Пробный камень
IV
HelookedupandmettheinterrogativesmileofBartonFlamel,whostoodonthecurbstonewatchingtheretreatingcarwiththeeyeofamanphilosophicenoughtorememberthatitwillbefollowedbyanother.
GlennardfelthisusualimpulseofpleasureatmeetingFlamel;butitwasnotinthiscasecurtailedbythereactionofcontemptthathabituallysucceededit.ProbablyeventhefewmenwhohadknownFlamelsincehisyouthcouldhavegivennogoodreasonforthevaguemistrustthatheinspired.Somepeoplearejudgedbytheiractions,othersbytheirideas;andperhapstheshortestwayofdefiningFlamelistosaythathiswell-knownleniencyofviewwasvaguelydivinedtoincludehimself.Simplemindsmayhaveresentedthediscoverythathisopinionswerebasedonhisperceptions;buttherewascertainlynomoredefinitechargeagainsthimthanthatimpliedinthedoubtastohowhewouldbehaveinanemergency,andhiscompanywaslookeduponasoneofthosemildlyunwholesomedissipationstowhichtheprudentmayoccasionallyyield.ItnowoffereditselftoGlennardasaneasyescapefromtheobsessionofmoralproblems,whichsomehowcouldnomorebeworninFlamel’spresencethanasurpliceinthestreet.
“Whereareyougoing?Totheclub?”Flamelasked;adding,astheyoungermanassented,“Whynotcometomystudioinstead?You’llseeoneboreinsteadoftwenty.”
TheapartmentwhichFlameldescribedashisstudioshowed,asitsoneclaimtothedesignation,aperenniallyemptyeasel;therestofitsspacebeingfilledwiththeevidencesofacomprehensivedilettanteism.
