Эпоха невинности

           "Isay,father:whatwasshelike?"Archerfelthiscolourriseunderhisson’sunabashedgaze."Come,ownup:youandsheweregreatpals,weren’tyou?Wasn’tshemostawfullylovely?""Lovely?Idon’tknow.Shewasdifferent.""Ah—thereyouhaveit!That’swhatitalwayscomesto,doesn’tit?Whenshecomes,SHE’SDIFFERENT—andonedoesn’tknowwhy.It’sexactlywhatIfeelaboutFanny."Hisfatherdrewbackastep,releasinghisarm."AboutFanny?But,mydearfellow—Ishouldhopeso!OnlyIdon’tsee—""Dashit,Dad,don’tbeprehistoric!Wasn’tshe—once—yourFanny?"Dallasbelongedbodyandsoultothenewgeneration.Hewasthefirst-bornofNewlandandMayArcher,yetithadneverbeenpossibletoinculcateinhimeventherudimentsofreserve."What’stheuseofmakingmysteries?Itonlymakespeoplewanttonose’emout,"healwaysobjectedwhenenjoinedtodiscretion.ButArcher,meetinghiseyes,sawthefiliallightundertheirbanter."MyFanny?""Well,thewomanyou’dhavechuckedeverythingfor:onlyyoudidn’t,"continuedhissurprisingson."Ididn’t,"echoedArcherwithakindofsolemnity."No:youdate,yousee,dearoldboy.Butmothersaid—""Yourmother?""Yes:thedaybeforeshedied.Itwaswhenshesentformealone—youremember?Shesaidsheknewweweresafewithyou,andalwayswouldbe,becauseonce,whensheaskedyouto,you’dgivenupthethingyoumostwanted."Archerreceivedthisstrangecommunicationinsilence.Hiseyesremainedunseeinglyfixedonthethrongedsunlitsquarebelowthewindow.