"Adjudicated?" . . .
"No!" . . .
I stared at him for a moment and then got off the stile.
He stood swaying and then came forward with a weak motion of his arms like a man who cannot see distinctly, and caught at and leant upon the stile. For a moment we were absolutely still. He made a clumsy gesture towards the great futility below and choked. I discovered that his face was wet with tears, that his wet glasses blinded him. He put up his little fat hand and clawed them off clumsily, felt inefficiently for his pocket-handkerchief and then to my horror, as he clung to me, he began to weep aloud, this little old world-worn swindler. It wasn't just sobbing or shedding tears, it was crying as a child cries. It was—oh! terrible!
"It's cruel," he blubbered at last. "They asked me questions. They kep' asking me questions, George. . . ."
He sought for utterance, and spluttered.
"The Bloody bullies!" he shouted. "The Blöö-öödy Bullies."
He ceased to weep. He became suddenly rapid and explanatory.
"It's not a fair game, George. They tire you out. And I'm not well. My stomach's all wrong. And I been and got a cold. I always been li'ble to cold and this one's on my chest. And then they tell you to speak up. They bait you—and bait you, and bait you. It's torture. The strain of it. You can't remember what you said. You're bound to contradict yourself. It's like Russia, George. . . . It isn't fair play. . . . Prominent man. I've been next at dinners with that chap, Neal, I've told him stories—and he's bitter!
