Manchurian Books

I turned my back on him, and did not look round again for a little
while.
"That's how it is, you see, George." I heard him after a time.
When we were back in the high road again he came alongside, and for a
time we walked in silence.
"Don't say anything home yet," he said presently. "Fortunes of War. I
got to pick the proper time with Susan--else she'll get depressed. Not
that she isn't a first-rate brick whatever comes along."
"All right," I said, "I'll be careful"; and it seemed to me for the time
altogether too selfish to bother him with any further inquiries about
his responsibility as my trustee. He gave a little sigh of relief at
my note of assent, and was presently talking quite cheerfully of his
plans.... But he had, I remember, one lapse into moodiness that came and
went suddenly. "Those others!" he said, as though the thought had stung
him for the first time.
"What others?" I asked.
"Damn them!" said he.
"But what others?"
"All those damned stick-in-the-mud-and-die-slowly tradespeople: Ruck,
the butcher, Marbel, the grocer.


Pages:
116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140