Міжнародний епізод
Part I
Theyoungmenwanderedthroughtheadjoiningsquare—thatqueerplacewithoutpalings,andwithmarblewalksarrangedinblackandwhitelozenges.Therewereagreatmanybenches,crowdedwithshabby-lookingpeople,andthetravelersremarked,veryjustly,thatitwasnotmuchlikeBelgraveSquare.Ononesidewasanenormoushotel,liftingupintothehotdarknessanimmensearrayofopen,brightlylightedwindows.Atthebaseofthispopulousstructurewasaneternaljangleofhorsecars,andallroundit,intheupperdusk,wasasinisterhumofmosquitoes.Thegroundfloorofthehotelseemedtobeahugetransparentcage,flingingawideglareofgaslightintothestreet,ofwhichitformedasortofpublicadjunct,absorbingandemittingthepassersbypromiscuously.TheyoungEnglishmenwentinwitheveryoneelse,fromcuriosity,andsawacoupleofhundredmensittingondivansalongagreatmarble-pavedcorridor,withtheirlegsstretchedout,togetherwithseveraldozenmorestandinginaqueue,asattheticketofficeofarailwaystation,beforeabrilliantlyilluminatedcounterofvastextent.Theselatterpersons,whocarriedportmanteausintheirhands,hadadejected,exhaustedlook;theirgarmentswerenotveryfresh,andtheyseemedtoberenderingsomemysterioustributetoamagnificentyoungmanwithawaxedmustache,andashirtfrontadornedwithdiamondbuttons,whoeverynowandthendroppedanabsentglanceovertheirmultitudinouspatience.TheywereAmericancitizensdoinghomagetoahotelclerk.
