Епоха невинності

           "Ah—thenIwon’taskhimtodine!"heconcludedwithalaugh;andMayechoed,bewildered:"Goodness—asktheCarfrys’tutor?""Well,notonthesamedaywiththeCarfrys,ifyoupreferIshouldn’t.ButIdidratherwantanothertalkwithhim.He’slookingforajobinNewYork."Hersurpriseincreasedwithherindifference:healmostfanciedthatshesuspectedhimofbeingtaintedwith"foreignness.""AjobinNewYork?Whatsortofajob?Peopledon’thaveFrenchtutors:whatdoeshewanttodo?""Chieflytoenjoygoodconversation,Iunderstand,"herhusbandretortedperversely;andshebrokeintoanappreciativelaugh."Oh,Newland,howfunny!Isn’tthatFRENCH?"Onthewhole,hewasgladtohavethemattersettledforhimbyherrefusingtotakeseriouslyhiswishtoinviteM.Riviere.Anotherafter-dinnertalkwouldhavemadeitdifficulttoavoidthequestionofNewYork;andthemoreArcherconsidereditthelesshewasabletofitM.RiviereintoanyconceivablepictureofNewYorkasheknewit.Heperceivedwithaflashofchillinginsightthatinfuturemanyproblemswouldbethusnegativelysolvedforhim;butashepaidthehansomandfollowedhiswife’slongtrainintothehousehetookrefugeinthecomfortingplatitudethatthefirstsixmonthswerealwaysthemostdifficultinmarriage."AfterthatIsupposeweshallhaveprettynearlyfinishedrubbingoffeachother’sangles,"hereflected;buttheworstofitwasthatMay’spressurewasalreadybearingontheveryangleswhosesharpnesshemostwantedtokeep.