Hishead—bald,red-veined,hollow-looking—representedalltheheadsinthebuilding.Hishead,withtheamiablepaleeyes,carriedtheburdenofknowledgeacrossthestreetlaiditbeforehiscolleagues,whocameequallyburdenedandthenthesixteengentlemen,liftingtheirpensorturningperhapsratherwearilyintheirchairs,decreedthatthecourseofhistoryshouldshapeitselfthiswayorthatway,beingmanfullydetermined,astheirfacesshowed,toimposesomecoherencyuponRajahsandKaisersandthemutteringinbazaars,thesecretgatherings,plainlyvisibleinWhitehall,ofkiltedpeasantsinAlbanianuplandstocontrolthecourseofevents.
PittandChatham,BurkeandGladstonelookedfromsidetosidewithfixedmarbleeyesandanairofimmortalquiescencewhichperhapsthelivingmayhaveenvied,theairbeingfullofwhistlingandconcussions,astheprocessionwithitsbannerspasseddownWhitehall.Moreover,someweretroubledwithdyspepsiaonehadatthatverymomentcrackedtheglassofhisspectaclesanotherspokeinGlasgowto-morrowaltogethertheylookedtoored,fat,paleorlean,tobedealing,asthemarbleheadshaddealt,withthecourseofhistory.
TimmyDurrantinhislittleroomintheAdmiralty,goingtoconsultaBluebook,stoppedforamomentbythewindowandobservedtheplacardtiedroundthelamp-post.
MissThomas,oneofthetypists,saidtoherfriendthatiftheCabinetwasgoingtositmuchlongersheshouldmissherboyoutsidetheGaiety.
TimmyDurrant,returningwithhisBluebookunderhisarm,noticedalittleknotofpeopleatthestreetcornerconglomeratedasthoughoneofthemknewsomethingandtheothers,pressingroundhim,lookedup,lookeddown,lookedalongthestreet.Whatwasitthatheknew?
Timothy,placingtheBluebookbeforehim,studiedapapersentroundbytheTreasuryforinformation.Mr.Crawley,hisfellow-clerk,impaledaletteronaskewer.
JacobrosefromhischairinHydePark,torehistickettopieces,andwalkedaway.
"Suchasunset,"wroteMrs.FlandersinherlettertoArcheratSingapore."Onecouldn'tmakeupone'smindtocomeindoors,"she