verroughergroundbyherside.ShehadbeenleftmotherlessattheageoffourandtheParkwasvast.
"Oneneverseemedabletogetoutofit,"shelaughed.Ofcoursetherewasthelibrary,anddearMr.Jones,andnotionsaboutthings."Iusedtostrayintothekitchenandsituponthebutler'sknees,"shelaughed,sadlythough.
Jacobthoughtthatifhehadbeentherehewouldhavesavedherforshehadbeenexposedtogreatdangers,hefelt,and,hethoughttohimself,"Peoplewouldn'tunderstandawomantalkingasshetalks."
Shemadelittleoftheroughnessofthehillandworebreeches,hesaw,underhershortskirts.
"WomenlikeFannyElmerdon't,"hethought."What's-her-nameCarslakedidn'tyettheypretend…"
Mrs.Williamssaidthingsstraightout.Hewassurprisedbyhisownknowledgeoftherulesofbehaviourhowmuchmorecanbesaidthanonethoughthowopenonecanbewithawomanandhowlittlehehadknownhimselfbefore.
Evanjoinedthemontheroadandastheydrovealonguphillanddownhill(forGreeceisinastateofeffervescence,yetastonishinglyclean-cut,atreelessland,whereyouseethegroundbetweentheblades,eachhillcutandshapedandoutlinedasoftenasnotagainstsparklingdeepbluewaters,islandswhiteassandfloatingonthehorizon,occasionalgrovesofpalmtreesstandinginthevalleys,whicharescatteredwithblackgoats,spottedwithlittleolivetreesandsometimeshavewhitehollows,rayedandcriss-crossed,intheirflanks),astheydroveuphillanddownhescowledinthecornerofthecarriage,withhispawsotightlyclosedthattheskinwasstretchedbetweentheknucklesandthelittlehairsstoodupright.Sandrarodeopposite,dominant,likeaVictorypreparedtoflingintotheair.
"Heartless!"thoughtEvan(whichwasuntrue).
"Brainless!"hesuspected(andthatwasnottrueeither)."Still…!"Heenviedher.
WhenbedtimecamethedifficultywastowritetoBonamy,Jacobfound.YethehadseenSalamis,andMarathoninthedistance.PooroldBonamy!Notherewassomethingqueeraboutit.HecouldnotwritetoBonamy.
"IshallgotoAthensallthesame,"heresolved,lookingveryset,withthishookdragginginhisside.
TheWilliamseshadalreadybeentoAthens.
Athensisstillquitecapableofstrikingayoungmanastheoddestcombination,themostincongruousassortment.Nowitissuburbannowimmortal.Nowcheapcontinentaljewelleryislaiduponplushtrays.Nowthestatelywomanstandsnaked,saveforawaveofdraperyabovetheknee.Noformcanhesetonhissensationsashestrolls,oneblazingafternoon,alongtheParisianboulevardandskipsoutofthewayoftheroyallandauwhich,lookingindescribablyramshackle,rattlesalongthepittedroadway,salutedbycitizensofbothsexescheaplydressedinbowlerhatsandcontinentalcostumesthoughashepherdinkilt,cap,andgaitersverynearlydriveshisherdofgoatsbetweentheroyalwheelsandallthetimetheAcropolissurgesintotheair,raisesitselfabovethetown,likealargeimmobilewavewiththeyellowcolumnsoftheParthenonfirmlyplanteduponit.
TheyellowcolumnsoftheParthenonaretobeseenatallhoursofthedayfirmlyplantedupontheAcropolisthoughatsunset,whentheshipsinthePiraeusfiretheirguns,abellrings,amaninuniform(thewaistcoatunbuttoned)appearsandthewomenrolluptheblackstockingswhichtheyareknittingintheshadowofthecolumns,calltothechildren,andtroopoffdownthehillbacktotheirhouses.
Theretheyareagain,thepillars,thepediment,theTempleofVictoryandtheErechtheum,setonatawnyrockcleftwithshadows,directlyyouunlatchyourshuttersinthemorningand,leaningout,heartheclatter,theclamour,thewhipcrackinginthestreetbelow.Theretheyare.
Theextremedefinitenesswithwhichtheystand,nowabrilliantwhite,againyellow,andinsomelightsred,imposesideasofdurability,oftheemergencethroughtheearthofsomespiritualenergyelsewheredissipatedineleganttrifles.Butthisdurabilityexistsquiteindependentlyofouradmiration.Althoughthebeautyissufficientlyhumanetoweakenus,tostirthedeepdepositofmud—memories,abandonments,regrets,sentimentaldevotions—theParthenonisseparatefromallthatandifyouconsiderhowithasstoodoutallnight,forcenturies,youbegintoconnecttheblaze(atmiddaytheglareisdazzlingandthefriezealmostinvisible)withtheideathatperhapsitisbeautyalonethatisimmortal.
Addedtothis,comparedwiththeblisteredstucco,thenewlovesongsraspedouttothestrumofguitarandgramophone,andthemobileyetinsignificantfacesofthestreet,theParthenonisreallyastonishinginitssilentcomposurewhichissovigorousthat,farfrombeingdecayed,theParthenonappears,onthecontrary,likelytooutlasttheentireworld.
"AndtheGreeks,likesensiblemen,neverbotheredtofinishthebacksoftheirstatues,"saidJacob,shadinghiseyesandobservingthatthesideofthefigurewhichisturnedawayfromviewisleftintherough.
Henotedtheslightirregularityinthelineofthestepswhich"theartisticsenseoftheGreekspreferredtomathematicalaccuracy,"hereadinhisguide-book.
HestoodontheexactspotwherethegreatstatueofAthenausedtostand,andidentifiedthemorefamouslandmarksofthescenebeneath.
Inshorthewasaccurateanddiligentbutprofoundlymorose.Moreov