Дни грёз
Mutabile Semper
Thefemaletongueismightierthanthesword,asIsoonhadgoodreasontoknow,whenSelina,herrivengarmentheldoutatlength,avengedherdiscomfiturewiththeGreek-fireofpersonalitiesandabuse.Everyblackincidentinmyshort,butnotstainless,career—everyerror,everyfolly,everypenaltyignoblysuffered—wereparadedbeforemeasinamagic-lanternshow.Theinformation,however,wasnotparticularlynewtome,andtheeffectwasstaledbypreviousrehearsals.Besides,avictoryremainsavictory,whateverthemoralcharacterofthetriumphantgeneral.
Haroldchuckledandcrowedashedroppedfromthetable,revealingthedocumentoverwhichsomanygathershadsighedtheirshortlivesout.“YOUcanreaditifyoulike,”hesaidtomegratefully.“It’sonlyaDeath-letter.”
IthadneverbeenpossibletosaywhatHarold’sparticularamusementofthehourmightturnouttobe.Onethingonlywascertain,thatitwouldbesomethingimprobable,unguessable,nottobeforetold.Who,forinstance,insearchofrelaxation,wouldeverdreamofchoosingthedrawing-upofatestamentarydispositionofproperty?YetthiswastheformtakenbyHarold’slatestcraze;andinjusticethismuchhadtobesaidforhim,thatinthechristeningofhisamusementhehadgonerighttotheheartofthematter.Thewords“will”and“testament”havevariousmeaningsanduses;butaboutthesignificationof“death-letter”therecanbenomannerofdoubt.Ismoothedoutthecrumpledpaperandread.
