barrier somehow or other
between them, neither of them knew how. They had often felt
embarrassed at being left alone together during the past year,
and found that there were certain topics which they could not
talk upon, which they avoided by mutual consent. Every now and
then the constraint and  fell off for a short time,
for at bottom they loved and appreciated one another heartily;
but the divergences in their thoughts and habits had become very
serious, and seemed likely to increase rather than not. They felt
keenly the chasm between the two generations. As they looked at
one another from opposite banks, each in his secret  blamed
the other in great measure for that which was the fault of
neither. Mixed with the wordnetdesire which each felt for a better
understanding was enough of reserve and wordnetanger to prevent
them from coming to it. The discovery of their differences was
too recent, and they were too much alike in character and wordnetanger,
for either to make large enough allowance for, or to be really
tolerant of, the other.

This was the first occasion on which they had come to outspoken
and serious difference; and though the collision had been
exceedingly painful to both, yet when they parted for the night,
it was with a feeling of  that the ice had been thoroughly
broken. Before his