DOI article:
James, Henry: The death of the lion
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20196#0034
28 The Death of the Lion
It was three o'clock, and on days when Paraday didn't lunch
out he attached a value to these subjugated hours. On which
days, however, didn't the dear man lunch out ? Mrs. Wimbush,
at such a crisis, would have rushed round immediately after her
own repast. I went into the dining-room first, postponing the
pleasure of seeing how, upstairs, the lady of the barouche would,
on my arrival, point the moral of my sweet solicitude. No one
took such an interest as herseif in his doing only what was good
for him, and she was always on the spot to see that he did it.
She made appointments with him to discuss the best means of
economising his time and protecting his privacy. She further
made his health her special business, and had so much sympathy
with my own zeal for it that she was the author of pleasing
fictions on the subject of what my devotion had led me to give
up. I gave up nothing (I don't count Mr. Pinhorn) because I
had nothing, and all I had as yet achieved was to find myself
also in the menagerie. I had dashed in to save my friend, but I
had only got domesticated and wedged ; so that I could do nothing
for him but exchange with him over people's heads looks of
intense but futile intelligence.
VII
The young lady in the dining-room had a brave face, black
hair, blue eyes, and in her lap a big volume. " IVe come for his
autograph," she Said, when I had explained to her that I was
under bonds to see people for him when he was occupied. " I've
been waiting half an hour, but I'm prepared to wait all day." I
don't know whether it was this that told me she was American,
for
It was three o'clock, and on days when Paraday didn't lunch
out he attached a value to these subjugated hours. On which
days, however, didn't the dear man lunch out ? Mrs. Wimbush,
at such a crisis, would have rushed round immediately after her
own repast. I went into the dining-room first, postponing the
pleasure of seeing how, upstairs, the lady of the barouche would,
on my arrival, point the moral of my sweet solicitude. No one
took such an interest as herseif in his doing only what was good
for him, and she was always on the spot to see that he did it.
She made appointments with him to discuss the best means of
economising his time and protecting his privacy. She further
made his health her special business, and had so much sympathy
with my own zeal for it that she was the author of pleasing
fictions on the subject of what my devotion had led me to give
up. I gave up nothing (I don't count Mr. Pinhorn) because I
had nothing, and all I had as yet achieved was to find myself
also in the menagerie. I had dashed in to save my friend, but I
had only got domesticated and wedged ; so that I could do nothing
for him but exchange with him over people's heads looks of
intense but futile intelligence.
VII
The young lady in the dining-room had a brave face, black
hair, blue eyes, and in her lap a big volume. " IVe come for his
autograph," she Said, when I had explained to her that I was
under bonds to see people for him when he was occupied. " I've
been waiting half an hour, but I'm prepared to wait all day." I
don't know whether it was this that told me she was American,
for