The Observations of HenryJerome, Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka)
General
The Observations of Henry
Jerome, Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka)
England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"She recognised him," returned Henry, "before he entered the Cafe, owing
to catching sight of his face through the glass door while he was trying
to find the handle. Women on some points have better memories than men.
Added to which, when you come to think of it, the game was a bit
one-sided. Except that his moustache, maybe, was a little more imposing,
and that he wore the clothes of a gentleman in place of those of an able-
bodied seaman before the mast, he was to all intents and purposes the
same as when they parted six years ago outside the church door; while she
had changed from a child in a short muslin frock and a 'flapper,' as I
believe they call it, tied up in blue ribbon, to a self-possessed young
woman in a frock that might have come out of a Bond Street show window,
and a Japanese coiffure, that being then the fashion.
"She finished with her French customers, not hurrying herself in the
least--that wasn't her way; and then strolling over to her husband, asked
him in French what she could have the pleasure of doing for him. His
education on board the 'Susan Pride' and others had, I take it, gone back
rather than forward. He couldn't understand her, so she translated it
for him into broken English, with an accent. He asked her how she knew
he was English. She told him it was because Englishmen had such pretty
moustaches, and came back with his order, which was rum punch. She kept
him waiting about a quarter of an hour before she returned with it. He
filled up the time looking into the glass behind him when he thought
nobody was observing him.
"One American drink, as they used to concoct it in that bar, was
generally enough for most of our customers, but he, before he left,
contrived to put away three; also contriving, during the same short space
of time, to inform 'Mam'sel Marie' that Paris, since he had looked into
her eyes, had become the only town worth living in, so far as he was
concerned, throughout the whole universe. He had his failings, had
Master Tom Sleight, but shyness wasn't one of them. She gave him a smile
when he left that would have brought a less impressionable young man than
he back again to that Cafe; but for the rest of the day I noticed
'Mam'sel Marie' frowned to herself a good deal, and was quite unusually
cynical in her view of things in general.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account