"You're a very wise man; but it is easy to be wise when life goes straight!"
Jacob's mind had returned into the past. He said things that he had often thought.
"A great test of love, if a woman can put her husband's trade higher than her own pleasure and look at it with his eyes. Few do—few do. Margery felt her own life was more interesting than mine, and who shall blame her? We must be ourselves, William, and that's why marriage is a false contrivance. When the childer are come and the love has gone, it's only self-respect that keeps most pairs grinding on together. For character's deeper than love and we must be ourselves. I thought she liked dogs best in the world after me; but, in your ear alone, William, dogs are nothing to her now. She wants to be herself, and she thinks I won't let her; but if I am jealous of her, God is more jealous still. He takes her side against me, William. She's far more to Him than I am, because she believes in Him and I do not. Life can't be a happy thing for her any more—not while I'm alive. Yet for my honour I can't let her go free while I live. You see that, don't you?"
"Leave it, Jacob, and shut your mouth and try to get a bit of sleep. You must keep all your strength to fight the fever, I tell you."
"The old dog has run back to Red House. He wouldn't have gone if he'd thought I was going to live. He knows he'll be masterless presently, and so he's going to try and make new friends before it's too late. But all in vain. When I'm taken, they'll put him away. I stand between him and death. Fear will be on him when he hears Peter and George speak of me in the past—the fear of those that cumber the earth and know it."
"Could you let down a little more drink?"
The old man descended and brought some tea that Auna had left by the fire.
"We must see to some milk," he said. "You'll be called to sup a lot of milk I shouldn't wonder. Now I be going to light a fire in your chamber, because you'll have to keep warm for a long time."
Jacob talked for another hour, then became silent. A peat fire smouldered in his room and he fell asleep while William waited and watched.
Auna came back at last and the ancient went down to her.