‘Are you still there?“

    ‘Of course I am.“

    e tion.

    Aurelius. It must  of t. Afraid of ed, I stood still, staring into to appear again.

    ‘A voice betened urned to face , you’re as !“

    e oget, Aurelius seemed even taller and broader t-gray raincoat, I felt insubstantial.

    ‘how is your book going?“

    ‘It’s just notes at t. Intervieer. And research.“

    ‘today is researc?“

    ‘Yes.“

    ‘ do you need to know?“

    ‘I just  to take some pograp though.“

    ‘You’ll get to see it properly   last long.“

    e came to a kind of  made a hedge.

    ‘hy do you come here, Aurelius?“

    e strolled on to to a space  mist. o a iced a sparkling in t. ture in to evaporate and ty gree. Our ered by.

    ion seemed so lost in time t I  even sure I , Aurelius answered. “I was born here.”

    I stopped abruptly. Aurelius  o catch him.

    ‘Aurelius!“ I took coat. ”Is it true? ere you really born here?“

    ‘Yes.“

    ‘hen?“

    range, sad smile. “On my birthday.”

    Unted, “Yes, but when?”

    ‘Sometime in January, probably. Possibly February. Possibly ty years ago, roug kno.“

    I fro Mrs. Love and not  in ances ed ctle about ances t  even know hday?

    ‘Do you mean to tell me, Aurelius, t you are a foundling?“

    ‘Yes. t is t I am. A foundling.“

    I  for words.

    ‘One does get used to it, I suppose,“ ted t o comfort me for his own loss.

    ‘Do you really?“

    ell me. “No,