How
unconsciously sure of themselves and arrogant in their years! How
strong! How unapprehensive! (And yet he had just been taking credit
for his own freedom from apprehensiveness!) They were young--and he
was so no longer. Pooh! (A brave "pooh"!) He was wiser than they. He
had acquired the supreme and subtly enjoyable faculty, which they had
yet painfully to acquire, of nice, sure, discriminating, all-weighing
judgment ... Concepcion had divested herself of youth. And Christine,
since he knew her, had never had any youthfulness save the physical.
There were only these two.
Said a voice behind him:
"You dining here to-night?"
"I am."
"Shall we crack a bottle together?" (It was astonishing and deplorable
how cliches survived in the best clubs!)
"By all means."
The voice spoke lower:
"That Bollinger's all gone at last."
"You were fearing the worst the last time I saw you," said G.J.
"Auction afterwards?" the voice suggested.
"Afraid I can't," said G.J. after a moment's hesitation. "I shall have
to leave early."
Chapter 29
THE STREETS
After dinner G.J. walked a little eastwards from the club, and,
entering Leicester Square from the south, crossed it, and then turned
westwards again on the left side of the road leading to Piccadilly
Circus.
Pages:
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226