The light glinted on the steel of his bayonet.

He had a fresh, fine, boyish face.
"We have some distance yet to go in this world," I said to myself, "no man need repine for lack of good work ahead." It was only a little way beyond this mill that an incident occurred which occupied probably not ten minutes of time, and yet I have thought about it since I came home as much as I have thought about any other incident of my pilgrimage.

I have thought how I might have acted differently under the circumstances, how I could have said this or how I ought to have done that--all, of course, now to no purpose whatever.

But I shall not attempt to tell what I ought to have done or said, but what I actually did do and say on the spur of the moment.
It was in a narrow, dark street which opened off the brightly lighted main thoroughfare of that mill neighbourhood.

A girl standing in the shadows between two buildings said to me as I passed: "Good evening." I stopped instantly, it was such a pleasant, friendly voice.
"Good evening," I said, lifting my hat and wondering that there should be any one here in this back street who knew me.
"Where are you going ?" she asked.
I stepped over quickly toward her, hat in hand.