He watched his wife and was struck with a sudden regret that so much of his life had passed. For a long time they had seemed in their prime, but then, quite quickly it seemed to Pearly, they were on the other side: not old, but the sun going down instead of rising. He didn’t say anything to Helen, but just for the moment he saw her as a younger man might — a matron, attractive enough for her sixty-odd years, with her blonde hair, smooth Madonna face and the height and posture to carry the modest weight inevitably gathered through the years. But a mother figure, and superimposed on that Pearly could see the girl whom he’d married, a beautiful, lissome girl, quick and touchy, both wilful and utterly honest. And he could put his former self beside her — a tall, fit man of much physical capability, with dark, straight hair and the eyes with faded blue irises that were the one distinctive feature he shared with his father and brother. He’d lost most of the hair and added somewhat to the dimension of his waist, but the grey-blue Gates eyes remained the same.

They’d done all right, though, he told himself. They’d built a lasting marriage, brought up a daughter and a son, gathered enough material possessions to give security, and gained some prominence in the community. He said nothing to Helen of his thoughts, and they continued a relaxed conversation about the mayoralty campaign interspersed with references to donations, the barking dog of a neighbour and his failure to fix the showerhead in the main bathroom. He wondered if his wife would sometimes also assess him, make comparison with the man she married, and say nothing of it. Nostalgia of that kind was seldom profitable. ‘I must get on to Esther Hall,’ Pearly said. ‘She needs to get the minister down to endorse the port plan. The visit seems to have stalled. There’s good publicity in that and it’ll counter much of the grizzling that’s going on.’

‘That dog’s barking more than ever lately,’ Helen said. ‘There must be something the matter with it. Do they ever take it out for a run?’

‘I don’t know. I’ve never see them with it,’ said Pearly.

‘It must be neglected.’