Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/prisonersofhartl00bereuoft/mode/2up THE PRISONERS OF HARTLING * * * * * * BY J. D. BERESFORD THE JERVAISE COMEDY AN IMPERFECT MOTHER * * * * * * THE PRISONERS OF HARTLING by J. D. BERESFORD 'There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.' _Ecclesiastes_ v. 13. New York The Macmillan Company 1922 All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Copyright, 1922, by the Macmillan Company. Set up and printed. Published February, 1922. Press of J. J. Little & Ives Company New York, U. S. A. To H. H. BASHFORD THE PRISONERS OF HARTLING I "Dog's life, old man, a dog's life; you can't get away from that." Arthur Woodroffe's voice was quite cheerful as he framed this indictment of the life of a general practitioner in a poor neighbourhood, but his companion frowned and shook his head impatiently. "You are still re-acting to the pernicious influences of that damnable war," he said. "You're hankering after the intoxication of saving wounded under fire; exciting stunts of that sort; Sbana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus. You've got to learn to be content with Jordan. Risk your life in more homely ways saving the sick in Peckham. Same thing, really; only you don't get orders for it. And of course ..." he hesitated, pushed up his gold-rimmed spectacles, and stared hard at his friend and paid assistant. "Any way, what is it you're hankering after, my good chap?" he concluded. Woodroffe looked critically round the little room, and then at Somers glowering down at him from the hearthrug. "More space," he said briefly; "and more...." He seemed to jib at the word that was obviously in his mind. "More beauty," Somers suggested. "If you like," Woodroffe agreed carelessly. "Something of that sort. I'd like to get about the world a bit, too." "As medical attendant to a hypochondriac millionaire?" "Or some job abroad; or...." "What you really want, my lad, is an independent income and lots of leisure," Somers commented. "You can't say I've ever been a slacker, Bob," Woodroffe said. "No, but you'd soon pick it up if you had got enough to live on without worrying." Woodroffe considered that before he replied. "Don't believe I should. Go in for research or something. Hate having nothing to do." "There's always hunting and golf, and bridge and billiards, and cricket, and so on," Somers said. "Life of a country gentleman. Also, you might marry and beget a family, and go in for politics. Quite a strenuous life it seems, for a lot of 'em."