Page 823 - of-human-bondage-

CI

hen Philip rang a head was put out of the window,
Wand in a minute he heard a noisy clatter on the stairs
as the children ran down to let him in. It was a pale, anx-
ious, thin face that he bent down for them to kiss. He was
so moved by their exuberant affection that, to give himself
time to recover, he made excuses to linger on the stairs. He
was in a hysterical state and almost anything was enough
to make him cry. They asked him why he had not come on
the previous Sunday, and he told them he had been ill; they
wanted to know what was the matter with him; and Philip,
to amuse them, suggested a mysterious ailment, the name
of which, double-barrelled and barbarous with its mixture
of Greek and Latin (medical nomenclature bristled with
such), made them shriek with delight. They dragged Philip
into the parlour and made him repeat it for their father’s
edification. Athelny got up and shook hands with him. He
stared at Philip, but with his round, bulging eyes he always
seemed to stare, Philip did not know why on this occasion
it made him self-conscious.
‘We missed you last Sunday,’ he said.
Philip could never tell lies without embarrassment, and
he was scarlet when he finished his explanation for not com-
ing. Then Mrs. Athelny entered and shook hands with him.
‘I hope you’re better, Mr. Carey,’ she said.

Of Human Bondage