Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
doingitagain.You’llhavetea,won’tyou?”
Why,yes,”saidFrancis,gettingup,also,andleaning
hiselbowonthechimney-piece,whichwasnearly
onalevelwiththetopofMichael’shead.And
ifMichaelhadgracefulnessonlyintheartofgiving,
Francis’sgracefulnessinreceivingwasclearly
ofapiecewiththerestofhim.Hewastall,slimand
alert,withthequick,softmovementsofsomewild
animal.Hisface,brownwithsunburnandpinkwith
brisk-goingblood,wasexceedinglyhandsome
inaboyishandalmosteffeminatemanner,andthough
hewasonlyeighteenmonthsyoungerthanhiscousin,
helookedasifnineortenyearsmighthavedivided
theirages.
Butyouareabrick,Mike,”hesaidagain,layinghis
long,brownhandonhiscousin’sshoulder.Ican’thelp
sayingittwice.”
Twicemorethanwasnecessary,”saidMichael,
finallydismissingthesubject.
TheroomwheretheysatwasinMichael’sflatinHalf
MoonStreet,andhighupinoneofthosetall,discreet-
lookinghouses.Thewindowswerewideopenonthis
hotJulyafternoon,andthebourdonhumofLondon,
wherePiccadillypouredbyatthestreetend,came
inblendedandbluntedbydistance,butwiththe
suggestionofheat,ofmovement,ofhurryingaffairs.
Theroomwasveryemptyoffurniture;therewasarug
ortwoontheparquetfloor,along,lowbookcase
takinguptheendnearthedoor,atable,asofa,three
orfourchairs,andapiano.Everythingwasplain,but
equallyobviouslyeverythingwasexpensive,andthe
generalimpressiongivenwasthattheownerhad
nodesiretobesurroundedbythingshedidnotwant,
butinsistedonthesuperlativequalityofthethings
hedid.Therugs,forinstance,happenedtobeofsilk,
thebookcasehappenedtobeHepplewhite,thepiano
borethemosteminentofmakers’names.Therewere
threemezzotintsonthewalls,adragon’s-bloodvase
onthehigh,carvedchimney-piece;thewholeborethe