could get out of this heat--" he said, and closed his eyes.

'I must tell him,' she thought; 'I can't slink away.'

"Pour me out some of that stuff, Chris."

She reached for the jug. Yes! She must tell him! Her heart sank.

Mr. Treffry took a lengthy draught. "Broken my promise; don't
matter--won't hurt any one but me." He took up the pipe and pressed
tobacco into it. "I've been lying here with this pain going right
through me, and never a smoke! D'you tell me anything the parsons say
can do me half the good of this pipe?" He leaned back, steeped in a
luxury of satisfaction. He went on, pursuing a private train of thought:
"Things have changed a lot since my young days. When I was a youngster,
a young fellow had to look out for peck and perch--he put the future in
his pocket. He did well or not, according as he had stuff in him. Now
he's not content with that, it seems--trades on his own opinion of
himself; thinks he is what he says he's going to be."

"You are unjust," said Christian.

Mr. Treffry grunted. "Ah, well! I like to know where I am. If I lend
money to a man, I like to know whether he's going to pay it back; I may
not care whether he does or not, but I like to know. The same with other
things. I don't care what a man has--though, mind you, Chris, it's not a
bad rule that measures men by the balance at their banks; but when it
comes to marriage, there's a very simple rule, What's not enough for one
is not enough for two. You can't talk black white, or bread into your
mouth. I don't care to speak about myself, as you know, Chris, but I
tell you this--when I came to London I wanted to marry--I hadn't any
money, and I had to want. When I had the money--but that's neither here
nor there!" He frowned, fingering his pipe.

"I didn't ask her, Chris; I didn't think it the square thing; it seems
that's out of fashion!"

Christian's cheeks were burning.

"I think a lot while I lie here," Mr. Treffry went on; "nothing much else
to do. What I ask myself is this: What do you know about what's best for
you? What do you know of life? Take it or leave it, life's not all you
think; it's give and get all the way, a fair start is everything."

Christian thought: 'Will he never see?'

Mr. Treffry went on:

"I get better every day, but I can't last for ever. It's not pleasant to
lie here and know that when I'm gone there'll be no one to keep a hand on
the check string!"

"Don't talk like that,