o than I have had this year past.

"I've been sliding fast to it....

"NO! I'M DAMNED IF I DO!..."

16

For some time he had been bothered by a sense of something, something
else, awaiting his attention. Now it came swimming up into his
consciousness. He had forgotten. He was, of course, going to sleep out
under the stars.

He had settled that overnight, that was why he had this cloak in his
rucksack, but he had settled none of the details. Now he must find some
place where he could lie down. Here, perhaps, in this strange forgotten
wilderness of rhododendra.

He turned off from the track and wandered among the bushes. One might
lie down anywhere here. But not yet; it was as yet barely twilight. He
consulted his watch. HALF-PAST SEVEN.

Nearly dinner-time....

No doubt Christian during the earlier stages of his pilgrimage noticed
the recurrence of the old familiar hours of his life of emptiness
and vanity. Or rather of vanity--simply. Why drag in the thought of
emptiness just at this point?...

It was very early to go to bed.

He might perhaps sit and think for a time. Here for example was a mossy
bank, a seat, and presently a bed. So far there were only three stars
visible but more would come. He dropped into a reclining attitude. DAMP!

When one thinks of sleeping out under the stars one is apt to forget the
dew.

He spread his Swiss cloak out on the soft thick carpeting of herbs
and moss, and arranged his knapsack as a pillow. Here he would lie and
recapitulate the thoughts of the day. (That squealing might be a
young fox.) At the club at present men would be sitting about holding
themselves back from dinner. Excellent the clear soup always was at the
club! Then perhaps a Chateaubriand. That--what was that? Soft and large
and quite near and noiseless. An owl!

The damp feeling was coming through his cloak. And this April night air
had a knife edge. Early ice coming down the Atlantic perhaps. It was
wonderful to be here on the top of the round world and feel the icebergs
away there. Or did this wind come from Russia? He wasn't quite clear
just how he was oriented, he had turned about so much. Which was east?
Anyhow it was an extremely cold wind.

What had he been thinking? Suppose after all that ending with Mrs.
Skelmersdale was simply a beginning. So far he had never looked sex in
the face....

He sat up and sneezed violently.

It would be ridiculous to start out seeking the clue to one's