Портрет художника в юности
Chapter 5
CanyouSaywithcertitudebywhomthesoulofyourracewasbarteredanditselectbetrayed—bythequestionerorbythemocker?Patience.RememberEpictetus.ItisprobablyinhischaractertoasksuchaquestionatsuchamomentinsuchatoneandtopronouncethewordSCIENCEasamonosyllable.
Thedroningvoiceoftheprofessorcontinuedtowinditselfslowlyroundandroundthecoilsitspokeof,doubling,trebling,quadruplingitssomnolentenergyasthecoilmultiplieditsohmsofresistance.
Moynihan’svoicecalledfrombehindinechotoadistantbell:
—Closingtime,gents!
Theentrancehallwascrowdedandloudwithtalk.Onatablenearthedoorweretwophotographsinframesandbetweenthemalongrollofpaperbearinganirregulartailofsignatures.MacCannwentbrisklytoandfroamongthestudents,talkingrapidly,answeringrebuffsandleadingoneafteranothertothetable.Intheinnerhallthedeanofstudiesstoodtalkingtoayoungprofessor,strokinghischingravelyandnoddinghishead.
Stephen,checkedbythecrowdatthedoor,haltedirresolutely.FromunderthewidefallingleafofasofthatCranly’sdarkeyeswerewatchinghim.
—Haveyousigned?Stephenasked.
Cranlyclosedhislongthin-lippedmouth,communedwithhimselfaninstantandanswered:
—EGOHABEO.
