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mistrusted him。 A shock of white hair； combined with a young face and
dark eyebrows； does somehow make a man look like a charlatan。 But it is
foolish to be guided by an accident of color。 I had soon rejected my first
impression of my fellow…diner。 I found him very sympathetic。
Anywhere but in England it would be impossible for two solitary men；
howsoever much reduced by influenza； to spend five or six days in the
same hostel and not exchange a single word。 That is one of the charms of
England。 Had Laider and I been born and bred in any other land than Eng
we should have become acquainted before the end of our first evening in
the small smoking…room； and have found ourselves irrevocably committed
to go on talking to each other throughout the rest of our visit。 We might； it
is true； have happened to like each other more than any one we had ever
met。 This off chance may have occurred to us both。 But it counted for
nothing against the certain surrender of quietude and liberty。 We slightly
bowed to each other as we entered or left the dining…room or smoking…
room； and as we met on the wide…spread sands or in the shop that had a
small and faded circulating library。 That was all。 Our mutual aloofness was
a positive bond between us。
Had he been much older than I； the responsibility for our silence
would of course have been his alone。 But he was not； I judged； more than
five or six years ahead of me； and thus I might without impropriety have
taken it on myself to perform that hard and perilous feat which English
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A。 V。 Laider
people call； with a shiver； 〃breaking the ice。〃 He had reason； therefore； to
be as grateful to me as I to him。 Each of us； not the less frankly because
silently； recognized his obligation to the other。 And when； on the last
evening of my stay； the ice actually was broken there was no ill…will
between us： neither of us was to blame。
It was a Sunday evening。 I had been out for a long last walk and had
come in very late to dinner。 Laider had left his table almost directly after I
sat down to mine。 When I entered the smoking…room I found him reading
a weekly review which I had bought the day before。 It was a crisis。 He
could not silently offer nor could I have silently accepted； six…pence。 It
was a crisis。 We faced it like men。 He made； by word of mouth； a graceful
apology。 Verbally； not by signs； I besought him to go on reading。 But this；
of course； was a vain counsel of perfection。 The social code forced us to
talk now。 We obeyed it like men。 To reassure him that our position was not
so desperate as it might seem； I took the earliest opportunity to mention
that I was going away early next morning。 In the tone of his 〃Oh； are
you？〃 he tried bravely to imply that he was sorry； even now； to hear that。
In a way； perhaps； he really was sorry。 We had got on so well together； he
and I。 Nothing could efface the memory of that。 Nay； we seemed to be
hitting it off even now。 Influenza was not our sole theme。 We passed from
that to the aforesaid weekly review； and to a correspondence that was
raging therein on faith and reason。
This correspondence had now reached its fourth and penultimate
stageits Australian stage。 It is hard to see why these correspondences
spring up； one only knows that they do spring up； suddenly； like street
crowds。 There comes； it would seem； a moment when the whole English…
speaking race is unconsciously bursting to have its say about some one
thingthe split infinitive； or the habits of migratory birds； or faith and
reason； or what…not。 Whatever weekly review happens at such a moment
to contain a reference； however remote； to the theme in question reaps the
storm。 Gusts of letters come in from all corners of the British Isles。 These
are presently reinforced by Canada in full blast。 A few weeks later the
Anglo…Indians weigh in。 In due course we have the help of our Australian
cousins。 By that time； however； we of the mother country have got our
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A。 V。 Laider
second wind； and so determined are we to make the most of it that at last
even the editor suddenly loses patience and says； 〃This correspondence
must now cease。Ed。〃 and wonders why on earth he ever allowed
anything so tedious and idiotic to begin。
I pointed out to Laider one of the Australian letters that had especially
pleased me in the current issue。 It was from 〃A Melbourne Man；〃 and was
of the abrupt kind which declares that 〃all your correspondents have been
groping in the dark〃 and then settles the whole matter in one short sharp
flash。 The flash in this instance was 〃Reason is faith； faith reasonthat is
all we know on earth and all we need to know。〃 The writer then inclosed
his card and was； etc。； 〃A Melbourne Man。〃 I said to Laider how very
restful it was； after influenza； to read anything that meant nothing
whatsoever。 Laider was inclined to take the letter more seriously than I；
and to be mildly metaphysical。 I said that for me faith and reason were two
separate things； and as I am no good at metaphysics； however mild； I
offered a definite example； to coax the talk on to ground where I should be
safer。
〃Palmistry； for example；〃 I said。 〃Deep down in my heart I believe in
palmistry。〃
Laider turned in his chair。
〃You believe in palmistry？〃
I hesitated。
〃Yes； somehow I do。 Why？ I haven't the slightest notion。 I can give
myself all sorts of reasons for laughing it to scorn。 My common sense
utterly rejects it。 Of course the shape of the hand means something； is
more or less an index of character。 But the idea that my past and future are
neatly mapped out on my palms〃 I shrugged my shoulders。
〃You don't like that idea？〃 asked Laider in his gentle； rather academic
voice。
〃I only say it's a grotesque idea。〃
〃Yet you do believe in it？〃
〃I've a grotesque belief in it； yes。〃
〃Are you sure your reason for calling this idea 'grotesque' isn't merely
that you dislike it？〃
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A。 V。 Laider
〃Well；〃 I said； with the thrilling hope that he was a companion in
absurdity； 〃doesn't it seem grotesque to you？〃
〃It seems strange。〃
〃You believe in it？〃
〃Oh； absolutely。〃
〃Hurrah！〃
He smiled at my pleasure； and I； at the risk of reentanglement in
metaphysics； claimed him as standing shoulder to shoulder with me
against 〃A Melbourne Man。〃 This claim he gently disputed。
〃You may think me very prosaic；〃 he said； 〃but I can't believe without
evidence。〃
〃Well； I'm equally prosaic and equally at a disadvantage： I can't take
my own belief as evidence； and I've no other evidence to go on。〃
He asked me if I had ever made a study of palmistry。 I said I had read
one of Desbarolles's books years ago； and one of Heron…Allen's。 But； he
asked； had I tried to test them by the lines on my own hands or on the
hands of my friends？ I confessed that my actual practice in palmistry had
been of a merely passive kindthe prompt extension of my palm to any
one who would be so good as to 〃read〃 it and truckle for a few minutes to
my egoism。 （I hoped Laider might do this。）
〃Then I almost wonder；〃 he said； with his sad smile； 〃that you haven't
lost your belief； after all the nonsense you must have heard。 There are so
many young girls who go in for palmistry。 I am sure all the five foolish
virgins were 'awfully keen on it' and used to say； 'You can be led； but not
driven；' and； 'You are likely to have a serious illness between the ages of
forty and forty…five；' and； 'You are by nature rather lazy； but can be very
energetic by fits and starts。' And most of the professionals； I'm told； are as
silly as the young girls。〃
For the honor of the profession； I named three practitioners whom I
ha