Afterwards he found his face was wet with blood--which was none the
less red stuff from the heart because it came from slight
abrasions.



Chapter the Sixth

Miriam


I

It is an illogical consequence of one human being's ill-treatment that
we should fly immediately to another, but that is the way with us. It
seemed to Mr. Polly that only a human touch could assuage the smart of
his humiliation. Moreover it had for some undefined reason to be a
feminine touch, and the number of women in his world was limited.

He thought of the Larkins family--the Larkins whom he had not been
near now for ten long days. Healing people they seemed to him
now--healing, simple people. They had good hearts, and he had
neglected them for a mirage. If he rode over to them he would be able
to talk nonsense and laugh and forget the whirl of memories and
thoughts that was spinning round and round so unendurably in his
brain.

"Law!" said Mrs. Larkins, "come in! You're quite a stranger, Elfrid!"

"Been seeing to business," said the unveracious Polly.