y a fancy of my own. Yet I SHOULD
like to see life lived in better fashion."

He sighed and paused, for evidently he was becoming lost in thought.

"Unfortunately," he continued at last, "the latter is a desire which I
have conceived too late. If only I had done so fifteen years ago, when
I was filling the post of Inspector of the prison at Usman--"

His left arm stretched itself out, and once more there slid on to his
wrist the bracelet. For a moment he touched its gold with a rapid, but
careful, delicate, movement--then he restored the trinket to its
retreat, rose suddenly, looked about him for a second or two with a
frown, and said in dry, brisk tones as he gave his iron-grey moustache
an energetic twist:

"Now I must be going."

For a while I accompanied him on his way, for I had a keen desire to
hear him say something more in that pleasant, powerful bass of his; but
though he stepped past the gravestones with strides as careful and
regular as those of a soldier on parade, he failed again to break
silence.

Just as we passed the chapel of the monastery there floated forth into
the fair evening stillness, from the bars, of a window, while yet not
really stirring that stillness, a hum of gruff, lazy, peevish
ejaculations. Apparently they were uttered by two persons who were
engaged in a dispute, since one of them muttered:

"What have you done? What have you done?"

And the other responded carelessly:

"Hold your tongue, now! Pray hold your tongue!"

ON A RIVER STEAMER

The water of the river was smooth, and dull silver of tint. Also, so
barely perceptible was the current that it seemed to be almost stagnant
under the mist of the noontide heat, and only by the changes in the
aspect of the banks could one realise how quietly and evenly the river
was carrying on its surface the old yellow-hulled steamer with the
white-rimmed funnel, and also the clumsy barge which was being towed in
her wake.

Dreamily did the floats of the paddle-wheels slap the water. Under the
planks of the deck the engines toiled without ceasing. Steam hissed and
panted. At intervals the engine-room bell jarred upon the car. At
intervals, also, the tiller-chains slid to and fro with a dull,
rattling sound. Yet, owing to the somnolent stillness settled upon the
river, these sounds escaped, failed to catch one's attention.

Through the dryness of the summer the water was low. Periodically, in
the steamer's bow, a deck hand like