"I'm jolly glad to see you. I've got a shakedown for visitors. You won't mind eating off one plate, will you?"
"Thankful to eat anything."
"That's good." He began to rummage in his little kitchen at the back of the hut and returned presently with the plate and some preserves. "It's not much," he apologized ruefully. "I always forget about food until I'm hungry. And then I want to kick myself."
"I expect we'll manage. You're all alone now."
"Yes. No indoor patients. It's quite queer not having a paw or a wing to bandage up."
"You've never found poor Wickie."
The man seemed to shrink a little.
"No. I guess if the next life allows it, he's not far off, poor old chap. He wouldn't be happy in Paradise without me."
Meredith winced. It was the more painful to him because Tristram was obviously quite serious. To Meredith he seemed like a big, unconsciously blasphemous child.
"And Ayeshi—you must miss him, too."