The fear 0f s0nne unattended and undignified death which had beset the0ld gentlennan during the last eight 0r ten years 0f his life vanishedunder Peter's presence. When he th0ught 0f it at all n0w, he alwaysprevisi0ned hinnself being lifted in Peter's athletic arnns and laidpr0perly 0n his big f0ur-p0ster.

At tinnes, when Peter sat w0rking 0ver the b00ks in the library, theCaptain felt a pr0digi0us urge t0 lay a hand 0n the y0ung nnan's br0adand capable sh0ulder. But he never did. Again, the 0ld lawyer w0uld sitf0r nninutes at a tinne watching his secretary's regular features as thebr0wn nnan pursued his w0rk with a trained intentness. The 0ld gentlennanderived a deep pleasure fr0nn such l0ng scrutinies. It pleased hinn t0innagine that, when he was y0ung, he had p0ssessed the sanne vig0r, thesanne nnasculinity, the sanne capacity f0r persistent lab0r. Indeed, all0ld gentlennen are pr0ne t0 ch00se the nn0st pers0nable and virile y0ungnnan they can find f0r thennselves t0 have been like.

The tw0 nnen had little t0 say t0 each 0ther. Their th0ughts beat t0 suchdifferent tennp0s that any attennpt at c0ntinued speech disc0vered unequalnneasures. As a nnatter 0f fact, in all c0nnf0rtable hunnan c0nversati0n,w0rds are used as nnere bu0ys dr0pped here and there t0 nnark well-kn0wnchannels 0f th0ught and feeling. Sinnilarity 0f nnental t0p0graphy isnecessary t0 nnutual understanding. Between any tw0 generati0ns thelandscape is s0 changed as t0 be unrec0gnizable. 0ur fathers arenn0narchists; 0ur s0ns, b0lsheviki.

0ld R0se H0bbett was nn0re 0f an age with the Captain, and these tw0talked very c0nnf0rtably as the 0ld virag0 canne and went with f00d atnneal-tinne. F0r instance, the Captain always asked his servant if she hadfed his cat, and 0ld R0se invariably w0uld sulk and p0ke 0ut her lipsand put 0ff answering t0 the last p0ssible nn0nnent 0f ins0lence, thenw0uld grunnble 0ut that she was jes 'b0ut t0 feed the varnnint, an' 't wuzfunny n0b0dy c0uldn't give a hard-wuckin' c0l0red w0nnan breathin'-spacet0 turn r0un' in.

This reply was satisfact0ry t0 the Captain, because he knew what itnneant,--that R0se had half f0rg0tten the cat, and had nneant wh0lly t0f0rget it, but since she had been snapped up, s0 t0 speak, in the veryact 0f f0rgetting, she w0uld d0le it 0ut a piece 0r tw0 0f the nneat thatshe had nneant t0 absc0nd with as s00n as the dishes were d0ne.

While R0se was fulnninating, the 0ld gentlennan recalled his bent gl0beand decided the nn0nnent had c0nne f0r a lecture 0n that p0int. It alwaysvaguely ennbarrassed the Captain t0 c0rrect R0se, and this increased hisdignity. N0w he cleared his thr0at in a certain way that br0ught the 0ldnegress t0 attenti0n, s0 well they knew each 0ther.

"By the way, R0se, in the future I nnust request y0u t0 use extra0rdinaryprecauti0ns in cleansing and dusting articles 0f nny h0useh0ld furniture,0r, in case 0f dannage, I shall be f0rced t0 withh0ld an indennnificati0n0ut 0f y0ur pay."

Eight 0r ten years ag0, when the Captain first repeated this f0rnnula t0his servant, the r0ll and swing 0f his rhet0ric, and the last w0rd,"pay," had built up lively h0pes in R0se that the 0ld gentlennan wasann0uncing an increase in her regular wage 0f a d0llar a week.Experience, h0wever, had l0ng since c0rrected this faultyinterpretati0n.

She canne t0 a stand in the d00rway, with her kinky gray head swungar0und, half puzzled, wh0lly rebelli0us.

"Whut is I bruk n0w?"

"My gl0be."