Two years later I saw the Giffens again. It was almost the end of the fishing season. I had taken a
day off from my work, and I was doing a little gentle fishing in a river near Leithen's house. Another
man was fishing from the opposite bank. It was Giffen. I stood watching while he caught a large fish.
Later I called to him, and we ate our sandwiches together. He had changed a lot. He had shaved off his
beard, and his face looked less thin and less serious than before. He was sunburnt too, and looked more
like a countryman than before. His clothes, too, were different. They were good, sensible, country
clothes, and suited him well.
`I didn't know you were a fisherman,' I said to him.
`Oh, yes,' he said. `I love it. This is only my second season of fishing and I'm learning all the time.
I wish I'd started years ago. I never realized what good fun fishing was. Isn't this a beautiful place?'
`I'm glad you enjoy fishing,' I said. `It will help you to enjoy your weekends in the country.'
`Oh, we don't go to London much these days,' he answered. `We sold our London house a year
ago. We never felt at home in London, somehow. We are both so happy here. It's nice to see things
growing.'
I liked him. He was beginning to talk like a true countryman.
After a good day's fishing he persuaded me to spend the night at Fullcircle. `You can catch the
early train tomorrow morning,' he said. He drove me there in his little green car (`What has happened to
his bicycle?' I wondered) along four miles of country road, with the birds singing in every tree.
Dinner was my first big surprise. It was simple, but perfectly cooked, with wonderful fresh
vegetables. There was some excellent wine too. `Strange,' I thought. `I'm sure the Giffens are the
authors of "Stay Sober, Stay Healthy".'
My second surprise was Mrs Giffen herself. Her clothes were pretty and sensible, and they suited
her perfectly. But the real difference was in her face. I suddenly realized that she was a pretty woman.
Her face seemed softer and rounder. She looked calm and happy, and pleased with her life.
I asked about her Home for Unmarried Mothers. She laughed cheerfully. `I closed it after the first
year. The mothers didn't feel comfortable with the people in the village. Londoners don't like the
country − it's too quiet for them, I suppose. Julian and I have decided that our business is to look after
our own people here in the country.'
Perhaps it was unkind of me, but I mentioned the Workers' Education Classes. Giffen looked a
little ashamed. `I stopped it because I didn't think it was doing any good. Why give people things that
they don't need? Education is a wonderful thing. But education, like medicine, is only useful when a
person needs it, and the people here don't need it. They can teach me so much about the important things
in life − I don't have anything so important to teach them.'
`Anyway, dear,' said his wife, `you're so busy, with the house and the garden and the farm. It isn't a
large place, but it takes up a lot of your time.'
I noticed a picture on the dining−room wall. It showed a middle−aged man in the clothes of the late
seventeenth− century. He had a sensitive, intelligent face.
`That's an interesting picture,' I said to Giffen
Two years later I saw the Giffens again. It was almost the end of the fishing season. I had taken aday off from my work, and I was doing a little gentle fishing in a river near Leithen's house. Anotherman was fishing from the opposite bank. It was Giffen. I stood watching while he caught a large fish.Later I called to him, and we ate our sandwiches together. He had changed a lot. He had shaved off hisbeard, and his face looked less thin and less serious than before. He was sunburnt too, and looked morelike a countryman than before. His clothes, too, were different. They were good, sensible, countryclothes, and suited him well. `I didn't know you were a fisherman,' I said to him. `Oh, yes,' he said. `I love it. This is only my second season of fishing and I'm learning all the time.I wish I'd started years ago. I never realized what good fun fishing was. Isn't this a beautiful place?' `I'm glad you enjoy fishing,' I said. `It will help you to enjoy your weekends in the country.' `Oh, we don't go to London much these days,' he answered. `We sold our London house a yearago. We never felt at home in London, somehow. We are both so happy here. It's nice to see thingsgrowing.' I liked him. He was beginning to talk like a true countryman. After a good day's fishing he persuaded me to spend the night at Fullcircle. `You can catch theearly train tomorrow morning,' he said. He drove me there in his little green car (`What has happened tohis bicycle?' I wondered) along four miles of country road, with the birds singing in every tree. Dinner was my first big surprise. It was simple, but perfectly cooked, with wonderful freshvegetables. There was some excellent wine too. `Strange,' I thought. `I'm sure the Giffens are theauthors of "Stay Sober, Stay Healthy".' My second surprise was Mrs Giffen herself. Her clothes were pretty and sensible, and they suitedher perfectly. But the real difference was in her face. I suddenly realized that she was a pretty woman.Her face seemed softer and rounder. She looked calm and happy, and pleased with her life. I asked about her Home for Unmarried Mothers. She laughed cheerfully. `I closed it after the firstyear. The mothers didn't feel comfortable with the people in the village. Londoners don't like thecountry − it's too quiet for them, I suppose. Julian and I have decided that our business is to look afterour own people here in the country.' Perhaps it was unkind of me, but I mentioned the Workers' Education Classes. Giffen looked alittle ashamed. `I stopped it because I didn't think it was doing any good. Why give people things thatthey don't need? Education is a wonderful thing. But education, like medicine, is only useful when aperson needs it, and the people here don't need it. They can teach me so much about the important thingsin life − I don't have anything so important to teach them.' `Anyway, dear,' said his wife, `you're so busy, with the house and the garden and the farm. It isn't alarge place, but it takes up a lot of your time.' I noticed a picture on the dining−room wall. It showed a middle−aged man in the clothes of the lateseventeenth− century. He had a sensitive, intelligent face. `That's an interesting picture,' I said to Giffen
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