g with animals, and he always rewarded their
trust in him.

Our traveller paced slowly onwards, looking at his feet as he went. He
noticed with a little dismay that he could not see as much of his legs
as he thought he should see. There was a slight but nicely-shaped
curve between him and his past--

"I am getting fat," said he to himself, and the reflection carried him
back to the morning mirror--

"I am getting a bit bald, too," said he, and a quiet sadness took
possession of him.

But he reassured himself. One does get fat. "Every one gets fat,"
said he, "after he gets married." He reviewed his friends and
acquaintances, and found that this was true, and he bowed before an
immutable decree.

"One does get bald," quoth he. "Everybody gets bald. The wisest
people in the world lose their hair. Kings and generals, rich people
and poor people, they are all bald! It is not a disgrace," said he;
and he trod soberly forward in the sunshine.

A young man caught up on him from behind, and strode past. He was
whistling. His coat-tails were lifted and his hands were thrust in his
pockets. His elbows jerked to left and right as he marched.

"A fellow oughtn't to swagger about like that," said our traveller.
"What does he want to tuck up his coat for, anyhow? It's not decent,"
said he in a low voice. "It makes people laugh," said he.

A girl came out of a shop near by and paced down in their direction.
She looked at the young man as they passed, and then she turned again,
a glance, no more, and looked after him without stopping her pace. She
came on. She had no pockets to stick her hands in, but she also was
swaggering. There was a left and right movement of her shoulders, an
impetus and retreat of her hips. Something very strong and yet
reticent about her surging body. She passed the traveller and went
down the road.

"She did not look at me," said he, and his mind folded its hand across
its stomach, and sat down, while he went forward in the sunlight to do
his errands.

He stopped to light a cigarette, and stood for a few minutes watching
the blue smoke drifting and thinning away on the air. While he stood a
man drove up with a horse and car. The car was laden with
groceries--packets of somebody's tea, boxes of somebody's chocolate,
bottles of beer and of mineral water, tins of boot blacking, and
parcels of soap; confectionery, and tinned fish, cheese, macaroni, and
jam.

The man was beating the horse as he appro