As the day wore on, my disquiet of mind and body and general ill humor
did not abate, and, wishing that other people should not notice my
unusual state of mind, I took an early afternoon train to the city;
leaving a note for Walkirk, informing him that his services as listener
would not be needed that evening. The rest of that day I spent at my
club, where, fortunately for my mood, I met only a few old fellows who
could not get out of town in the summer, and who had learned, from long
practice, to be quite sufficient unto themselves. Seated in a corner of
the large reading-room, I spent the evening smoking, holding in my hand
an unread newspaper, and asking myself mental questions.
I inquired why in the name of common sense I allowed myself to be so
disturbed by the conduct of an amanuensis, paid by the day, and,
moreover, a member of a religious order. I inquired why the fates should
have so ordered it that this perfectly charming young woman should
suddenly have become frozen into a mass of gray ice. I inquired if I had
inadvertently done or said anything which would naturally wound the
feelings or arouse the resentment of a sister of the House of Martha. I
inquired if there could be any reasonable excuse for a girl who, on
account of an omission or delay in asking her name, would assume a
manner of austere rudeness to a gentleman who had always treated her
with scrupulous courtesy.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121