e flown like bright wing…beats round the sun gave place to the parasitic halo which every man derived from the glorifying of his own nativity。 To this primary mistake could be traced his intensely personal philosophy。 Slowly but surely there had dried up in his heart the wish to be his brother。'〃
He stopped reading suddenly。
〃I see him coming in；〃 he said。
The next minute the door opened； and Hilary entered。
〃She has not come；〃 said Mr。 Stone； and Bianca murmured：
〃We miss her！〃
〃Her eyes；〃 said Mr。 Stone； 〃have a peculiar look； they help me to see into the future。 I have noticed the same look in the eyes of female dogs。〃
With a little laugh； Bianca murmured again：
〃That is good！〃
〃There is one virtue in dogs；〃 said Hilary； 〃which human beings lack… they are incapable of mockery。〃
But Bianca's lips； parted； indrawn； seemed saying： 'You ask too much！ I no longer attract you。 Am I to sympathise in the attraction this common little girl has for you？'
Mr。 Stone's gaze was fixed intently on the wall。
〃The dog；〃 he said； 〃has lost much of its primordial character。〃
And； moving to his desk； he took up his quill pen。
Hilary and Bianca made no sound； nor did they look at one another； and in this silence； so much more full of meaning than any talk； the scratching of the quill went on。 Mr。 Stone put it down at last； and； seeing two persons in the room； read：
〃'Looking back at those days when the doctrine of evolution had reached its pinnacle； one sees how the human mind； by its habit of continual crystallisations； had destroyed all the meaning of the process。 Witness； for example； that sterile phenomenon； the pagoda of 'caste'！ Like this Chinese building； so was Society then formed。 Men were living there in layers； as divided from each other； class from class…'〃 He took up the quill； and again began to write。
〃You understand； I suppose；〃 said Hilary in a low voice； 〃that she has been told not to come？〃
Bianca moved her shoulders。
With a most unwonted look of anger； he added：
〃Is it within the scope of your generosity to credit me with the desire to meet your wishes？〃
Bianca's answer was a laugh so strangely hard； so cruelly bitter； that Hilary involuntarily turned； as though to retrieve the sound before it reached the old man's ears。
Mr。 Stone had laid down his pen。 〃I shall write no more to…day；〃 he said； 〃I have lost my feelingI am not myself。〃 He spoke in a voice unlike his own。
Very tired and worn his old figure looked； as some lean horse； whose sun has set； stands with drooped head； the hollows in his neck showing under his straggling mane。 And suddenly； evidently quite oblivious that he had any audience； he spoke：
〃O Great Universe； I am an old man of a faint spirit； with no singleness of purpose。 Help me to write onhelp me to write a book such as the world has never seen！〃
A dead silence followed that strange prayer； then Bianca； with tears rolling down her face； got up and rushed out of the room。
Mr。 Stone came to himself。 His mute； white face had suddenly grown scared and pink。 He looked at Hilary。
〃I fear that I forgot myself。 Have I said anything peculiar？〃
Not feeling certain of his voice； Hilary shook his head； and he； too； moved towards the door。
CHAPTER XXIV
SHADOWLAND
〃Each of us has a shadow in those placesin those streets。〃
That saying of Mr。 Stone's； whichlike so many of his sayingshad travelled forth to beat the air； might have seemed； even 〃in those days；〃 not altogether without meaning to anyone who looked into the room of Mr。 Joshua Creed in Hound Street。
This aged butler lay in bed waiting for the inevitable striking of a small alarum clock placed in the very centre of his mantelpiece。 Flanking that round and ruthless arbiter； which drove him day by day to stand up on feet whose time had come to rest； were the effigies of his past triumphs。 On the one hand； in a papier…mache frame； slightly tinged with smuts； stood a portrait of the 〃Honorable Bateson；〃 in the uniform of his Yeomanry。 Creed's former master's face wore that dare…devil look with which he had been wont to say： 〃D…n it； Creed！ lend me a pound。 I've got no money！〃 On the other hand； in a green frame which had once been plush； and covered by a glass with a crack in the left…hand corner； was a portrait of the Dowager Countess of Glengower； as this former mistress of his appeared； conceived by the local photographer； laying the foundation… stone of the local almshouse。 During the wreck of Creed's career； which； following on a lengthy illness； had preceded his salvation by the Westminster Gazette； these two household gods had lain at the bottom of an old tin trunk； in the possession of the keeper of a lodging…house； waiting to be bailed out。 The 〃Honorable Bateson〃 was now dead； nor had he paid as yet the pounds he had borrowed。 Lady Glengower； too； was in heaven； remembering that she had forgotten all her servants in her will。 He who had served them was still alive； and his first thought； when he had secured his post on the 〃Westminister；〃 was to save enough to rescue them from a dishonourable confinement。 