As Mount Dunstan watched her
he drew a step nearer to her side. For the first time in his life
he felt the glow of a normal and simple pleasure untouched by any
bitterness.
CHAPTER XXVIII
SETTING THEM THINKING
Old Doby, sitting at his open window, with his pipe and illustrated
papers on the table by his side, began to find life a series of thrills.
The advantage of a window giving upon the village street unspeakably
increased. For many years he had preferred the chimney corner greatly,
and had rejoiced at the drawing in of winter days when a fire must be
well kept up, and a man might bend over it, and rub his hands slowly
gazing into the red coals or little pointed flames which seemed the only
things alive and worthy the watching. The flames were blue at the base
and yellow at the top, and jumped looking merry, and caught at bits of
black coal, and set them crackling and throwing off splinters till they
were ablaze and as much alive as the rest. A man could get comfort and
entertainment therefrom. There was naught else so good to live with.
Nothing happened in the street, and every dull face that passed was an
old story, and told an old tale of stupefying hard labour and hard days.
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