Епоха невинності

           "Onthesideboard,betweenflutedSheratonknife-cases,stoodadecanterofHautBrion,andanotheroftheoldLanningport(thegiftofaclient),whichthewastrelTomLanninghadsoldoffayearortwobeforehismysteriousanddiscreditabledeathinSanFrancisco—anincidentlesspubliclyhumiliatingtothefamilythanthesaleofthecellar.Afteravelvetyoystersoupcameshadandcucumbers,thenayoungbroiledturkeywithcornfritters,followedbyacanvas-backwithcurrantjellyandacelerymayonnaise.Mr.Letterblair,wholunchedonasandwichandtea,dineddeliberatelyanddeeply,andinsistedonhisguest’sdoingthesame.Finally,whentheclosingriteshadbeenaccomplished,theclothwasremoved,cigarswerelit,andMr.Letterblair,leaningbackinhischairandpushingtheportwestward,said,spreadinghisbackagreeablytothecoalfirebehindhim:"Thewholefamilyareagainstadivorce.AndIthinkrightly."Archerinstantlyfelthimselfontheothersideoftheargument."Butwhy,sir?Ifthereeverwasacase—""Well—what’stheuse?SHE’Shere—he’sthere;theAtlantic’sbetweenthem.She’llnevergetbackadollarmoreofhermoneythanwhathe’svoluntarilyreturnedtoher:theirdamnedheathenmarriagesettlementstakepreciousgoodcareofthat.Asthingsgooverthere,Olenski’sactedgenerously:hemighthaveturnedheroutwithoutapenny."Theyoungmanknewthisandwassilent."Iunderstand,though,"Mr.Letterblaircontinued,"thatsheattachesnoimportancetothemoney.