Till quite
recently he had been in the habit of walking for several hours
daily, always choosing poor districts; now that his bodily powers
were sensibly failing him, he passed more and more of his time in
profound brooding, so forgetful of external things that Jane, on her
return from work, had more than once been troubled by noticing that
he had taken no midday meal. It was in unconsciousness such as this
that he sat when his son Joseph, receiving no reply to his knock,
opened the door and entered; but that his eyes were open, the
posture of his body and the forward drooping of his head would have
made it appear that he slept. Joseph stepped towards him, and at
length the old man looked up. He gazed at his visitor first
unintelligently, then with wonder and growing emotion.
'Jo?--Jo, at last? You were in my mind only a few minutes ago, but
I saw you as a boy.'
He rose from the chair and held out both his hands, trembling more
than they were wont to do.
'I almost wonder you knew me,' said Joseph. 'It's seventeen years
since we saw each other. It was all Jane could do to remember me.'
'Jane? Where have you seen her? At the house in the Close?'
'Yes.
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