there　for　ever。　。　。　。　〃This　is　very　like　trying　to　remember　some　game　one　played　when　one　was　a　child。　It　is　like　coming　on　something　that　one　built　up　with　bricks　and　stones　in　some　forgotten　part　of　the　garden。　。　。　。　〃
  〃The　life　we　lived　here；〃　said　the　doctor；　has　left　its　traces　in　traditions；　in　mental　predispositions；　in　still　unanalyzed　fundamental　ideas。〃　〃Archaeology　is　very　like　remembering；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃Presently　we　shall　remember　a　lot　more　about　all　this。　We　shall　remember　what　it　was　like　to　live　in　this　place；　and　the　long　journey　hither；　age　by　age　out　of　the　south。　We　shall　remember　the　sacrifices　we　made　and　the　crazy　reasons　why　we　made　them。　We　sowed　our　corn　in　blood　here。　We　had　strange　fancies　about　the　stars。　Those　we　brought　with　us　out　of　the　south　where　the　stars　are　brighter。　And　what　like　were　those　wooden　gods　of　ours？　I　don't　remember。　。　。　。　But　I　could　easily　persuade　myself　that　I　had　been　here　before。〃　They　stood　on　the　crest　of　the　ancient　wall　and　the　setting　sun　cast　long　shadows　of　them　athwart　a　field　of　springing　wheat。　〃Perhaps　we　shall　come　here　again；〃　the　doctor　carried　on　Sir　Richmond's　fancy；　〃after　another　four　thousand　years　or　so；　with　different　names　and　fuller　minds。　And　then　I　suppose　that　this　ditch　won't　be　the　riddle　it　is　now。〃　〃Life　didn't　seem　so　complicated　then；〃　Sir　Richmond　mused。　〃Our　muddles　were　unconscious。　We　drifted　from　mood　to　mood　and　forgot。　There　was　more　sunshine　then；　more　laughter　perhaps；　and　blacker　despair。　Despair　like　the　despair　of　children　that　can　weep　itself　to　sleep。　。　。　。　It's　over。　。　。　。　Was　it　battle　and　massacre　that　ended　that　long　afternoon　here？　Or　did　the　woods　catch　fire　some　exceptionally　dry　summer；　leaving　black　hills　and　famine？　Or　did　strange　men　bring　a　sicknessmeasles；　perhaps；　or　the　black　death？　Or　was　it　cattle　pest？　Or　did　we　just　waste　our　woods　and　dwindle　away　before　the　new　peoples　that　came　into　the　land　across　the　southern　sea？　I　can't　remember。　。　。　。　〃　Sir　Richmond　turned　about。　〃I　would　like　to　dig　up　the　bottom　of　this　ditch　here　foot　by　footand　dry　the　stuff　and　sift　itvery　carefully。　。　。　。　Then　I　might　begin　to　remember　things。〃　Section　5　In　the　evening；　after　a　pleasant　supper；　they　took　a　turn　about　the　walls　with　the　moon　sinking　over　beyond　Silbury；　and　then　went　in　and　sat　by　lamplight　before　a　brightly　fussy　wood　fire　and　smoked。　There　were　long　intervals　of　friendly　silence。　〃I　don't　in　the　least　want　to　go　on　talking　about　myself；　〃　said　Sir　Richmond　abruptly。　〃Let　it　rest　then；〃　said　the　doctor　generously。　〃To…day；　among　these　ancient　memories；　has　taken　me　out　of　myself　wonderfully。　I　can't　tell　you　how　good　Avebury　has　been　for　me。　This　afternoon　half　my　consciousness　has　seemed　to　be　a　tattooed　creature　wearing　a　knife　of　stone。　。　。　。　〃　〃The　healing　touch　of　history。〃　〃And　for　the　first　time　my　damned　Committee　has　mattered　scarcely　a　rap。　〃　Sir　Richmond　stretched　himself　in　his　chair　and　blinked　cheerfully　at　his　cigar　smoke。　〃Nevertheless；〃　he　said；　〃this　confessional　business　of　yours　has　been　an　excellent　exercise。　It　has　enabled　me　to　get　outside　myself；　to　look　at　myself　as　a　Case。　