Aaron's Rod
was a little, dark, thin, quick fellow, his wife was strong and fair. They had known R
clock Lilly went off to the station. He was a few minutes late, and saw Jim's tall, rather elegant figure stalking down the station path. Jim had been an officer in th
, as Lilly came up. "Tho
rry your bag." Jim had
im. "I suddenly saw that if there was a man
hat?" asked Lill
ooped, grinning a
lief in himself as a saviour. The two men tramped r
orway as they came
you! Are you all
grinning. "Nice o
e awfully
s knapsack on
ht some foo
We can't get a great deal here, exc
und of sausages and
l have them for dinner tonight-and we'll hav
his bag, taken off his co
s," he
tea, and at len
ed this is-and how
eh?" sa
, stuffing his
erybody?"
th Cyril Scott. Can't stand
her nice," said Tanny.
at Josephine,
? I thought so. And she likes h
kely," s
're jealous,"
. "Not a bit. Like to se
you been do
a few days w
! I can't b
this wife again: purely friendly. Tanny did most of the talking. Jim excited her, with his
ad to be suddenly starting off to keep sudden appointments, or he felt he was a void in the atmosphere. He talked to Lilly about social refor
es had come to look for. He intended to do his best. Af
will happen to the world?" L
something big c
re f
Japan-they're the two pole
sia and Americ
d and Japan. I know it. I've had a vision of it. Irelan
ee how," s
OW-But I had a
ort of
't desc
much of the Japanese,
Jim. "What, don't you t
they're rathe
ation of the worl
Lilly. "I think they'r
h? Now that's
simply dropped in masses. But those that reached the trenches jumped in with bare hands on the Russians and tore their faces apart and bit their throats out-fairly ripped the faces off the bone.-It had sent the doctor a bit cracked. He
, and smiled as i
lly-!"
demon than angel, I
ut you always exag
," sai
inating-fascinating-so qui
im, looking with a q
ver would be marvellou
uld," said Jim, sc
al British as much as
hem!" he said, wit
she. "And I believe there's n
y!" sa
ish yourself," s
ly's Irish-my mother
ou live i
won't let me g
they prepared to go to bed. Jim was a bit tipsy, gri
y. He was surprised, because Jim
he cut himself about half
l do," s
it. Have cocoa wit
to have it i
bread in the ni
d
unny thin
e and went downstairs. Lilly heard him roaming about-heard the woman come in to clean-heard them talking. So he got up to look aft
y in the kitchen w
the bread and butter were, so I said should I cut him a piece. But he wouldn'
lly at breakfast time, "why
I've been starved du
bread won't
o work at, and prevents it gri
ant to keep your stomac
I'm losing life, if I don't. I tell you I'm
lieve bread
m talked about the
thing time has ever produced,"
crucifixions ad in
? Why
nough-and
fice are the finest things in l
God, I am willing to sacrifice for Him. That is, I'm willing to yield my own personal i
" said Jim. "I think the greatest j
u love, you me
an love-love-love. I sacrifice myself to love.
yourself to an abstract
ty of it. Who represents the principle doesn't ma
must be SOMEBODY you love, not abstract love in itse
r Christ detestable," sai
e world has prod
n't you see it's the Judas principle you really worship. Judas is t
at Judas wasn't the greatest of the disciples-and Jesus kn
uraged him in his Jud
d knowingl
udas is a rotten, dirty worm, just a dirty little self-conscious sentimental twister. And out of all Christianity he is the
thousand years to begin to understand him," said J
all its weight on a piece of treachery makes that treachery not only inevitable but
s produced, or ever will produ
aid Lilly. "Fo
st wild anemones. The sun was quite warm. The three were about to tak
aid Jim. "Mind if I
bullied, almost obscenely bullied. Was he g
ou went tomor
opposite Jim, dropped
omorrow?"
ay," sa
e looked up and got Lilly's eye
you went Thursday
Tanny, who was sufferi
u some way if you like," said Lilly
Jim. "We'll d
the woods. Between Jim and Tanny was a sort of g
onal tone for?" cried Lilly at Tanny, as the
at all, am I, Mr. Br
illy, and gri
t you be, any
retorted.
