Very imperfectly educated in his youth, he had never found leisure for enriching his mind in the ordinary way until it was too late; as an old man he had so much occupation in his thoughts that the printed page made little appeal to him.

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.