"Thank you."
"You must go racing often."
"I go racing nearly every day there's racing."
"You have that enormous car. It's so enormous."
"O it's not really."
"You must give me a ride in it one time."
"I'd love to. If you would come."
"Certainly I'd come."
"Wednesday. After zoology practical.' "Yes. I'd love to."
"We could drive to Stepaside. And up the mountain.' "That would be wizard."
"Well I think it really would be too. Would it be all right if I helped myself to more sherry.' "Do. But let me."
"I haven't really been invited."
"O but you were."
"Was I."
"Your hostess asked Beefy to bring you. She thought your car darling. But you're not a rich rich prince, are you."
"Good Lord. Who said that."
"Rumour all over college."
"My God."
"You are then a rich rich prince."
"Would you mind if I just had another little bit of sherry.
This news is very worrying."
"Why don't you ever talk. You just never talk to anyone."
"I don't know how."
"Nonsense. You're one of the most interesting people. I don't think anyone has been seen in college in knickerbockers for years. So nice to see, I don't think they flatter older men.
You look so well. Your yellow gloves and cane."
"Miss Fitzdare. Will you dance with me."
"I'd love to."
To take her hand. And put mine on the soft satin of her back. The blazing log fire throws red shadows. So far away from all the rain. One wakes shivering with cold this Sunday morning. To find after a long drawn day such kind welcome.
Glad to see me. Their eyes sparkled and shone. To chatter away all the emptiness. Lowering on the dark afternoons when the horses have run. And I stray into a country pub. By the cold eastern shore of the sea. And sit. And let the winter stay and stay in my mind. The dark clothed natives steal up near. Enquiring in French or German whether I speak either tongue. And as I replied that one did not, they plowed on darkly in tongues invented on the spot. Until I would ask them what they were drinking. Ah well since ye ask that question and I wouldn't want to confuse you with a foreign tongue I'll have a ball of malt. A world alive in the world.
With all its own land and sky. And Mick here he's a friend of mine who has stood on Broadway and Forty Second Street Fm telling you that's a fact with all them lights blazing in his eyes. To smile and feel the gentle beauty. No mixed bathing in Ireland. Nakedness long banned from pubs. And here amid the chippendale. Faintest powder upon her face, reddish purple of her lips. This mixed evening of young ladies and gentlemen. Generous gladness. Some arms bared above the elbow. If at five in darkness I sat in my rooms. Horace said ah wait till you have the great doings in Trinity Week sir, then there'll be some great lookers about and you can take your pick.
"I know I shouldn't but I feel so silly not to. Use your Christian name, may I. It's Balthazar."
"Yes."
"Funny isn't it, if one keeps very much to oneself and lets others think as they may, one can seem so mysterious and strange. I never would have thought you were lonely and didn't lead the gayest of lives. You dance beautifully too. And now I can't say your name. But I will. Yes. Balthazar. Beefy says you're from France."
"That was many years ago."
"Do you like Ireland."
"Yes except when they suddenly step out on the street and direct traffic."
"I'm not surprised. When you come along in your motor.
But you do like it here."
"Miss Fitzdare I think it would really be better for me to admit right now to you that I am utterly and absolutely bewildered by this land. From the moment I stepped off the boat till now. I'm dazed. I'm frozen out of my wits in my rooms. And forgive me. I have been constipated for weeks. I haven't an idea what's being said by the professor in zoology.
When I see all of you just cutting open your dogfishes the way you do, and somehow I cut into mine, and in my dogfish it simply didn't have a ninth and fifth nerve. I looked all over.
I'm absolutely positive."
"You are funny."
"Miss Fitzdare, I am, really I am, utterly bewildered."
"Odear."
"I can't learn. I keep thinking what good is it to know ontogeny repeats phylogeny. I am sometimes most discouraged." "So you do know something."
"Only because those two words rhyme. I really do swear to that. It was the ogeny that made me remember the phylo and onto."
"You are not quite what I expected. Mr. B. I don't know whether to believe you or not. Or whether you're having me on."
"I swear I'm not having you on."
"You mustn't swear. I hope you don't think I am just a little innocent girl and you pity me. In some things I am innocent. God now you've got me all blushing. This is awful."
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. Do you play the harpsicord, Miss Fitzdare."
"How did you know that."
"I knew. I don't know how. I can hardly meet anyone in Dublin who doesn't."
"O God what a thing to say."
"I don't mean it in its crudest sense. I in fact mean it from the heart. You see I often sit and wonder if my way of life is a true one. That I shall take my place in some sort of society. Not high or low. Not too low. Make comments on the wine. Tell my host or hostess that the ceiling plaster is divine."
"Mr. B. Hmmmn. Yes you are rather more than one bargained for. We don't seem to be dancing. Shall we go back to the mantelpiece. Where we first met."
"You're not meaning to leave me."
"No. Good gracious no."
"I'm in need of another sherry.' "And HI get it for you."
"Miss Fitzdare. The way you cross your legs now on the chair."
"Chair. What chair.' "Sorry stool, at lecture. And you wear those blue woolly looking stockings. You know I have looked at you many times. From behind. I even thought of asking you to accompany me to the gramophone society. And then I thought, no I was just sure you wouldn't come.' "You should have asked."
"If I did. Would you have come."
"I would have adored to."
"Now that's what I mean Miss Fitzdare. You say you would adore to come. And the word adore. That troubles me. I almost feel that how can one really, deep down in one's heart, adore to go to the gramophone society. My first night was awful. I had paid my shilling, and four pence for tea. And on a cold black night five to eight on what I thought was a Friday evening I walked across the playing field. At the other side all was darkness. I nearly stopped and went back to my rooms. But I couldn't face just sitting there. And I went on. For the first time I knew what it was like for those chaps at the pole. And how it was only their will to forge on. Ever on. And that's what I felt when I stopped mid way across the playing field. I thought. No. Courage. You must go on. Even though one sees no light. Somehow remembering as it said about the society, anyone who is interested in music should get in touch. And I had straight off paid my five shillings membership. You mustn't laugh, Miss Fitzdare. I was quite really a very desperate man."
"I'm sorry. I just somehow don't know just how seriously to take you. I've not quite heard anyone talk like you before."
"Well you may not know it. But I burst into tears in the middle of, I think it's the rugby pitch as a matter of fact. Like a scimitar had struck a bag of water on my head. Tears came tumbling down all round me."
Miss Fitzdare looking slightly away. And suddenly reaching for the decanter she poured Balthazar's glass over full and sherry dripped from his wrist and went coolly along under his sleeve.
"O dear Fm most awfully sorry I did that. Here let me wipe your glass. And your hand. I mean, I must say, I think because you must be alarming me. But do say. Did you get there. To the gramophone society."