Епоха невинності

           ""Thenit’sNOTpostponed?"shecontinued,withaninsistencesounlikeherthathefeltthebloodrisingtohisface,asifhewereblushingforherunwontedlapsefromallthetraditionaldelicacies."No:butmygoingis,"heanswered,cursingtheunnecessaryexplanationsthathehadgivenwhenhehadannouncedhisintentionofgoingtoWashington,andwonderingwherehehadreadthatcleverliarsgivedetails,butthatthecleverestdonot.ItdidnothurthimhalfasmuchtotellMayanuntruthastoseehertryingtopretendthatshehadnotdetectedhim."I’mnotgoingtilllateron:luckilyfortheconvenienceofyourfamily,"hecontinued,takingbaserefugeinsarcasm.Ashespokehefeltthatshewaslookingathim,andheturnedhiseyestohersinordernottoappeartobeavoidingthem.Theirglancesmetforasecond,andperhapsletthemintoeachother’smeaningsmoredeeplythaneithercaredtogo."Yes;itISawfullyconvenient,"Maybrightlyagreed,"thatyoushouldbeabletomeetEllenafterall;yousawhowmuchMammaappreciatedyourofferingtodoit.""Oh,I’mdelightedtodoit."Thecarriagestopped,andashejumpedoutsheleanedtohimandlaidherhandonhis."Good-bye,dearest,"shesaid,hereyessobluethathewonderedafterwardiftheyhadshoneonhimthroughtears.HeturnedawayandhurriedacrossUnionSquare,repeatingtohimself,inasortofinwardchant:"It’salloftwohoursfromJerseyCitytooldCatherine’s.It’salloftwohours—anditmaybemore."