Епоха невинності

           Agentlemansimplystayedathomeandabstained.Butyoucouldn’tmakeamanlikeWinsettseethat;andthatwaswhytheNewYorkofliteraryclubsandexoticrestaurants,thoughafirstshakemadeitseemmoreofakaleidoscope,turnedout,intheend,tobeasmallerbox,withamoremonotonouspattern,thantheassembledatomsofFifthAvenue.ThenextmorningArcherscouredthetowninvainformoreyellowroses.Inconsequenceofthissearchhearrivedlateattheoffice,perceivedthathisdoingsomadenodifferencewhatevertoanyone,andwasfilledwithsuddenexasperationattheelaboratefutilityofhislife.Whyshouldhenotbe,atthatmoment,onthesandsofSt.AugustinewithMayWelland?Noonewasdeceivedbyhispretenseofprofessionalactivity.Inold-fashionedlegalfirmslikethatofwhichMr.Letterblairwasthehead,andwhichweremainlyengagedinthemanagementoflargeestatesand"conservative"investments,therewerealwaystwoorthreeyoungmen,fairlywell-off,andwithoutprofessionalambition,who,foracertainnumberofhoursofeachday,satattheirdesksaccomplishingtrivialtasks,orsimplyreadingthenewspapers.Thoughitwassupposedtobeproperforthemtohaveanoccupation,thecrudefactofmoney-makingwasstillregardedasderogatory,andthelaw,beingaprofession,wasaccountedamoregentlemanlypursuitthanbusiness.Butnoneoftheseyoungmenhadmuchhopeofreallyadvancinginhisprofession,oranyearnestdesiretodoso;andovermanyofthemthegreenmouldoftheperfunctorywasalreadyperceptiblyspreading.