第69部分(第4/7 頁)

　East。　I　did　visit　Cyprus　and　the　Holy　Land；　but　the　articles　were　never　written。　For　this　reason：　I　took　with　me　a　nephew；　now　a　respected　lawyer　verging　on　middle　age　and；　I　may　say；　a　relative　for　whom　I　have　the　greatest　regard　and　the　warmest　affection；　who　was　to　act　as　my　secretary。　But　if　ever　his　eye　should　fall　upon　these　lines　I　hope　he　will　not　be　offended　if　I　add　that　then；　in　the　heyday　of　his　very　fascinating　and　festive　youth；　he　proved　the　most　erratic　secretary　with　whom　I　have　ever　e　in　contact。　I　could　never　find　him　when　I　wanted　him；　and　as　for　the　heavy　typewriter　which　we　dragged　about　with　us；　all　he　did　with　it　was　to　drop　it　on　my　toes　out　of　the　rack　of　a　railway　train。　At　last　I　got　sick　of　the　article；　which　alone　clung　to　us　after　he　had　lost　all　the　luggage　on　the　Italian　railways；　causing　us　to　proceed　to　Cyprus　with　practically　nothing　but　the　clothes　in　which　we　stood；　and　sent　it　home　from　that　romantic　isle　packed　in　the　remains　of　a　mule…saddle；　or　something　of　the　sort。

After　this　there　was　for　a　year　or　two　a　certain　coolness　between　me　and　The　Times；　which　had　never　received　the　promised　articles；　for　of　course　I　was　unable　to　explain　the　real　reason　of　my　delinquencies。　However；　my　affectionate　nephew　enjoyed　himself　enormously；　both　in　Cyprus　and　the　Holy　Land；　whither　I　had　taken　him　because　I　understood　that　he　intended　to　enter　the　Church。　As　we　sailed　from　Limasol　for　Beyrout　he　said；　in　a　hushed　voice；　that　he　had　something　to　tell　me。

“Speak　up；”　I　answered；　wondering；　with　an　inward　groan；　whether　he　had　engaged　himself　in　marriage　to　the　barmaid　of　the　Nicosia　Club。

It　turned　out；　however；　that　what　he　had　to　confide　was　that　he　had　changed　his　views　about　entering　the　Church；　and　up　to　this　point