Эпоха невинности

           Butaboveall—sometimesArcherputitaboveall—itwasinthatlibrarythattheGovernorofNewYork,comingdownfromAlbanyoneeveningtodineandspendthenight,hadturnedtohishost,andsaid,banginghisclenchedfistonthetableandgnashinghiseye-glasses:"Hangtheprofessionalpolitician!You’rethekindofmanthecountrywants,Archer.Ifthestable’severtobecleanedout,menlikeyouhavegottolendahandinthecleaning.""Menlikeyou—"howArcherhadglowedatthephrase!Howeagerlyhehadrisenupatthecall!ItwasanechoofNedWinsett’soldappealtorollhissleevesupandgetdownintothemuck;butspokenbyamanwhosettheexampleofthegesture,andwhosesummonstofollowhimwasirresistible.Archer,ashelookedback,wasnotsurethatmenlikehimselfWEREwhathiscountryneeded,atleastintheactiveservicetowhichTheodoreRoosevelthadpointed;infact,therewasreasontothinkitdidnot,forafterayearintheStateAssemblyhehadnotbeenre-elected,andhaddroppedbackthankfullyintoobscureifusefulmunicipalwork,andfromthatagaintothewritingofoccasionalarticlesinoneofthereformingweekliesthatweretryingtoshakethecountryoutofitsapathy.Itwaslittleenoughtolookbackon;butwhenherememberedtowhattheyoungmenofhisgenerationandhissethadlookedforward—thenarrowgrooveofmoney-making,sportandsocietytowhichtheirvisionhadbeenlimited—evenhissmallcontributiontothenewstateofthingsseemedtocount,aseachbrickcountsinawell-builtwall.