Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
hehadMichael’schequeinhispocket,needed
nocomment,stilllesscomplaint.He,likethecrowd
whohadsufficienttopayforasix-pennyseat
atamusic-hall,wasperfectlycontentwithlife
ingeneral;to-morrowwouldbetimeenough
todoalittlemoreworkandgleanalittlemore
pleasure.
ItwasindeedanadmirableEngland,whereitwas
notnecessaryeventodesire,forthereweresomany
things,bright,cheerfulthingstodistractthemindfrom
desire.Itwasadayofdozinginthesun,likethe
submerged,scatteredunitsorduetsonthegrassofthe
GreenPark,ofbehavingliketheliliesofthefield...
.
Francisfoundhewasratherlate,andproceeded
hastilytohismother’shouseinSavileRowtoarray
himself,ifnotlikeoneofthese,”likeanexceedingly
well-dressedyoungman,whodemandedofhistailor
theutmostofhisart;withtheprospect,owing
toMichael’sgenerosity,ofbeingpaidto-morrow.
Michael,whenhiscousinhadlefthim,didnot
atonceproceedtohiseveningbyhimselfwithhis
piano,thoughanhourbeforehehadlonged
tobealonewithitandapianofortearrangementofthe
Meistersingers,ofwhichhehadpromisedhimself
acompleteperusalthatevening.ButFrancis’svisithad
alreadydistractedhim,andhefoundnowthat
Francis’sdeparturetookhimevenfartherawayfrom
hisdesignedevening.Francis,withhisgoodlooksand
hisgayspirits,hiseasyfriendshipsandperfectcontent
(exceptwhenasmallmatterofdeficitanddunning
lettersobscuredthesunlightforamoment),was
exactlyallthathewouldhavewishedtobehimself.But
themomentheformulatedthatwishinhismind,
heknewthathewouldnotvoluntarilyhavepartedwith
oneatomofhisownindividualityinordertobeFrancis
oranybodyelse.Hewasawarehoweasyandpleasant
lifewouldbecomeifhecouldlookonitwithFrancis’s
eyes,andiftheworldwouldlookonhimasitlooked
onhiscousin.Therewouldbenomorebother...
.
