"TheHeightoftheseason,"saidBonamy.
ThesunhadalreadyblisteredthepaintonthebacksofthegreenchairsinHydeParkpeeledthebarkofftheplanetreesandturnedtheearthtopowderandtosmoothyellowpebbles.HydeParkwascircled,incessantly,byturningwheels.
"Theheightoftheseason,"saidBonamysarcastically.
HewassarcasticbecauseofClaraDurrantbecauseJacobhadcomebackfromGreeceverybrownandlean,withhispocketsfullofGreeknotes,whichhepulledoutwhenthechairmancameforpencebecauseJacobwassilent.
"Hehasnotsaidawordtoshowthatheisgladtoseeme,"thoughtBonamybitterly.
ThemotorcarspassedincessantlyoverthebridgeoftheSerpentinetheupperclasseswalkedupright,orbentthemselvesgracefullyoverthepalingsthelowerclasseslaywiththeirkneescockedup,flatontheirbacksthesheepgrazedonpointedwoodenlegssmallchildrenrandowntheslopinggrass,stretchedtheirarms,andfell.
"Veryurbane,"Jacobbroughtout.
"Urbane"onthelipsofJacobhadmysteriouslyalltheshapelinessofacharacterwhichBonamythoughtdailymoresublime,devastating,terrificthanever,thoughhewasstill,andperhapswouldbeforever,barbaric,obscure.
Whatsuperlatives!Whatadjectives!HowacquitBonamyofsentimentalityofthegrossestsortofbeingtossedlikeacorkonthewavesofhavingnosteadyinsightintocharacterofbeingunsupportedbyreason,andofdrawingnocomfortwhateverfromtheworksoftheclassics?
"Theheightofcivilization,"saidJacob.
HewasfondofusingLatinwords.
Magnanimity,virtue—suchwordswhenJacobusedthemintalkwithBonamymeantthathetookcontrolofthesituationthatBonamywouldplayroundhimlikeanaffectionatespanielandthat(aslikelyasnot)theywouldendbyrollingonthefloor.
"AndGreece?"saidBonamy."TheParthenonandallthat?"
"There'snoneofthisEuropeanmysticism,"saidJacob.
"It'stheatmosphere.Isuppose,"saidBonamy."AndyouwenttoConstantinople?"
"Yes,"saidJacob.
Bonamypaused,movedapebblethendartedinwiththerapidityandcertaint