"Asimov, Isaac - Magical Wishes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

There was no reply; me old woman's face was white, her
eyes staring, and her breath inaudible; on the husband's face
was a look such as his friend the sergeant might have carried
into his first action.

"I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all responsi-
bility," continued me other. "They admit no liability at all,
but in consideration of your son's services, they wish to
present you with a certain sum as compensation."

Mr. White dropped his wife's hand, and rising to his feet,
gazed with a look of horror at his visitor. His dry lips shaped
the words. "How much?"

"Two hundred pounds," was the answer.

Unconscious of his wife's shriek, the old man smiled
faintly, put out his hands like a sightless man, and dropped, a
senseless heap to the floor.

Ill

In the huge new cemetery, some two miles distant, the old
people buried their dead, and came back to the house steeped
in shadow and silence. It was all over so quickly that at first
they could hardly realise it, and remained in a state of expec-

20

W. W. Jacobs

tation as though of something else to happenЧsomething else
which was to lighten this load, loo heavy for old hearts to

bear.

But the days passed, and expectation gave place to
resignationЧthe hopeless resignation of the old, sometimes
miscalled apathy. Sometimes they hardly exchanged a word.
for now they had nothing to talk about, and their days were
long to weariness.

It was about a week after, that the old man, waking
suddenly in the night, stretched out his hand and found
himself alone. The room was in darkness, and the sound of
subdued weeping came from the window. He raised himself
in bed and listened.

"Come back," he said tenderly. "You will be cold."