Епоха невинності

           ButMaryandBillwantedmountain-climbing,andhadalreadyyawnedtheirwayinDallas’swakethroughtheEnglishcathedrals;andMay,alwaysfairtoherchildren,hadinsistedonholdingthebalanceevenlybetweentheirathleticandartisticproclivities.ShehadindeedproposedthatherhusbandshouldgotoParisforafortnight,andjointhemontheItalianlakesaftertheyhad"done"Switzerland;butArcherhaddeclined."We’llsticktogether,"hesaid;andMay’sfacehadbrightenedathissettingsuchagoodexampletoDallas.Sinceherdeath,nearlytwoyearsbefore,therehadbeennoreasonforhiscontinuinginthesameroutine.Hischildrenhadurgedhimtotravel:MaryChivershadfeltsureitwoulddohimgoodtogoabroadand"seethegalleries."Theverymysteriousnessofsuchacuremadeherthemoreconfidentofitsefficacy.ButArcherhadfoundhimselfheldfastbyhabit,bymemories,byasuddenstartledshrinkingfromnewthings.Now,ashereviewedhispast,hesawintowhatadeepruthehadsunk.Theworstofdoingone’sdutywasthatitapparentlyunfittedonefordoinganythingelse.Atleastthatwastheviewthatthemenofhisgenerationhadtaken.Thetrenchantdivisionsbetweenrightandwrong,honestanddishonest,respectableandthereverse,hadleftsolittlescopefortheunforeseen.Therearemomentswhenaman’simagination,soeasilysubduedtowhatitlivesin,suddenlyrisesaboveitsdailylevel,andsurveysthelongwindingsofdestiny.Archerhungthereandwondered....