14:337;1038['  ]| What is the age of the soul of man? As she hath the virtue of the
14:337;1039['  ]| chameleon to$9$ change her hue at every new approach, to$9$ be gay with the
14:337;1040['  ]| merry and mournful with the downcast, so$3$ too is her age changeable as her
14:337;1041['  ]| mood. No$2$ longer is Leopold, as he sits there, ruminating, chewing the cud
14:337;1042['  ]| of reminiscence, that$6#2$ staid agent of publicity and holder of a modest
14:337;1043['  ]| substance in$4$ the funds. A score of years are blown away. He is young
14:337;1044['  ]| Leopold. There, as in$4$ a retrospective arrangement, a mirror within a mirror
14:337;1045['  ]| (hey, presto!), he beholdeth himself. That$6#2$ young figure of then is seen,
14:337;1046['  ]| precociously manly, walking on$4$ a nipping morning from the old house in$4$
14:337;1047['  ]| Clanbrassil*street to$4$ the high*school, his booksatchel on$4$ him bandolierwise,
14:337;1048['  ]| and in$4$ it a goodly hunk of wheaten loaf, a mother's thought. Or it is the
14:337;1049['  ]| same figure, a year or so$5#2$ gone over, in$4$ his first hard hat (ah, that$6#2$ was a
14:337;1050['  ]| day!), already on$4$ the road, a fullfledged traveller for$4$ the family firm,
14:337;1051['  ]| equipped with an orderbook, a scented handkerchief (not for$4$ show only),
14:337;1052['  ]| his case of bright trinketware (alas! a thing now of the past!) and a
14:337;1053['  ]| quiverful of compliant smiles for$4$ this or that$6#2$ halfwon housewife reckoning
14:337;1054['  ]| it out upon$4$ her fingertips or for$4$ a budding virgin, shyly acknowledging (but
14:337;1055['  ]| the heart? tell me!) his studied baisemoins. The scent, the smile, but, more
14:337;1056['  ]| than these, the dark eyes and oleaginous address, brought home at duskfall
14:337;1057['  ]| many a commission to$4$ the head of the firm, seated with Jacob's pipe after
14:337;1058['  ]| like$2$ labours in$4$ the paternal ingle (a meal of noodles, you may be sure, is
14:337;1059['  ]| aheating), reading through round horned spectacles some paper from the
14:337;1060['  ]| Europe of a month before. But hey, presto, the mirror is breathed on$5$ and
14:337;1061['  ]| the young knighterrant recedes, shrivels, dwindles to$4$ a tiny speck within the
14:337;1062['  ]| mist. Now he is himself paternal and these about him might be his sons.
14:337;1063['  ]| Who$6#2$ can say? The wise father knows his own child. He thinks of a
14:337;1064['  ]| drizzling night in$4$ Hatch*street, hard by$4$ the bonded stores there, the first.
14:337;1065['  ]| Together (she is a poor waif, a child of shame, yours and mine and of all for$4$
14:337;1066['  ]| a bare shilling and her luckpenny), together they hear the heavy tread of the
14:338;1067['  ]| watch as two raincaped shadows pass the new royal*university. Bridie!
14:338;1068['  ]| Bridie*Kelly! He will$1$ never forget the name, ever remember the night: first
14:338;1069['  ]| night, the bridenight. They are entwined in$4$ nethermost darkness, the willer
14:338;1070['  ]| with the willed, and in$4$ an instant (\fiat!\) light shall flood the world. Did
14:338;1071['  ]| heart leap to$4$ heart? Nay, fair reader. In$4$ a breath it was done but  ~~  hold!
14:338;1072['  ]| Back! It must not be! In$4$ terror the poor girl flees away through the murk.
14:338;1073['  ]| She is the bride of darkness, a daughter of night. She dare not bear the
14:338;1074['  ]| sunnygolden babe of day. No$7$, Leopold. Name and memory solace thee not.
14:338;1075['  ]| That$6#2$ youthful illusion of thy strength was taken from thee  ~~  and in$4$ vain.
14:338;1076['  ]| No$2$ son of thy loins is by$4$ thee. There is none now to$9$ be for$4$ Leopold, what
14:338;1077['  ]| Leopold was for$4$ Rudolph.