CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. THE BLUE BALL
CHAPTER II. ROYAL OAK
CHAPTER III. "THE LIGHTED TREE”
CHAPTER IV. "THE PILLAR OF SALT”
CHAPTER V. AT THE OPERA
CHAPTER VI. TALK
CHAPTER VII. THE DARK SQUARE GARDEN
CHAPTER VIII. A PUNCH IN THE WIND
CHAPTER IX. LOW-WATER MARK
CHAPTER X. THE WAR AGAIN
CHAPTER XI. MORE PILLAR OF SALT
CHAPTER XII. NOVARA
CHAPTER XIII. WIE ES IHNEN GEFAELLT
CHAPTER XIV. XX SETTEMBRE
CHAPTER XV. A RAILWAY JOURNEY
CHAPTER XVI. FLORENCE
CHAPTER XVII. HIGH UP OVER THE CATHEDRAL SQUARE
CHAPTER XVIII. THE MARCHESA
CHAPTER XIX. CLEOPATRA, BUT NOT ANTHONY
CHAPTER XX. THE BROKEN ROD
CHAPTER XXI. WORDS
There was a large, brilliant evening star in the early twilight, and underfoot the earth was half frozen. It was Christmas Eve. Also the War was over, and there was a sense of relief that was almost a new menace. A man felt the violence of the nightmare released now into the general air. Also there had been another wrangle among the men on the pit-bank that evening.
Aaron Sisson was the last man on the little black railway-line climbing the hill home from work. He was late because he had attended a meeting of the men on the bank. He was secretary to the Miners Union for his colliery, and had heard a good deal of silly wrangling that left him nettled.
He strode over a stile, crossed two fields, strode another stile, and was in the long road of colliers' dwellings. Just across was his own house: he had built it himself. He went through the little gate, up past the side of the house to the back. There he hung a moment, glancing down the dark, wintry garden.
“My father—my father's come!” cried a child's excited voice, and two little girls in white pinafores ran out in front of his legs.
“Father, shall you set the Christmas Tree?” they cried. “We've got one!”
“Afore I have my dinner?” he answered amiably.
“Set it now. Set it now.—We got it through Fred Alton.”