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ofeveningentertainment.Acrowdsimilarinspirit
pervadedthepavements,white-shirtedmenwithcoat
onarmsteppedinandoutofswingingclubdoorsand
theexamplesetbytheleisuredclassseemedcopiously
copiedbythosewhomdesksandshopshadmade
prisonersallday.Theairofthewholetown,swarming
withthenationthatissupposedtomakesograve
anaffairofitsamusements,wasindescribablygayand
lighthearted;thewholecityseemedsetonenjoying
itself.Thebusesthatboomedalongwerepackedinside
andout,andeachwasplacardedwithadvertisement
ofsomepopularpieceattheatreormusic-hall.Inside
theGreenParkthegrasswaspopulouswithlounging
figures,who,unabletopayforindoorentertainment,
weremakingthemostofwhatthecoolnessofsunset
andgrasssuppliedthemwithgratis;thenewsboards
ofitinerantsellerscontainednothingofmoreserious
importthantheresultofcricketmatches;and,asthe
duskbegantofall,streetlampsandsignswerelit,like
earlyrisingstars,sothatnohintofthegatheringnight
shouldbepermittedtointrudeontheperpetually
illuminatedcity.Allthatwassordidandsad,allthat
wasbusy(exceptonthesegayerrandsofpleasure)was
shuffledawayoutofsight,sothatthepleasureseekers
mightbeexcusedforbelievingthattherewasnothing
intheworldthatcoulddemandtheirattentionexcept
theneedofamusingthemselvessuccessfully.The
workerstoiledinorderthatwhentheworkingdaywas
overthefruitsoftheirlabourmightyieldaharvest
ofafewhours’enjoyment;silkwormshadspunsothat
fromcarriagewindowsmightglimmerthewrappings
madefromtheircocoons;divershadbeenimperilled
indeepseassothatthepearlstheyhadwonmight
embellishthenecksofthesefairwearers.
ToFrancisthisallseemedverynaturalandproper,
partoftherecognisedorderofthingsthatmadeupthe
seriesofsensationsknowntohimaslife.Hedidnot,
ashehadsaid,veryparticularlycareaboutanything,
anditwasundoubtedlytruethattherewasnomotive
