coarsenedbyphysicalbor.Healsoobservedthatashewalkedawayhisbareanklesweretrimandwhiteasabaster.Suddenlyasefromthepastfshedintohismind.HerememberedseeingDimitritalkingtoagenteendrefinedyoungwomanonedaybythekeside.Shewaswearingaskybluedress,white,broad-brimmedsunhatandwhitewalkingshoes.Shewascssya.Thismustbeher!Herememberedthatonthatdaythewomanhadalovelycockerspahher.Thatjustchedit.Itmustbethesamewoman.Davidsmackedhisforeheadandsaidtohimself,“Whatcharmandfasationcouldthatblindolddoghavethatattractssuchabeautifulwomantoaskalroundforhiswhereabouts?WhyisitthatIdonothavesuchgoodluck?Sucheroticamorousluckcouldneverdropintomyp!”

    Intheshadowswheremoonlightcouldrate,Davidhalfstooped,halfsatontheground,hiseyesfullofenvyandjealousyashewatchedthetwofigureswalkfartherandfartheraway.Thoughtsemergedoeranotherinhisbraindrivingsleepinessaway.Hethought,

    “AmanlikeDimitriislikeabrokenballbytheroadside,whiyonecouldkick.Heissomellow,mildandgoodtemperedthatheisneverangry.Hisisalsoamysteriouscharacterwhowoulddisappearformonthsonendasifhehadevaporatedfromthisearth.Nooneknowswherehewent.ThenhewouldsuddenlyreappearamongstushomelesspersonsandjabberabouthisKingdomofDreamsandthingsthathappehere.HesayseveryonehashisownKingdomofDreams…Weallthinkheisacrazyfoondnonepayanyattentiontohisgibberishandhedoesn’tcare.Heisabletomaintainahappydispositionthatexternalcircumstancespen,whichistrulyadmirable!OfthisIamreallyenvious!Takeallofuspoorhobosforexample,ooraschurchmidhavenothingtocallourown,soitstandstoreasonwehavenothingtoworryabout,butwestillhavetobeedaboutwhereourmealisingfrom.ButDimitriseemstobeabletobeabovesudaneaiesandalwaysmaintainsahappymood,whichdissolvesalltroubleuntiltheymeltawayandbeeent.Hissoulseemstobeabletoexistindepelyoutsideofhisbody.ThisissomethingIadmireandenvymost.

    Dimitrialsohasmademanyfriends.RichardandJamazaretwohalfhoboandhalfpart-timeborerswhoarewillingtoydowntheirlivesforhim.Mr.Kaffee,thatunderworldbigshot,isanotherofhisfriends.Thoughhehasretiredfrombothfinancial,politidgangactivities,heisstilforcetobereedwithandwieldsgreatinflueheworldsheusedtodominate.Anotherohatcold-bloodedassassinBig-OwhoobeysDimitri’severywishandorder.Ihavealwayswonderedowerandcharmthatblindolddogwieldsthatattractsbeautifulwomenaswelsformidablementohihyes,retlyawhite-beardedolddwarfjoiheirrankswhoissaidtohavemasteredamagicfeatlosttotheworldforthousandsofyearsandturnapieceofaperintoacrispygreenback.TheimeIseethedwarf,Iwillbeghimtoteachmeafewtricks.Iwilldoanythingheasksmeto,evesmetokowtowtohimthreehuimes.Iamdownonmyluddesperate.

    Davidwasfullofpent-upgrievandfrustratiocametothesubjeoney,whichhesideredusefulbutalsotherootofalltrouble.Hesighedandsaidtohimself,