Now　I　can　even　see　myself　as　a　remote　Case。　That　I　needn't　bother　about　further。　。　。　。　So　far　as　that　goes；　I　think　we　have　done　all　that　there　is　to　be　done。〃　〃I　shouldn't　say　thatquiteyet；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃I　don't　think　I'm　a　subject　for　real　psychoanalysis　at　all。　I'm　not　an　overlaid　sort　of　person。　When　I　spread　myself　out　there　is　not　much　indication　of　a　suppressed　wish　or　of　anything　masked　or　buried　of　that　sort。　What　you　get　is　a　quite　open　and　recognized　discord　of　two　sets　of　motives。〃　The　doctor　considered。　〃Yes；　I　think　that　is　true。　Your　LIBIDO　is；　I　should　say；　exceptionally　free。　Generally　you　are　doing　what　you　want　to　dooverdoing；　in　fact；　what　you　want　to　do　and　getting　simply　tired。〃　〃Which　is　the　theory　I　started　with。　I　am　a　case　of　fatigue　under　irritating　circumstances　with　very　little　mental　complication　or　concealment。〃　〃Yes；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃I　agree。　You　are　not　a　case　for　psychoanalysis；　strictly　speaking；　at　all。　You　are　in　open　conflict　with　yourself；　upon　moral　and　social　issues。　Practically　open。　Your　problems　are　problems　of　conscious　conduct。〃　〃As　I　said。〃　〃Of　what　renunciations　you　have　consciously　to　make。〃　Sir　Richmond　did　not　answer　that。　。　。　。　〃This　pilgrimage　of　ours；〃　he　said；　presently；　〃has　made　for　magnanimity。　This　day　particularly　has　been　a　good　day。　When　we　stood　on　this　old　wall　here　in　the　sunset　I　seemed　to　be　standing　outside　myself　in　an　immense　still　sphere　of　past　and　future。　I　stood　with　my　feet　upon　the　Stone　Age　and　saw　myself　four　thousand　years　away；　and　all　my　distresses　as　very　little　incidents　in　that　perspective。　Away　there　in　London　the　case　is　altogether　different；　after　three　hours　or　so　of　the　Committee　one　concentrates　into　one　little　inflamed　moment　of　personality。　There　is　no　past　any　longer；　there　is　no　future；　there　is　only　the　rankling　dispute。　For　all　those　three　hours；　perhaps；　I　have　been　thinking　of　just　what　I　had　to　say；　just　how　I　had　to　say　it；　just　how　I　looked　while　I　said　it；　just　how　much　I　was　making　myself　understood；　how　I　might　be　misunderstood；　how　I　might　be　misrepresented；　challenged；　denied。　One　draws　in　more　and　more　as　one　is　used　up。　At　last　one　is　reduced　to　a　little；　raw；　bleeding；　desperately　fighting；　pin…point　of　SELF。　。　。　。　One　goes　back　to　one's　home　unable　to　recover。　Fighting　it　over　again。　All　night　sometimes　。　。　。　。　I　get　up　and　walk　about　the　room　and　curse　。　。　。　。　Martineau；　how　is　one　to　get　the　Avebury　frame　of　mind　to　Westminster？〃　〃When　Westminster　is　as　dead　as　Avebury；〃　said　the　doctor；　unhelpfully。　He　added　after　some　seconds；　〃Milton　knew　of　these　troubles。　'Not　without　dust　and　heat'　he　wrotea　great　phrase。〃　〃But　the　dust　chokes　me；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　He　took　up　a　copy　of　THE　GREEN　ROADS　OF　ENGLAND　that　lay　beside　him　on　the　table。　But　he　did　not　open　it。　He　held　it　in　his　hand　and　said　the　thing　he　had　had　in　mind　to　say　all　that　evening。　〃I　do　not　think　that　I　shall　stir　up　my　motives　any　more　for　a　time。　Better　to　go　on　into　the　west　country　cooling　my　poor　old　brain　in　these　wide　shadows　of　the　past。〃　〃I　can　prescribe　nothing　better；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau。　〃Incidentally；　we　may　be　able　to　throw　a　little　more　light　on　one　or　two　of　your　minor　entanglements。〃　〃I　don't　want　to　think　of　them；　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃Let　me　get　right　away　from　everything。　Until　my　skin　has　grown　again。〃
