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shore.
‘Now,’saidBernard,‘thetimehascome.Thedayhas
come.Thecabisatthedoor.Myhugeboxbends
George’sbandy-legsevenwider.Thehorrible
ceremonyisover,thetips,andthegood-byesinthe
hall.Nowthereisthisgulpingceremonywith
mymother,thishand-shakingceremonywith
myfather;nowImustgoonwaving,Imust
goonwaving,tillweturnthecorner.Nowthat
ceremonyisover.Heavenbepraised,allceremonies
areover.Iamalone;Iamgoingtoschoolforthefirst
time.
‘Everybodyseemstobedoingthingsforthismoment
only;andneveragain.Neveragain.Theurgency
ofitallisfearful.EverybodyknowsIamgoing
toschool,goingtoschoolforthefirsttime.“Thatboy
isgoingtoschoolforthefirsttime,”saysthe
housemaid,cleaningthesteps.Imustnotcry.Imust
beholdthemindifferently.Nowtheawfulportalsofthe
stationgape;“themoon-facedclockregardsme.”
Imustmakephrasesandphrasesandsointerpose
somethinghardbetweenmyselfandthestare
ofhousemaids,thestareofclocks,staringfaces,
indifferentfaces,orIshallcry.ThereisLouis,there
isNeville,inlongcoats,carryinghandbags,bythe
booking-office.Theyarecomposed.Buttheylook
different.’
‘HereisBernard,’saidLouis.‘Heiscomposed;
heiseasy.Heswingshisbagashewalks.Iwillfollow
Bernard,becauseheisnotafraid.Wearedrawn
throughthebooking-officeontotheplatform
asastreamdrawstwigsandstrawsroundthepiers
ofabridge.Thereistheverypowerful,bottle-green
enginewithoutaneck,allbackandthighs,breathing
steam.Theguardblowshiswhistle;theflagisdipped;
withoutaneffort,ofitsownmomentum,like
anavalanchestartedbyagentlepush,westart
forward.Bernardspreadsarugandplaysknuckle-
bones.Nevillereads.Londoncrumbles.Londonheaves
