way, with scarcely any
sound; a change Everard had already noticed. 'These two sisters--but I
had better not speak about them. In my old age I have become a
worshipper, a mystic, a man of dream and vision.'

'How about worship in a parochial sense?' inquired Barfoot, smiling.
'Any difficulty of that point?'

'I conform, in moderation. Nothing would be asked of me. There is no
fanaticism, no intolerance. It would be brutal if I declined to go to
church on a Sunday morning. You see, my strictly scientific attitude
helps in avoiding offence. Fanny can't understand it, but my lack of
dogmatism vastly relieves her. I have been trying to explain to her
that the scientific mind can have nothing to do with materialism. The
new order of ideas is of course very difficult for her to grasp; but in
time, in time.'

'For heaven's sake, don't attempt conversion!'

'On no account whatever. But I _should_ like her to see what is meant
by perception and conception, by the relativity of time and space--and
a few simple things of that kind!'

Barfoot laughed heartily.

'By-the-bye,' he said, shifting to safer ground, 'my brother Tom is in
London, and in wretched health. _His_ angel is from the wrong quarter,
from the nethermost pit. I seriously believe that she has a plan for
killing her husband. You remember my mentioning in a letter his
horse-accident? He has never recovered from that, and as likely as not
never will. His wife brought him away from Madeira just when he ought
to have stopped there to get well. He settled himself at Torquay,
whilst that woman ran about to pay visits. It was understood that she
should go back to him at Torquay, but this she at length refused to do.
The place was too dull; it didn't suit her extremely delicate health;
she must live in London, her pure native air. If Tom had taken any
advice, he would have let her live just where she pleased, thanking
Heaven that she was at a distance from him. But the poor fellow can't
be away from her. He has come up, and here I feel convinced he will
die. It's a very monstrous thing, but uncommonly like women in general
who have got a man into their power.'

Micklethwaite shook his head.

'You are too hard upon them. You have been unlucky. You know my view of
your duty.'

'I begin to think that marriage isn't impossible for me,' said Barfoot,
with a grave smile.

'Ha! Capital!'

'But as likely as not it will be marriage without forms--imply a free
union.'