Knight, with moody carelessness. 'You know, I daresay,
that sheep occasionally become giddy--hydatids in the head, 'tis called,
in which their brains become eaten up, and the animal exhibits the
strange peculiarity of walking round and round in a circle continually.
I have travelled just in the same way--round and round like a giddy
ram.'

The reckless, bitter, and rambling style in which Knight talked, as if
rather to vent his images than to convey any ideas to Stephen, struck
the young man painfully. His former friend's days had become cankered in
some way: Knight was a changed man. He himself had changed much, but not
as Knight had changed.

'Yesterday I came home,' continued Knight, 'without having, to the best
of my belief, imbibed half-a-dozen ideas worth retaining.'

'You out-Hamlet Hamlet in morbidness of mood,' said Stephen, with
regretful frankness.

Knight made no reply.

'Do you know,' Stephen continued, 'I could almost have sworn that you
would be married before this time, from what I saw?'

Knight's face grew harder. 'Could you?' he said.

Stephen was powerless to forsake the depressing, luring subject.

'Yes; and I simply wonder at it.'

'Whom did you expect me to marry?'

'Her I saw you with.'

'Thank you for that wonder.'

'Did she jilt you?'

'Smith, now one word to you,' Knight returned steadily. 'Don't you ever
question me on that subject. I have a reason for making this request,
mind. And if you do question me, you will not get an answer.'

'Oh, I don't for a moment wish to ask what is unpleasant to you--not I.
I had a momentary feeling that I should like to explain something on my
side, and hear a similar explanation on yours. But let it go, let it go,
by all means.'

'What would you explain?'

'I lost the woman I was going to marry: you have not married as you
intended. We might have compared notes.'

'I have never asked you a word about your case.'

'I know that.'

'And the inference is obvious.'

'Quite so.'

'The truth is, Stephen, I have doggedly resolved never to allude to the
matter--for which I have a very good reason.'

'Doubtless. As good a reason as you had for not marrying her.'

'You talk insidiously. I had a good one--a miserably good one!'

Smith's anxiety urged him to venture one more question.

'Did she not love you enough?' He drew his breath in a slow and
attenuated stream, as he waited in timorous hope for the answer.

'Stephen, you rather str