The Upas Tree: A Christmas Story for all the Year

reet Station at 8 o'clock o

nd the steady run up to town, alone in a first-class compartment, he felt m

e scenes which called for their energy during the whole of the coming day; the gliding in and out of trains, the passing to and fro of porters, wheeling heavy luggage; the clang of milk-cans, the hoot of taxi-cabs, and, beyond

s canvas case in one hand, and the bag containing his manuscript in the other, he stood quite sti

the platform. He paused at once, with the ready and

West?" he asked,

" replied Ronni

g up luggage in a nightmare? Dream luggage was not worth retrieving. Besides,

the Hook, sir?" in

"Did you think I had

it seemed exactly the sort of

sed on; then returned, looking

from Central Africa, where I have been sitting round camp-fires, in company with asps and cockatr

Ronnie's books. He smiled uneasily. Asp

ffee, sir, before going out

nnie; and made his way

d at a still earlier hour, in their own cosy homes. Their wives had made their coffee. To-morrow Helen would pour

ice at Liverpool Street Station before. You generally made a dash for the only empty table you saw, usually close to the door. That was like Hobson's choi

the stable. Forty good marble

ing down tentatively at several. At last he chose the most central, as being the furthest removed from Hobson's choice; sa

come from behind the counter, and was standing

and butter, for himself; a glass of

e, the friendly inspector arrived, accompanied by another railway official. They sai

r their civility, and

r when they noticed the glass of milk and the sponge-cake, which Ro

saluted, a

Ronnie drank

brey had insisted upon giving him just before the steamer sailed the night before. H

If he had let Helen meet him, she might have been

drew them hurriedly towards him. He felt suddenly ashamed of them. It was possible t

e one and ate the other. He could think of no other way of disposing of them. He hoped t

stly taste of the milk; but instantly remembered that old Dick had sa

coffee made him feel extra

nfant back i

pector

est," he said. "If we may have you

was rather vague about it just now; but I had been given a sleeping draught on board, and was ha

tor looked

o, handed his bag to the inspector, and

city sounded more natural. He had an excellent report to make to his pub

ced the Infant on

n. It was so much more convenient to have plenty of room in the taxi for

looking out at the fog and mud an

-coat at the Hague. He had lived in it ever since, feeling gorgeous and

nkment. Once it skidded on the tramlines, and

ghty, resistless, perpetually useful-r

gs of an All-wise Providence, the fact that large rivers flowed through great cities, and small streams through little vill

s, and, leaving his 'cello in charge of the hall porter,

on the journey. Aubrey had persuaded him to pack it away. He now to

publisher was neither pre-occupied nor vague. He ga

ealth, Ronnie returned to his club, lunched, showed his 'cello to tw

ed to have cleared away. He was on his way to H

agerly, what Helen wo

ow in his hand, and the 'cello between his knee

ntrol, so that she might be there to enjoy with h

of the little wayside station appeared, Ronnie took the last