| 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 |
| 1 | 49 | 97 | 146 | 194 |
|
days."
He became silent. I looked at him in astonishment. If ever
I saw a man hopelessly hard-up it was the man in front of me. He
was ragged and he was dirty, unshaven and unkempt; he looked as
though he had been left in a dust-bin for a week. And he was
talking to me of the irksome worries of a large business.
I almost laughed outright. Either he was mad or playing a sorry
jest on his own poverty.
"If high aims and high positions," said I, "have their
drawbacks of hard work and anxiety, they have their compensations.
Influence, the power of doing good, of assisting those weaker and
poorer than ourselves; and there is even a certain gratification in
display . . . . . "
My banter under the circumstances was in very vile taste. I
spoke on the spur of the contrast of his appearance and speech. I
was sorry even while I was speaking.
He turned a haggard but very composed face upon me. Said he:
"I forgot myself. Of course you would not understand."
He measured me for a moment. "No doubt it is very absurd.
You will not believe me even when I tell you, so that it is fairly
safe to tell you. And it will be a comfort to tell someone. I
127
Page
Quick Jump
|