The Return

The old stone church with its square tower stood amid trees, its eastern window faintly aglow with crimson and purple. He could hear a steady, rather nasal voice through its open lattices. B

es. He stood hesitating, gazing steadily and yet half vacantly at the motionless figure, and

ford rather nervously-'I

the stranger. 'I have no priv

owly advanced. 'It's astonishing

'Yes, it is, very,' he replied. There was the faintest

t here?' Lawf

.' He smiled. 'It is my own modest fashion of at

n very few-in fact, so far as I know

his appearance that Lawford was extremely disinclined to turn back. He made another effort-for conversation with strangers had always been a difficulty to him-and advanced towards the seat. 'You mustn't please let me in

it, does not interest me in the least. After all, it's not when a thing is, but what it is, that much matters. What

this v

here are two others side by side under the wall, still even legibly late seventeenth century. That's pretty good weathering.' He smiled faintly. 'Of course, the chur

Lawford haltingly, 'was this.' He pointed

the stranger; 'I know his pec

into the rather long and pale face. 'Not, I suppose,' h

e. 'Well, you know, there's a good deal there'-he stooped

aid Lawford, u

ntrymen have buried him outside of the fold.

nconsecrated grou

s grows down here, and how very sharp are poor old Sabathier'

ntirely a matter of choice-the laws of th

atter of much consequence to HIM. I fancied I was his only friend.

llpond. 'Oh, a rather unusual thing happened t

the stranger

hing-ever

t's quiet; because I prefer the company of those who never answer me back, and who do not so much a

his eyes. 'Do you think,' he said so

ever c

wer

er sat down. He glanced up rather curiously at his companion. 'Seldom the time and the p

that I have never had such an idea, just in one's own superficial way; but'-he paused and glanced s

' taunted the

sing it was most frightfully against one's will; that one hated the awful inaction that death brings, shutting a poor devil up like a chil

gue again, 'surely, what about, say, him?' He nodded t

other echoed, laying

of silence seemed to follow

st have wanted to get home! He killed himself, poor wretch, think o

ted the other with a smile-'migh

no,' said Lawford, his heart beating as if it wou

emed a faint suggestion of irony in his voice. 'And how do you suppose your an

you-you say you have come here, sat here often, on this ve

?' inquired the

ly it was madness to sit on here in the thin gliding mist that had gathered in swath

st give us pause,"' he said slowly, with a little sa

ver noticed it?' he said, putting out his hand towards his unknown companion; 'this stone is cracked from head to foot?... But there'-he rose stiff and chilled-'I am afraid I have bored you with my company. You came here for soli

confess I too should very much like a peep into his cupboard. Who wouldn't? But there, it's merely a matter of time, I suppose.' He paused, and together

hat I have managed to pick up a little more of his history than the sexton seems to have heard of-if you would care some tim

s-well, whatever that history may be, I think you would agree that mine is ev

e. Come at any time of the evening'; he paused again and smiled-'the third house after the

ly the first time that either had seen the other's face at close quarters and clear-lit; and on Lawford's a moon almost at the full sho

e cried, hastil

and turning away, 'I think the m