ndeedhelookedquiet,notindifferent,butlikesomeoneonabeach,watching.
"Oh,mydear,letmeleanonyou,"gaspedHelenAskew,hoppingononefoot,forthesilvercordroundheranklehadworkedloose.Mrs.Keymerturnedandlookedatthepictureonthewall.
"LookatJacob,"saidHelen(theywerebindinghiseyesforsomegame).
AndDickGraves,beingalittledrunk,veryfaithful,andverysimple-minded,toldherthathethoughtJacobthegreatestmanhehadeverknown.Anddowntheysatcross-leggeduponcushionsandtalkedaboutJacob,andHelen'svoicetrembled,fortheybothseemedheroestoher,andthefriendshipbetweenthemsomuchmorebeautifulthanwomen'sfriendships.AnthonyPollettnowaskedhertodance,andasshedancedshelookedatthem,overhershoulder,standingatthetable,drinkingtogether.
Themagnificentworld—thelive,sane,vigorousworld….ThesewordsrefertothestretchofwoodpavementbetweenHammersmithandHolborninJanuarybetweentwoandthreeinthemorning.ThatwasthegroundbeneathJacob'sfeet.Itwashealthyandmagnificentbecauseoneroom,aboveamews,somewhereneartheriver,containedfiftyexcited,talkative,friendlypeople.Andthentostrideoverthepavement(therewasscarcelyacaborpolicemaninsight)isofitselfexhilarating.ThelongloopofPiccadilly,diamond-stitched,showstobestadvantagewhenitisempty.Ayoungmanhasnothingtofear.Onthecontrary,thoughhemaynothavesaidanythingbrilliant,hefeelsprettyconfidenthecanholdhisown.HewaspleasedtohavemetManginheadmiredtheyoungwomanonthefloorhelikedthemallhelikedthatsortofthing.Inshort,allthedrumsandtrumpetsweresounding.Thestreetscavengersweretheonlypeopleaboutatthemoment.Itisscarcelynecessarytosayhowwell-disposedJacobfelttowardsthemhowitpleasedhimtolethimselfinwithhislatch-keyathisowndoorhowheseemedtobringbackwithhimintotheemptyroomtenorelevenpeoplewhomhehadnotknownwhenhesetouthowhelookedaboutforsomethingtoread,andfoundit,andneverreadit,andfellasleep.
Indeed,drumsandtrumpetsisnophrase.Indeed,PiccadillyandHolborn,andtheemptysitting-roomandthesitting-roomwithfiftypeopleinitareliableatanymomenttoblowmusicintotheair.Womenperhapsaremoreexcitablethanmen.Itisseldomthatanyonesaysanythingaboutit,andtoseethehordescrossingWaterlooBridgetocatchthenon-stoptoSurbitononemightthinkthatreasonimpelledthem.No,no.Itisthedrumsandtrumpets.Only,shouldyouturnasideintooneofthoselittlebaysonWaterlooBridgetothinkthematterover,itwillprobablyseemtoyouallamuddle—allamystery.
Theycrossthe