Епоха невинності
Chapter 9
Whatwouldshethinkifshefoundhimsittingtherewiththeairofintimacyimpliedbywaitingaloneintheduskatalady’sfireside?Butsincehehadcomehemeanttowait;andhesankintoachairandstretchedhisfeettothelogs.Itwasoddtohavesummonedhiminthatway,andthenforgottenhim;butArcherfeltmorecuriousthanmortified.Theatmosphereoftheroomwassodifferentfromanyhehadeverbreathedthatself-consciousnessvanishedinthesenseofadventure.Hehadbeenbeforeindrawing-roomshungwithreddamask,withpictures"oftheItalianschool";whatstruckhimwasthewayinwhichMedoraManson’sshabbyhiredhouse,withitsblightedbackgroundofpampasgrassandRogersstatuettes,had,byaturnofthehand,andtheskilfuluseofafewproperties,beentransformedintosomethingintimate,"foreign,"subtlysuggestiveofoldromanticscenesandsentiments.Hetriedtoanalysethetrick,tofindacluetoitinthewaythechairsandtablesweregrouped,inthefactthatonlytwoJacqueminotroses(ofwhichnobodyeverboughtlessthanadozen)hadbeenplacedintheslendervaseathiselbow,andinthevaguepervadingperfumethatwasnotwhatoneputonhandkerchiefs,butratherlikethescentofsomefar-offbazaar,asmellmadeupofTurkishcoffeeandambergrisanddriedroses.HismindwanderedawaytothequestionofwhatMay’sdrawing-roomwouldlooklike.HeknewthatMr.Welland,whowasbehaving"veryhandsomely,"alreadyhadhiseyeonanewlybuilthouseinEastThirty-ninthStreet.
