ownage.Buildabetterone.AndtosetthatonfootreadincrediblydullessaysuponMarlowetoyourfriends.ForwhichpurposeonemostcollateeditionsintheBritishMuseum.Onemustdothethingoneself.UselesstotrusttotheVictorians,whodisembowel,ortotheliving,whoaremerepublicists.Thefleshandbloodofthefuturedependsentirelyuponsixyoungmen.AndasJacobwasoneofthem,nodoubthelookedalittleregalandpompousasheturnedhispage,andJuliaHedgedislikedhimnaturallyenough.
Butthenapudding-facedmanpushedanotetowardsJacob,andJacob,leaningbackinhischair,begananuneasymurmuredconversation,andtheywentofftogether(JuliaHedgewatchedthem),andlaughedaloud(shethought)directlytheywereinthehall.
Nobodylaughedinthereading-room.Therewereshirtings,murmurings,apologeticsneezes,andsuddenunashameddevastatingcoughs.Thelessonhourwasalmostover.Usherswerecollectingexercises.Lazychildrenwantedtostretch.Goodonesscribbledassiduously—ah,anotherdayoverandsolittledone!Andnowandthenwastobeheardfromthewholecollectionofhumanbeingsaheavysigh,afterwhichthehumiliatingoldmanwouldcoughshamelessly,andMissMarchmonthinniedlikeahorse.
Jacobcamebackonlyintimetoreturnhisbooks.
Thebookswerenowreplaced.Afewlettersofthealphabetweresprinkledroundthedome.CloselystoodtogetherinaringroundthedomewerePlato,Aristotle,Sophocles,andShakespearetheliteratureofRome,Greece,China,India,Persia.Oneleafofpoetrywaspressedflatagainstanotherleaf,oneburnishedletterlaidsmoothagainstanotherinadensityofmeaning,aconglomerationofloveliness.
"Onedoeswantone'stea,"saidMissMarchmont,reclaiminghershabbyumbrella.
MissMarchmontwantedhertea,butcouldneverresistalastlookattheElginMarbles.Shelookedatthemsideways,wavingherhandandmutteringawordortwoofsalutationwhichmadeJacobandtheothermanturnround.Shesmiledatthemamiably.Itallcameintoherphilosophy—thatcolourissound,orperhapsithassomethingtodowithmusic.Andhavingdoneherservice,shehobbledofftotea.Itwasclosingtime.Thepubliccollectedinthehalltoreceivetheirumbrellas.
Forthemostpartthestudentswaittheirturnverypatiently.Tostandandwaitwhilesomeoneexamineswhitediscsissoothing.Theumbrellawillcertainlybefound.ButthefactleadsyouonalldaythroughMacaulay,Hobbes,Gibbonthroughoctavos,quartos,foliossinksdeeperanddeeperthroughivorypagesandmoroccobindingsintothisdensityofthought,thisconglomerationofknowledge.
Jacob'swalking-stickwaslikealltheothers