Aaron's Rod
Soho, one Sunday evening. They had a corner to themselves, and
ly four years old. The widow had opened a shop: Aaron was her only child. She had done well in her shop. She had wante
?" said
ll you. I felt
iated education. On purpose he kept the midland accent in his speech. He understood pe
nd out what sort of wife Aaron had-but, except that she was the daugh
end her money
er so much a week out of the money in the bank. My
hat I say, do you
t mind," h
r of Robert: blond, erect, nicely built, fresh and English-seeming. But there was a curious cold distance to him,
left your wife and child
the girl. She had had her hair bobbed, and it h
For no particular reason. Th
pallor of suffering under its freshn
ve your little girls
ept I wanted to have some free
ve?" flashed Josephine,
I don't know what I wan
ially when other people
t forced to feel-I feel if I go back home now, I s
re than your wife coul
her mind she loves me, and sh
r love her?"
lover any more. To her or to anybody. That's the top and bottom of it. I don
hovering near. Josephine let him re
ine," she sa
rench waiters and foreign food-he noticed them in his quick, amiable-looking fashion-but he
d coffee a
etimes-so dreadfully alone: not in a silly sentimental fashion, because men keep t
got relatio
ts and cousins in America. I suppose I shall see the
married?" he said
-five. How
ty-th
I don't get married. In a way, I hate earning
e you do
ay-rather fun-I enjoy it. But I of
what
almost a
n't know. And it doesn't matt
, anyhow? We live till w
-I feel dreadful sometimes-as if every minute would be the last. I keep going on and o
self," he said. "You shoul
," she said. "I mu
occasion,
dden grunting, unhappy laug
more than anything would be an end of the w
red his drops of br
for wishing
. It'll just go on and on- Doesn
her and sho
rn me," he said. "So long
u SATISFIED
ling and caring, and being forced
r hostess of the evening," she
ht," he said. "You
I think I'm nothing when I'm alone. Sometimes
ok his
No. I only want
to do with anybody?" s
o any
and then she bub
unny," she said.
see it.-Jim Bricknell's
-conscious and selfish and hysterical
aid Aaron. "You'd both of you l
it came he wou
ld y
ng to be in it. I'd give heaven and earth f
get it, when you
die and leave all this
do
don't
sn't really
me feel I
't see
" said Josephine. "How do you like
sharp,"
more tha
got his finge
plums in any of them,"
does h
tories an
akes i
dark night. She folded her wrap round her, and hurried forward with short, sharp steps. There was a certain Parisian chic and mincingness
is bowler hat d
bus?" she said in a high
ather
woul
crammed with people. Her heels clicked sharply on the pavement, as they walked ea
the corner, she
Don't come any furt
with you: unless
you want
no b
t seemed dark and deserted, dark like a savage wilderness in the heart of London. The wind was roarin
he square garden with her key,
!" she shrilled. "Shall we
up to a seat. He sat beside her. They sat in silence, looking at the darkness. Rain was blow
t, and purred to a standstill. There was a light of an open hall door. But all far away, it seemed, unthinkably far away. Aaron sat still and watched. He was frightened, it all seemed so sinister, this dark, bristling heart of London. Wind boomed and tore
w her nose and wiped her face. But he had not realized. She hardly realized hers
nd," she said to
arm, living grasp. She wept mo
ou crying?
lied, rather matter-of-
o more, but sat with her cold
ool," she said. "I d
r nothing, can'
t it's not ve
ghed s
ble!"
strange man
took no
nd to marry Jim Br
of c
magine it,
y n
t of mid-London, the phantasmagoric old Blo
shouldn't mar
not? I
hink y
ndeed
ot say a
?" she persisted
n he was
me life, haven't
? W
see
not vicious.-I've seen some life, perhaps-i
n't th
u mean? What ar
ng. No
o irritatin
nd she became silent als
?" came her voice
his voice sounded gently, h
" he
y n
't wan
t?" she
, but did
he darkness her face was set and sullen. Sometimes a spray of rain
in now,"
ffended, are
. W
in the darkness
onde
ome little way. Then
k it is rath
aid. "Not i
lowed her
ey, and they crossed
said, turning and
with me-or lunch-will you? Wh
ertain-I'm very busy jus
ht on the pair of them a
ping back, and she hastily op