1984

           Onthefollowingdayheverynearlysucceededinspeakingtoher. Whenhecameintothecanteenshewassittingatatablewelloutfromthewall,andwasquitealone. Itwasearly,andtheplacewasnotveryfull. ThequeueedgedforwardtillWinstonwasalmostatthecounter,thenwasheldupfortwominutesbecausesomeoneinfrontwascomplainingthathehadnotreceivedhistabletofsaccharine. ButthegirlwasstillalonewhenWinstonsecuredhistrayandbegantomakeforhertable. Hewalkedcasuallytowardsher,hiseyessearchingforaplaceatsometablebeyondher. Shewasperhapsthreemetresawayfromhim. Anothertwosecondswoulddoit. Thenavoicebehindhimcalled,‘Smith!’ Hepretendednottohear. ‘Smith!’repeatedthevoice,moreloudly. Itwasnouse. Heturnedround. Ablond-headed,silly-facedyoungmannamedWilsher,whomhebarelyknew,wasinvitinghimwithasmiletoavacantplaceathistable. Itwasnotsafetorefuse. Afterhavingbeenrecognized,hecouldnotgoandsitatatablewithanunattendedgirl.Itwastoonoticeable. Hesatdownwithafriendlysmile. Thesillyblondfacebeamedintohis. Winstonhadahallucinationofhimselfsmashingapick-axerightintothemiddleofit. Thegirl’stablefilledupafewminuteslater. 

           Butshemusthaveseenhimcomingtowardsher,andperhapsshewouldtakethehint. Nextdayhetookcaretoarriveearly. Surelyenough,shewasatatableinaboutthesameplace,andagainalone. Thepersonimmediatelyaheadofhiminthequeuewasasmall,swiftly-moving,beetle-likemanwithaflatfaceandtiny,suspiciouseyes. AsWinstonturnedawayfromthecounterwithhistray,hesawthatthelittlemanwasmakingstraightforthegirl’stable. Hishopessankagain.