Епоха невинності

           Hewasapuremanofletters,untimelyborninaworldthathadnoneedofletters;butafterpublishingonevolumeofbriefandexquisiteliteraryappreciations,ofwhichonehundredandtwentycopiesweresold,thirtygivenaway,andthebalanceeventuallydestroyedbythepublishers(aspercontract)tomakeroomformoremarketablematerial,hehadabandonedhisrealcalling,andtakenasub-editorialjobonawomen’sweekly,wherefashion-platesandpaperpatternsalternatedwithNewEnglandlove-storiesandadvertisementsoftemperancedrinks.Onthesubjectof"Hearth-fires"(asthepaperwascalled)hewasinexhaustiblyentertaining;butbeneathhisfunlurkedthesterilebitternessofthestillyoungmanwhohastriedandgivenup.HisconversationalwaysmadeArchertakethemeasureofhisownlife,andfeelhowlittleitcontained;butWinsett’s,afterall,containedstillless,andthoughtheircommonfundofintellectualinterestsandcuriositiesmadetheirtalksexhilarating,theirexchangeofviewsusuallyremainedwithinthelimitsofapensivedilettantism."Thefactis,lifeisn’tmuchafitforeitherofus,"Winsetthadoncesaid."I’mdownandout;nothingtobedoneaboutit.I’vegotonlyonewaretoproduce,andthere’snomarketforithere,andwon’tbeinmytime.Butyou’refreeandyou’rewell-off.Whydon’tyougetintotouch?There’sonlyonewaytodoit:togointopolitics."Archerthrewhisheadbackandlaughed.ThereonesawataflashtheunbridgeabledifferencebetweenmenlikeWinsettandtheothers—Archer’skind.