Дублінці
The Dead
Nearlyeverydaywhenhisteachinginthecollegewasendedheusedtowanderdownthequaystothesecond-handbooksellers,toHickey’sonBachelor’sWalk,toWeb’sorMassey’sonAston’sQuay,ortoO’Clohissey’sinthebystreet.Hedidnotknowhowtomeethercharge.Hewantedtosaythatliteraturewasabovepolitics.Buttheywerefriendsofmanyyears’standingandtheircareershadbeenparallel,firstattheUniversityandthenasteachers:hecouldnotriskagrandiosephrasewithher.Hecontinuedblinkinghiseyesandtryingtosmileandmurmuredlamelythathesawnothingpoliticalinwritingreviewsofbooks.
Whentheirturntocrosshadcomehewasstillperplexedandinattentive.MissIvorspromptlytookhishandinawarmgraspandsaidinasoftfriendlytone:
“Ofcourse,Iwasonlyjoking.Come,wecrossnow.”
WhentheyweretogetheragainshespokeoftheUniversityquestionandGabrielfeltmoreatease.AfriendofhershadshownherhisreviewofBrowning’spoems.Thatwashowshehadfoundoutthesecret:butshelikedthereviewimmensely.Thenshesaidsuddenly:
“O,Mr.Conroy,willyoucomeforanexcursiontotheAranIslesthissummer?We’regoingtostaythereawholemonth.ItwillbesplendidoutintheAtlantic.Yououghttocome.Mr.Clancyiscoming,andMr.KilkellyandKathleenKearney.ItwouldbesplendidforGrettatooifshe’dcome.
