Портрет художника в юності
Chapter 5
Theycameamblingandstumbling,tumblingandcapering,kiltingtheirgownsforleapfrog,holdingoneanotherback,shakenwithdeepfalselaughter,smackingoneanotherbehindandlaughingattheirrudemalice,callingtooneanotherbyfamiliarnicknames,protestingwithsuddendignityatsomeroughusage,whisperingtwoandtwobehindtheirhands.
Theprofessorhadgonetotheglasscasesonthesidewall,fromashelfofwhichhetookdownasetofcoils,blewawaythedustfrommanypointsand,bearingitcarefullytothetable,heldafingeronitwhileheproceededwithhislecture.HeexplainedthatthewiresinmoderncoilswereofacompoundcalledplatinoidlatelydiscoveredbyF.W.Martino.
Hespokeclearlytheinitialsandsurnameofthediscoverer.Moynihanwhisperedfrombehind:
—GoodoldFreshWaterMartin!
—Askhim,Stephenwhisperedbackwithwearyhumour,ifhewantsasubjectforelectrocution.Hecanhaveme.
Moynihan,seeingtheprofessorbendoverthecoils,roseinhisbenchand,clackingnoiselesslythefingersofhisrighthand,begantocallwiththevoiceofaslobberingurchin.
—Pleaseteacher!Thisboyisaftersayingabadword,teacher.
—Platinoid,theprofessorsaidsolemnly,ispreferredtoGermansilverbecauseithasalowercoefficientofresistancebychangesoftemperature.
