Спрут: Калифорнийская история
Chapter I
Presleyseemedtohavecomeofamixedorigin;appearedtohaveanaturemorecomposite,atemperamentmorecomplex.UnlikeHarranDerrick,heseemedmoreofacharacterthanatype.Thesunhadbrownedhisfacetillitwasalmostswarthy.Hiseyeswereadarkbrown,andhisforeheadwastheforeheadoftheintellectual,wideandhigh,withacertainunmistakableliftaboutitthatarguededucation,notonlyofhimself,butofhispeoplebeforehim.Theimpressionconveyedbyhismouthandchinwasthatofadelicateandhighlysensitivenature,thelipsthinandlooselyshuttogether,thechinsmallandratherreceding.OneguessedthatPresley’srefinementhadbeengainedonlybyacertainlossofstrength.Oneexpectedtofindhimnervous,introspective,todiscoverthathismentallifewasnotatalltheresultofimpressionsandsensationsthatcametohimfromwithout,butratherofthoughtsandreflectionsgerminatingfromwithin.Thoughmorbidlysensitivetochangesinhisphysicalsurroundings,hewouldbeslowtoactuponsuchsensations,wouldnotproveimpulsive,notbecausehewassluggish,butbecausehewasmerelyirresolute.Itcouldbeforeseenthatmorallyhewasofthatsortwhoavoidevilthroughgoodtaste,lackofdecision,andwantofopportunity.Histemperamentwasthatofthepoet;whenhetoldhimselfhehadbeenthinking,hedeceivedhimself.Hehad,onsuchoccasions,beenonlybrooding.