It had taken him six months。 He had found them keeping company with three pairs of woollen drawers； an old but respectable black tail…coat； a plaid cravat； a Bible； four socks； two of which had toes and two of which had heels； some darning…cotton and a needle； a pair of elastic…sided boots； a comb and a sprig of white heather； wrapped up with a little piece of shaving…soap and two pipe… cleaners in a bit of the Globe newspaper； also two collars； whose lofty points； separated by gaps of quite two inches； had been wont to reach their master's gills； the small alarum clock aforesaid； and a tiepin formed in the likeness of Queen Victoria at the date of her first Jubilee。 How many times had he not gone in thought over those stores of treasure while he was parted from them！ How many times since they had come back to him had he not pondered with a slow but deathless anger on the absence of a certain shirt； which he could have sworn had been amongst them。
But now he lay in bed waiting to hear the clock go off； with his old bristly chin beneath the bedclothes； and his old discoloured nose above。 He was thinking the thoughts which usually came into his mind about this hourthat Mrs。 Hughs ought not to scrape the butter off his bread for breakfast in the way she did； that she ought to take that sixpence off his rent； that the man who brought his late editions in the cart ought to be earlier； letting 'that man' get his Pell Mells off before him； when he himself would be having the one chance of his day； that； sooner than pay the ninepence which the bootmaker had proposed to charge for resoling him； he would wait until the summer came 'low class o' feller' as he was； he'd be glad enough to sole him then for sixpence
And the high…souled critic； finding these reflections sordid； would have thought otherwise； perhaps； had he been standing on those feet （now twitching all by themselves beneath the bedclothes） up to eleven o'clock the night before； because there were still twelve numbers of the late edition that nobody would buy。 No one knew more surely than Joshua Creed himself that； if he suffered himself to entertain any large and lofty views of life； he would infallibly find himself in that building to keep out of which he was in the habit of addressing to God his only prayer to speak of。 Fortunately； from a boy up； together with a lengthy； oblong； square…jawed face； he had been given by Nature a single…minded view of life。 In fact； the mysterious； stout tenacity of a soul born in the neighbourhood of Newmarket could not have been done justice to had he constitutionally seenany more than Mr。 Stone himselftwo things at a time。 The one thing he had seen； for the five years that he had now stood outside Messrs。 Rose and Thorn's； was the workhouse； and； as he was not going there so long as he was living； he attended carefully to all little matters of expense in this somewhat sordid way。
While attending thus； he heard a scream。 Having by temperament considerable caution； but little fear； he waited till he heard another； and then got out of bed。 Taking the poker in his hand； and putting on his spectacles； he hurried to the door。 Many a time and oft in old days had he risen in this fashion to defend the plate of the 〃Honorable Bateson〃 and the Dowager Countess of Glengower from the periodical attacks of his imagination。 He stood with his ancient nightgown flapping round his still more ancient legs； slightly shivering； then； pulling the door open； he looked forth。 On the stairs just above him Mrs。 Hughs； clasping her baby with one arm； was holding the other out at full length between herself and Hughs。 He heard the latter say： 〃You've drove me to it； I'll do a swing for you！〃 Mrs。 Hughs' thin body brushed past into his room； blood was dripping from her wrist。 Creed saw that Hughs had his bayonet in his hand。 With all his might he called out： 〃Ye ought to be ashamed of yourself！〃 raising the poker to a position of defence。 At this momentmore really dangerous than any he had ever knownit was remarkable that he instinctively opposed to it his most ordinary turns of speech。 It was as though the extravagance of this un… English violence had roused in him the full measure of a native moderation。 The sight of the naked steel deeply disgusted him； he uttered a long sentence。 What did Hughs call thisdisgracin' of the house at this time in the mornin'？ Where was he brought up？ Call 'imself a soldier； attackin' of old men and women in this way？ He ought to be ashamed！
While these words were issuing between the yellow stumps of teeth in that withered mouth； Hughs stood silent； the back of his arm covering his eyes。 Voices and a heavy tread were heard。 Distinguishing in that tread the advancing footsteps of the Law； Creed said： 〃You attack me if you dare！〃
Hughs dropped his arm。 His short； dark face had a desperate look； as of a caged rat； his eyes were everywhere at once。
〃All right； daddy；〃 he said； 〃I won't hurt you。 She's drove my head all wrong again。 Catch hold o' this； I can't trust myself。〃 He held out the bayonet。
〃Westmin