  CHAPTER　THE　SIXTH　THE　ENCOUNTER　AT　STONEHENGE　Section　1　Next　day　in　the　early　afternoon　after　a　farewell　walk　over　the　downs　round　Avebury　they　went　by　way　of　Devizes　and　Netheravon　and　Amesbury　to　Stonehenge。　Dr。　Martineau　had　seen　this　ancient　monument　before；　but　now；　with　Avebury　fresh　in　his　mind；　he　found　it　a　poorer　thing　than　he　had　remembered　it　to　be。　Sir　Richmond　was　frankly　disappointed。　After　the　real　greatness　and　mystery　of　the　older　place；　it　seemed　a　poor　little　heap　of　stones；　it　did　not　even　dominate　the　landscape；　it　was　some　way　from　the　crest　of　the　swelling　down　on　which　it　stood　and　it　was　further　dwarfed　by　the　colossal　air…ship　hangars　and　clustering　offices　of　the　air　station　that　the　great　war　had　called　into　existence　upon　the　slopes　to　the　south…west。　〃It　looks；〃　Sir　Richmond　said；　〃as　though　some　old　giantess　had　left　a　discarded　set　of　teeth　on　the　hillside。〃　Far　more　impressive　than　Stonehenge　itself　were　the　barrows　that　capped　the　neighbouring　crests。　The　sacred　stones　were　fenced　about；　and　our　visitors　had　to　pay　for　admission　at　a　little　kiosk　by　the　gate。　At　the　side　of　the　road　stood　a　travelstained　middle…class　automobile；　with　a　miscellany　of　dusty　luggage；　rugs　and　luncheon　things　thereina　family　automobile　with　father　no　doubt　at　the　wheel。　Sir　Richmond　left　his　own　trim　coupe　at　its　tail。　They　were　impeded　at　the　entrance　by　a　difference　of　opinion　between　the　keeper　of　the　turnstile　and　a　small　but　resolute　boy　of　perhaps　five　or　six　who　proposed　to　leave　the　enclosure。　The　custodian　thought　that　it　would　be　better　if　his　nurse　or　his　mother　came　out　with　him。　〃She　keeps　on　looking　at　it；　〃　said　the　small　boy。　〃It　isunt　anything。　I　want　to　go　and　clean　the　car。〃　〃You　won't　SEE　Stonehenge　every　day；　young　man；〃　said　the　custodian；　a　little　piqued。　〃It's　only　an　old　beach；〃　said　the　small　boy；　with　extreme　conviction。　〃It's　rocks　like　the　seaside。　And　there　isunt　no　sea。〃　The　man　at　the　turnstile　mutely　consulted　the　doctor。　〃I　don't　see　that　he　can　get　into　any　harm　here；〃　the　doctor　advised；　and　the　small　boy　was　released　from　archaeology。　He　strolled　to　the　family　automobile；　produced　an　EN…TOUT…CAS　pocket…handkerchief　and　set　himself　to　polish　the　lamps　with　great　assiduity。　The　two　gentlemen　lingered　at　the　turnstile　for　a　moment　or　so　to　watch　his　proceedings。　〃Modern　child；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃Old　stones　are　just　old　stones　to　him。　But　motor　cars　are　gods。〃　〃You　can　hardly　expect　him　to　understandat　his　age；〃　said　the　custodian；　jealous　for　the　honor　of　Stonehenge。　。　。　。　〃Reminds　me　of　Martin's　little　girl；〃　said　Sir　Richmond；　as　he　and　Dr。　Martineau　went　on　towards　the　circle。　〃When　she　encountered　her　first　dragon…fly　she　was　greatly　delighted。　'0h；　dee'　lill'　a'e