“Pleasant to see you,” said Martin. “And looking younger I do think. It’s the open air. I’ll wager you don’t get slimmer in the waist-belt though.”
“Yes, I’m all right.”
“What’s the main interest of life for you now?”
John reflected before answering.
“Not quite sure. Depends on my mood. Just been buying a greyhound bitch at Drewsteignton. I’m going coursing presently. A kennel will amuse me. I spend most of my time with dogs. They never change. I turn to them naturally. But they overrate humanity.”
“Our interests are so different. Yet both belong to the fresh air and the wild places remote from towns. My book is nearly finished. I shall publish it in a year’s time, or even less.”
“Have you come back to stop?”
“Yes, for good and all now.”
“You have found no wife in your wanderings?”
“No, John. I shall never marry. That was a dark spot in my life, as it was in yours. We both broke our shins over that.”