1984

           Therewasavacantplaceatatablefurtheraway,butsomethinginthelittleman’sappearancesuggestedthathewouldbesufficientlyattentivetohisowncomforttochoosetheemptiesttable. WithiceathisheartWinstonfollowed. Itwasnouseunlesshecouldgetthegirlalone. Atthismomenttherewasatremendouscrash. Thelittlemanwassprawlingonallfours,histrayhadgoneflying,twostreamsofsoupandcoffeewereflowingacrossthefloor. HestartedtohisfeetwithamalignantglanceatWinston,whomheevidentlysuspectedofhavingtrippedhimup. Butitwasallright. Fivesecondslater,withathunderingheart,Winstonwassittingatthegirl’stable. 

           Hedidnotlookather.Heunpackedhistrayandpromptlybeganeating. Itwasall-importanttospeakatonce,beforeanyoneelsecame,butnowaterriblefearhadtakenpossessionofhim. Aweekhadgonebysinceshehadfirstapproachedhim. Shewouldhavechangedhermind,shemusthavechangedhermind! Itwasimpossiblethatthisaffairshouldendsuccessfully; suchthingsdidnothappeninreallife. HemighthaveflinchedaltogetherfromspeakingifatthismomenthehadnotseenAmpleforth,thehairy-earedpoet,wanderinglimplyroundtheroomwithatray,lookingforaplacetositdown. InhisvaguewayAmpleforthwasattachedtoWinston,andwouldcertainlysitdownathistableifhecaughtsightofhim. Therewasperhapsaminuteinwhichtoact. BothWinstonandthegirlwereeatingsteadily. Thestufftheywereeatingwasathinstew,actuallyasoup,ofharicotbeans. InalowmurmurWinstonbeganspeaking. Neitherofthemlookedup; steadilytheyspoonedthewaterystuffintotheirmouths,andbetweenspoonfulsexchangedthefewnecessarywordsinlowexpressionlessvoices. 

           ‘Whattimedoyouleavework?’ 

           ‘Eighteen-thirty.’