Епоха невинності

           Isay,Dad;it’llbeourlasttimetogether,inthiskindofway—.Oh,good!Iknewyouwould."Chicagorangoff,andArcherroseandbegantopaceupanddowntheroom.Itwouldbetheirlasttimetogetherinthiskindofway:theboywasright.Theywouldhavelotsofother"times"afterDallas’smarriage,hisfatherwassure;forthetwowereborncomrades,andFannyBeaufort,whateveronemightthinkofher,didnotseemlikelytointerferewiththeirintimacy.Onthecontrary,fromwhathehadseenofher,hethoughtshewouldbenaturallyincludedinit.Still,changewaschange,anddifferencesweredifferences,andmuchashefelthimselfdrawntowardhisfuturedaughter-in-law,itwastemptingtoseizethislastchanceofbeingalonewithhisboy.Therewasnoreasonwhyheshouldnotseizeit,excepttheprofoundonethathehadlostthehabitoftravel.Mayhaddislikedtomoveexceptforvalidreasons,suchastakingthechildrentotheseaorinthemountains:shecouldimaginenoothermotiveforleavingthehouseinThirty-ninthStreetortheircomfortablequartersattheWellands’inNewport.AfterDallashadtakenhisdegreeshehadthoughtitherdutytotravelforsixmonths;andthewholefamilyhadmadetheold-fashionedtourthroughEngland,SwitzerlandandItaly.Theirtimebeinglimited(nooneknewwhy)theyhadomittedFrance.ArcherrememberedDallas’swrathatbeingaskedtocontemplateMontBlancinsteadofRheimsandChartres.