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"Have you got a clean shirt?" he asked Tilly

"You know you've got clean shirts," she said

"Ay,--bring ht down one of the linen shirts he had inherited

fro it before hi love as he sat leaning with his

arms on his knees, still and absorbed, unaware of her Lately, a

quivering inclination to cry had co for him in his presence Now her hands tre and teasing now The

deep stillness there was in the house made her tremble

He went to wash himself Queer little breaks of consciousness

seemed to rise and burst like bubbles out of the depths of his

stillness

"It's got to be done," he said as he stooped to take the

shirt out of the fender, "it's got to be done, so why balk it?"

And as he combed his hair before the mirror on the wall, he

retorted to himself, superficially: "The woman's not speechless

duht to

please herself, and displease whosoever she likes"

This streak of common sense carried him a little further

"Did you want anythink?" asked Tilly, suddenly appearing,

having heard hi him comb his fair

beard His eyes were calm and uninterrupted