Here and Hereafter

As my man was driving slowly through the traffic I saw, a hundred yards away, Tarn striding along, in the same shabby clothes, with his retriever at his heel. He turne

ty which seemed to hang round Tarn and his negress wife at Felonsdene. I had not been in practice for ten years without coming on strange occurrences before, and they had all lost their s

tack was new, and so were the window-casements. Adjoining the big room was a building of irregular shape that might possibly have contained three or four other rooms, roofed with new corrugated iron. One or two outbuildings looked as if they had been newly constructed from old materials. But that part of the farm-house which had originally been two-storied had been left quite untouched. Half the roof of it was down, th

use them if he went for me. But all signs of hostility vanished when he saw me. He did not leap and gambol for joy, but he thrust his nose into

door, and across the hall to the door of the big room. He s

entered. He had taken off his coat and his heavy boots and wore felt slippers that had a home-made loo

eep," he said. "

long walk this morning.

I told

ouse for a rest. How's your wif

o has the child. I will find out if she wi

xtremely angry; also, I might have thought it right to disregard the d

a rotten fashionable life. With me she was reticent, almost sullen in manner; yet she seemed docile and had carried out my orders. The only difficulty was, as I had expected, to

there. I sat down to wait for him, and the dog got up from the fire and came over to me and laid his head on my knee. He was an enormous and very powerful brute, as much retriever as anything, but ev

from outside. His hai

n," he said, "and thrown

id. "I was just doubting if tha

in here awhile, unless you have other

always try to arrange for Sunday afternoon free, and I'm

emotions much, but he certainly left me with the impression that he was fond and proud of the child. He asked several

sed to find gas in a p

oneself that's a consideration. Besides, it gives more light, and people who live

"I don't want

her. Still, you've done much for us-Mala says she would have died

But I should imagine that you

riend of mine. I brought her to England and married her. You know how such a marriage is regarded here-how a

f there had been

have conjectured. How did it all happen? What were you doing

on of money. I remember it all-settled after midnight at a café where we drank absinthe-the uncle with arms too long and very prognathous, like a dressed-up ape, pouncing on the bank-notes with hairy fingers and counting aloud in French, very bad French, not like Mala's. He was very old-a hundred years, he said-he cannot have been her uncle really. A great-uncle perhaps. He was not a r

ain. "I don't think you menti

be taken away. You see, doctor, he was a very earnest man, and very religious. He had gone too far along a new road, and he was horribly frightened but could not go back. It was too much for him. Mala and I had to go away also, of course. I remember hotels that would not take us in. We have been followed

And in the e

ve arranged life as we wish it to be, and we practise ou

ons of religio

what you're saying. In our religion there are no consolations. There is only propitiation, and again propitiation, and always propitiation-the sacrifice of more and more as the end draws nearer." He swept his arm round and pointed at the door

silent. I was beginning

consolation

and yet something. For

child

too. For a littl

I rose to go. "Mr Tarn," I said, "before I leave you

a?" he ask

ase of your own friend warns you how dangerous it is. This prolonged solitude is bad for you and bad for your wife. This pessimistic brooding over things you cannot understand-which you are pleased to call a

t you want

llow-men. No novelty lasts more than three months. Before the end of that time your wife will excite no attention at all-the position will be accepted. An

o take your advice,

hy

are as we were made.

I've done my duty.

ffectively and refuse to bite without his weight on the back axle. At the rutty descent on the other side he would get off and walk by the car to lend a hand if the wheels sank too de

al matters the man was still show

fund of curious information. He told me to what Power the smell of burning juniper was supposed t

gar!" add

?" I ask

m, you know. And likely to