Chapter 8

           Theyhaddoneit,theyhaddoneitatlast! 

           Theroomtheywerestandinginwaslong-shapedandsoftlylit. Thetelescreenwasdimmedtoalowmurmur; therichnessofthedark-bluecarpetgaveonetheimpressionoftreadingonvelvet. AtthefarendoftheroomO’Brienwassittingatatableunderagreen-shadedlamp,withamassofpapersoneithersideofhim. HehadnotbotheredtolookupwhentheservantshowedJuliaandWinstonin. 

           Winston’sheartwasthumpingsohardthathedoubtedwhetherhewouldbeabletospeak. Theyhaddoneit,theyhaddoneitatlast,wasallhecouldthink. Ithadbeenarashacttocomehereatall,andsheerfollytoarrivetogether;thoughitwastruethattheyhadcomebydifferentroutesandonlymetonO’Brien’sdoorstep. Butmerelytowalkintosuchaplaceneededaneffortofthenerve. Itwasonlyonveryrareoccasionsthatonesawinsidethedwelling-placesoftheInnerParty,orevenpenetratedintothequarterofthetownwheretheylived. Thewholeatmosphereofthehugeblockofflats,therichnessandspaciousnessofeverything,theunfamiliarsmellsofgoodfoodandgoodtobacco,thesilentandincrediblyrapidliftsslidingupanddown,thewhite-jacketedservantshurryingtoandfro—everythingwasintimidating. Althoughhehadagoodpretextforcominghere,hewashauntedateverystepbythefearthatablack-uniformedguardwouldsuddenlyappearfromroundthecorner,demandhispapers,andorderhimtogetout. O’Brien’sservant,however,hadadmittedthetwoofthemwithoutdemur. Hewasasmall,dark-hairedmaninawhitejacket,withadiamond-shaped,completelyexpressionlessfacewhichmighthavebeenthatofaChinese.