He felt all of a sudden how very old he was; a poor, infirm, hoary old man.

His sight was growing dim even, and his hearing duller every day; he was sure of it.

His limbs ached oftener, and he was earlier wearied in the evening; yet he could not sleep soundly at nights, as he had been used to do.

But, worst of all, his memory was not half as good as it had been.

Sometimes, of late, he had caught himself reading a newspaper quite a fortnight old, and he had not found it out till he happened to see the date at the top.