Mr. Bricknell, that it's lovely to be able to talk quite simply to somebody? Oh, it'
" cried Tanny.
ng," said Li
ement. They rose, and went to look for an inn, and b
spring, with crocuses and wall-flowers in the cottag
e it-"Meet you for a walk on your return journey Lois." At once Tanny wanted to know all about Lois. Lo
to meet me tomorrow," he
coming out of London, should meet Jim. Then the happy pair could walk along
Having so inhospitably fixed the hour of departure, Lilly wanted to be nice. Arr
lly. "We'll go
ation-master and the signal man, quite officer-and-my-men kind of thing. Lilly sat out on the steps of the signal-box, rather ashamed, while the long telegram was s
oll in the woods, while Tanny prepared the dinner. Jim agreed, and they set out. The two men wandered thr
r of fact," he said, "it's nothing but love and self
Burgundy I feel myself restored at the middle-right here! I feel the ener
ll in love?"
es
hat do you want to poke yourself
without it. I'm
e yourself. If you dro
was like. I used to get the most grand feelings-like a great rush of force, or light-a great rush-right here, as
or what?-for
man, I
, leave love alone, as any tw
octor has any say in. It's what I feel inside me. I feel the life going. I know it's going. I never get those inrus
yourself and you
't. It's a s
into a woman's lap. You should stand by yourself and learn to be by yourself. Why don't you be more like the Japanese you talk about? Quiet, aloof little devils
used
he laughed. It se
. Why can't you gat
the
yourself
ods back to the cottage. Jim staggered and stumbled like a drunken man: or wor
hambled, in a state of nauseous weak relaxation. However, they reached the cottage: and food and
sat once more talk
the fire, the other two in the a
king with Lois towards London tom
doesn't he walk by himself, without wanti
y. "YOU see that you have a woman
t need holding,
ngrateful and mannish. Because I hold you safe enough all
t that moment. "Anyhow," and he turned to Jim, "it's time you'd done
I, if I like
not?" sa
ou, stumbling and staggering with no use i
you?" s
be loved which does it. A maudlin crying to b
at's it?"
ready to hold your hand the moment you go away. And before she lets go, you'll be wiring f
e in love-" said Jim, wat
if it did you no harm. But when you stagger and stumble d
e him two or three hard blows with his fists, upon the front of th
have to do it, if
d not breathe. He sat rigid, paralysed as a winded man is. But he wouldn't let it be seen. With all his will he prevented himself from g
ught for his breath. Tanny opened her eyes wide in a sort of pleased bewilderme
silence, sudden
he managed to compress and control into speech. Then he sat motionless again, conc
his chair, and
said, in a rather small voice. "But I k
in Jim's voice, as if the whole thing had been semi-deliberate. He detected the sort of
but still rather pleased, as if she demanded
pect to say all those thin
wer. Jim glanced at him
like him better than any man I've ever known, I beli
shed through
oked for her h
he things you do without their having an
ed the words out coldly. "He w
ued now. Tanny loo
it coming on
know the things he says." She was pleased
others no doubt attributed his silence to deep or fierce thoughts. It was nothing of the kind, merely a cold struggle
r liked a man more than I like hi
ck safely in
It's nothing. I've done my talki
't get an answer, you know-and that's why you go so far-in t
!" sai
ng. I don't mind wha
without considering the person he's talking to. This time it's come back on h
he says. I don't mi
erently. "I say what I feel-You do
lowed this speech. It was brok
aughing rather shrilly. "Suddenly, like a t
eh!" said J
he looked again at her husband. "But, Raw
ff face did
king at her coldly. "What
so much," she s
o thaw, and in vain Tanny gave her digs at her husband. Lilly's stiff, inscr
tryside and enjoyed the walk. But a hardness inside himself never relaxed. Jim talked a little again about the future of the world, and a higher state of Christlikeness in man. But Lilly only la
eresting topic?"
d Tanny, nettled. "Wh
intend to,"
if severed with a knife. Jim walke
train came. They all said goodbye. Jim and Tanny were both waiting for Lilly to
Lois will be there all right. Thi
ham?" said Jim, lean
called Tanny, after
said Lilly, n
in. Lilly never intended to see him:
coming so near to people, wanting t
Romance
Billionaires
Billionaires
Romance
Billionaires
Xuanhuan