My eyes, resting on him curiously, caused him no
embarrassment. I wondered what a stranger would have taken
him to be, sitting there in his old Norfolk jacket and his
unbrushed bowler; his trousers were baggy, his hands were not
clean; and his face, with the red stubble of the unshaved
chin, the little eyes, and the large, aggressive nose,
was uncouth and coarse. His mouth was large, his lips were heavy
and sensual. No; I could not have placed him.
"You won't go back to your wife?" I said at last.
"Never."
"She's willing to forget everything that's happened and start afresh.
She'll never make you a single reproach."
"She can go to hell."
"You don't care if people think you an utter blackguard?
You don't care if she and your children have to beg their bread?"
"Not a damn."
I was silent for a moment in order to give greater force to my
next remark. I spoke as deliberately as I could.
"You are a most unmitigated cad."
"Now that you've got that off your chest, let's go and have dinner."
Chapter XIII
I dare say it would have been more seemly to decline this proposal.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93