Портрет художника в юности
Chapter 2
TheconfessioncameonlyfromStephen’slipsand,whiletheyspokethewords,asuddenmemoryhadcarriedhimtoanotherscenecalledup,asifbymagic,atthemomentwhenhehadnotedthefaintcrueldimplesatthecornersofHeron’ssmilinglipsandhadfeltthefamiliarstrokeofthecaneagainsthiscalfandhadheardthefamiliarwordofadmonition:
—Admit.
Itwastowardsthecloseofhisfirstterminthecollegewhenhewasinnumbersix.Hissensitivenaturewasstillsmartingunderthelashesofanundivinedandsqualidwayoflife.HissoulwasstilldisquietedandcastdownbythedullphenomenonofDublin.Hehademergedfromatwoyears’spellofreverytofindhimselfinthemidstofanewscene,everyeventandfigureofwhichaffectedhimintimately,disheartenedhimoralluredand,whetheralluringordisheartening,filledhimalwayswithunrestandbitterthoughts.Alltheleisurewhichhisschoollifelefthimwaspassedinthecompanyofsubversivewriterswhosejibesandviolenceofspeechsetupafermentinhisbrainbeforetheypassedoutofitintohiscrudewritings.
