Атлант расправил плечи

           "Darling,youtakeeverythingtooseriously.Oneisnotsupposedtobeintellectualataball.Oneissimplysupposedtobegay."

           "How?Bybeingstupid?"

           "Imean,forinstance,didn’tyouenjoymeetingtheyoungmen?"

           "Whatmen?Therewasn’tamanthereIcouldn’tsquashtenof."

           Dayslater,sittingatherdeskatRockdaleStation,feelinglightheartedlyathome,Dagnythoughtofthepartyandshruggedincontemptuousreproachatherowndisappointment.Shelookedup:itwasspringandtherewereleavesonthetreebranchesinthedarknessoutside;theairwasstillandwarm.Sheaskedherselfwhatshehadexpectedfromthatparty.Shedidnotknow.Butshefeltitagain,here,now,asshesatslouchedoverabattereddesk,lookingoutintothedarkness:asenseofexpectationwithoutobject,risingthroughherbody,slowly,likeawarmliquid.Sheslumpedforwardacrossthedesk,lazily,feelingneitherexhaustionnordesiretowork.

           WhenFranciscocame,thatsummer,shetoldhimaboutthepartyandaboutherdisappointment.Helistenedsilently,lookingatherforthefirsttimewiththatglanceofunmovingmockerywhichhereservedforothers,aglancethatseemedtoseetoomuch.Shefeltasifheheard,inherwords,morethansheknewshetoldhim.

           Shesawthesameglanceinhiseyesontheeveningwhenshelefthimtooearly.Theywerealone,sittingontheshoreoftheriver.ShehadanotherhourbeforeshewasdueatRockdale.Therewerelong,thinstripsoffireinthesky,andredsparksfloatinglazilyonthewater.