    “Mywholelifehasbeenfritteredaway.Timerolledbywithnothingaplished.NowthatIamoldthereisalmostnohopeofaturnover.MylifehasbeenmostunfortunateandIhaveneverbeeobreakoutfromuhecloudofbadlugingoverme.Why’tIbelikeDimitriandliveonhappily?Thisbstedlifeofmineisreally,reallyjinxed.”David’slifehasreallybeenquitemiserable,a

coarsenedbyphysicalbor.Healsoobservedthatashewalkedawayhisbareanklesweretrimandwhiteasabaster.Suddenlyasefromthepastfshedintohismind.HerememberedseeingDimitritalkingtoagenteendrefinedyoungwomanonedaybythekeside.Shewaswearingaskybluedress,white,broad-brimmedsunhatandwhitewalkingshoes.Shewascssya.Thismustbeher!Herememberedthatonthatdaythewomanhadalovelycockerspahher.Thatjustchedit.Itmustbethesamewoman.Davidsmackedhisforeheadandsaidtohimself,“Whatcharmandfasationcouldthatblindolddoghavethatattractssuchabeautifulwomantoaskalroundforhiswhereabouts?WhyisitthatIdonothavesuchgoodluck?Sucheroticamorousluckcouldneverdropintomyp!”

    Intheshadowswheremoonlightcouldrate,Davidhalfstooped,halfsatontheground,hiseyesfullofenvyandjealousyashewatchedthetwofigureswalkfartherandfartheraway.Thoughtsemergedoeranotherinhisbraindrivingsleepinessaway.Hethought,

    “AmanlikeDimitriislikeabrokenballbytheroadside,whiyonecouldkick.Heissomellow,mildandgoodtemperedthatheisneverangry.Hisisalsoamysteriouscharacterwhowoulddisappearformonthsonendasifhehadevaporatedfromthisearth.Nooneknowswherehewent.ThenhewouldsuddenlyreappearamongstushomelesspersonsandjabberabouthisKingdomofDreamsandthingsthathappehere.HesayseveryonehashisownKingdomofDreams…Weallthinkheisacrazyfoondnonepayanyattentiontohisgibberishandhedoesn’tcare.Heisabletomaintainahappydispositionthatexternalcircumstancespen,whichistrulyadmirable!OfthisIamreallyenvious!Takeallofuspoorhobosforexample,ooraschurchmidhavenothingtocallourown,soitstandstoreasonwehavenothingtoworryabout,butwestillhavetobeedaboutwhereourmealisingfrom.ButDimitriseemstobeabletobeabovesudaneaiesandalwaysmaintainsahappymood,whichdissolvesalltroubleuntiltheymeltawayandbeeent.Hissoulseemstobeabletoexistindepelyoutsideofhisbody.ThisissomethingIadmireandenvymost.

    Dimitrialsohasmademanyfriends.RichardandJamazaretwohalfhoboandhalfpart-timeborerswhoarewillingtoydowntheirlivesforhim.Mr.Kaffee,thatunderworldbigshot,isanotherofhisfriends.Thoughhehasretiredfrombothfinancial,politidgangactivities,heisstilforcetobereedwithandwieldsgreatinflueheworldsheusedtodominate.Anotherohatcold-bloodedassassinBig-OwhoobeysDimitri’severywishandorder.Ihavealwayswonderedowerandcharmthatblindolddogwieldsthatattractsbeautifulwomenaswelsformidablementohihyes,retlyawhite-beardedolddwarfjoiheirrankswhoissaidtohavemasteredamagicfeatlosttotheworldforthousandsofyearsandturnapieceofaperintoacrispygreenback.TheimeIseethedwarf,Iwillbeghimtoteachmeafewtricks.Iwilldoanythingheasksmeto,evesmetokowtowtohimthreehuimes.Iamdownonmyluddesperate.

    Davidwasfullofpent-upgrievandfrustratiocametothesubjeoney,whichhesideredusefulbutalsotherootofalltrouble.Hesighedandsaidtohimself,

    “Mywholelifehasbeenfritteredaway.Timerolledbywithnothingaplished.NowthatIamoldthereisalmostnohopeofaturnover.MylifehasbeenmostunfortunateandIhaveneverbeeobreakoutfromuhecloudofbadlugingoverme.Why’tIbelikeDimitriandliveonhappily?Thisbstedlifeofmineisreally,reallyjinxed.”David’slifehasreallybeenquitemiserable,a