.' He was becoming irrelevant; a question to the point cut short his speech, like a pang of pain, and he felt extremely discouraged and weary.

He was coming to that, he was coming to that--and now, checked brutally, he had to answer by yes or no.

He answered truthfully by a curt 'Yes, I did'; and fair of face, big of frame, with young, gloomy eyes, he held his shoulders upright above the box while his soul writhed within him.

He was made to answer another question so much to the point and so useless, then waited again.

His mouth was tastelessly dry, as though he had been eating dust, then salt and bitter as after a drink of sea-water.