium　is　resolved；　and
  this　happens　so　unexpectedly　that　it　is　as　if；　to　use　the
  writer's　words；　〃some　outside　power　laid　hold。〃
  Professor　Starbuck　gives　an　analogous　case；　and　a　converse　case
  of　hatred　suddenly　turning　into　love；　in　his　Psychology　of
  Religion；　p。　141。　　Compare　the　other　highly　curious　instances
  which　he　gives　on　pp。　137…144；　of　sudden　non…religious
  alterations　of　habit　or　character。　He　seems　right　in　conceiving
  all　such　sudden　changes　as　results　of　special　cerebral　functions
  unconsciously　developing　until　they　are　ready　to　play　a
  controlling　part　when　they　make　irruption　into　the　conscious
  life。　　When　we　treat　of　sudden　'conversion；'　I　shall　make　as　much
  use　as　I　can　of　this　hypothesis　of　subconscious　incubation。
  In　John　Foster's　Essay　on　Decision　of　Character；　there　is
  an　account　of　a　case　of　sudden　conversion　to　avarice；　which　is
  illustrative　enough　to　quote：
  A　young　man；　it　appears；　〃wasted；　in　two　or　three　years；　a　large
  patrimony　in　profligate　revels　with　a　number　of　worthless
  associates　who　called　themselves　his　friends；　and　who；　when　his
  last　means　were　exhausted；　treated　him　of　course　with　neglect　or
  contempt。　　Reduced　to　absolute　want；　he　one　day　went　out　of　the
  house　with　an　intention　to　put　an　end　to　his　life；　but　wandering
  awhile　almost　unconsciously；　he　came　to　the　brow　of　an　eminence
  which　overlooked　what　were　lately　his　estates。　　Here　he　sat　down；
  and　remained　fixed　in　thought　a　number　of　hours；　at　the　end　of
  which　he　sprang　from　the　ground　with　a　vehement；　exulting
  emotion。　　He　had　formed　his　resolution；　which　was；　that　all　these
  estates　should　be　his　again；　he　had　formed　his　plan；　too；　which
  he　instantly　began　to　execute。　　He　walked　hastily　forward；
  determined　to　seize　the　first　opportunity；　of　however　humble　a
  kind；　to　gain　any　money；　though　it　were　ever　so　despicable　a
  trifle；　and　resolved　absolutely　not　to　spend；　if　he　could　help
  it；　a　farthing　of　whatever　he　might　obtain。　　The　first　thing　that
  drew　his　attention　was　a　heap　of　coals　shot　out　of　carts　on　the
  pavement　before　a　house。　　He　offered　himself　to　shovel　or　wheel
  them　into　the　place　where　they　were　to　be　laid；　and　was　employed。
  He　received　a　few　pence　for　the　labor；　and　then；　in　pursuance　of
  the　saving　part　of　his　plan　requested　some　small　gratuity　of　meat
  and　drink；　which　was　given　　him。　　He　then　looked　out　for
  the　next　thing　that　might　chance；　and　went；　with　indefatigable
  industry；　through　a　succession　of　servile　employments　in
  different　places；　of　longer　and　shorter　duration；　still
  scrupulous　in　avoiding；　as　far　as　possible；　the　expense　of　a
  penny。　　He　promptly　seized　every　opportunity　which　could　advance
  his　design；　without　regarding　the　meanness　of　occupation　or
  appearance。　　By　this　method　he　had　gained；　after　a　considerable
  time；　money　enough　to　purchase　in　order　to　sell　again　a　few
  cattle；　of　which　he　had　taken　pains　to　understand　the　value。　　He
  speedily　but　cautiously　turned　his　first　gains　into　second
  advantages；　retained　without　a　single　deviation　his　extreme
  parsimony；　and　thus　advanced　by　degrees　into　larger　transactions
  and　incipient　wealth。　　I　did　not　hear；　or　have　forgotten；　the
  continued　course　of　his　life；　but　the　final　result　was；　that　he
  more　than　recovered　his　lost　possessions；　and　died　an　inveterate
  miser；　worth　L60；000。〃＇94＇
  ＇94＇　Op。　cit。；　Letter　III。；　abridged。
  Let　me　turn　now　to　the　kind　of　case；　the　religious　case；　namely；
  that　immediately　concerns　us。　　Here　is　one　of　the　s