Manchurian Books

He became wary about breakfast
as life advanced, and at one time talked much of Dr. Haig and uric acid.
But for other meals he remained reasonably omnivorous. He was something
of a gastronome, and would eat anything he particularly liked in an
audible manner, and perspire upon his forehead. He was a studiously
moderate drinker--except when the spirit of some public banquet or some
great occasion caught him and bore him beyond his wariness--there
he would, as it were, drink inadvertently and become flushed and
talkative--about everything but his business projects.
To make the portrait complete one wants to convey an effect of sudden,
quick bursts of movement like the jumps of a Chinese-cracker to indicate
that his pose whatever it is, has been preceded and will be followed
by a rush. If I were painting him, I should certainly give him for
a background that distressed, uneasy sky that was popular in the
eighteenth century, and at a convenient distance a throbbing motor-car,
very big and contemporary, a secretary hurrying with papers, and an
alert chauffeur.


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