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There, the afternoonbefore, he had had the first hour of bodily comfort he had
knownfor months.
The sight of her, and of the picture in the hall, moved
himstrangely.
His eyes were different too,wilder, less assured, less
benevolent. A man can scarcely be if he lives in aperpetual flux.
He lookedat
Leithen with eyes long experienced in life, and shook his headsadly. No, there
has been no Francis Galliard here.
I have my faith to find, and perhaps I
havelittle time in which to find it.
Wehave no geographical frontier left, but
weve an eternal frontierin our minds. His real strength lies in his flair,
which cant be put downin black and white. Leithen gazed at it for some time,
trying to find what he hadexpected.
If you went to a sanatorium andlived very
carefully you might have longer. As for Francis, that shadow too was taking
form. You never asked what he was thinking about?
I will conduct you to
theProphets Chamber.
Seconded forspecial service, as we used to say in the
army. If hecould discover that something he would have a clue for his quest.
Thecontract was for a month, but with provision for an indefiniteextension. He
wasbeginning to realise something of the man he had come to seek. In everyline
there was energy and quick decision. It is aconglomeration of problems, most of
which we cannot define. The man, out of tune withhis environment, had fallen
into the clutches of the past. It looks like he has dragged his anchor
atpresent. Ive heardyou speak in the British Parliament.
If hecould discover
that something he would have a clue for his quest. He had already detected the
unmistakablemetropolitan pitch of the voice.
The son Paul was a gallant young
man, but he was nothappy on this soil. He wanted to beassured that he had still
a modest reservoir to draw upon. I understand they are one of the
oldestfamilies in Canada.
He remembered the young Ravelstons words. Its only
the containing walls ofthe box that keep them together.
You know him, but
younever treated him, did you? Hekept me up till three in the morning listenin
to his stuff. All of us have got to find a new way of life.
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