Епоха невинності

           "Isn’tthatperhapsthereason?""Thereason—?""Fortheirgreatinfluence;thattheymakethemselvessorare."Hecolouredalittle,staredather—andsuddenlyfeltthepenetrationoftheremark.AtastrokeshehadprickedthevanderLuydensandtheycollapsed.Helaughed,andsacrificedthem.Nastasiabroughtthetea,withhandlelessJapanesecupsandlittlecovereddishes,placingthetrayonalowtable."Butyou’llexplainthesethingstome—you’lltellmeallIoughttoknow,"MadameOlenskacontinued,leaningforwardtohandhimhiscup."It’syouwhoaretellingme;openingmyeyestothingsI’dlookedatsolongthatI’dceasedtoseethem."Shedetachedasmallgoldcigarette-casefromoneofherbracelets,helditouttohim,andtookacigaretteherself.Onthechimneywerelongspillsforlightingthem."Ah,thenwecanbothhelpeachother.ButIwanthelpsomuchmore.Youmusttellmejustwhattodo."Itwasonthetipofhistonguetoreply:"Don’tbeseendrivingaboutthestreetswithBeaufort—"buthewasbeingtoodeeplydrawnintotheatmosphereoftheroom,whichwasheratmosphere,andtogiveadviceofthatsortwouldhavebeenliketellingsomeonewhowasbargainingforattar-of-rosesinSamarkandthatoneshouldalwaysbeprovidedwitharcticsforaNewYorkwinter.NewYorkseemedmuchfartheroffthanSamarkand,andiftheywereindeedtohelpeachothershewasrenderingwhatmightprovethefirstoftheirmutualservicesbymakinghimlookathisnativecityobjectively.