Эпоха невинности

           Shealways,indeed,struckNewlandArcherashavingbeenrathergruesomelypreservedintheairlessatmosphereofaperfectlyirreproachableexistence,asbodiescaughtinglacierskeepforyearsarosylife-in-death.Likeallhisfamily,heesteemedandadmiredMrs.vanderLuyden;buthefoundhergentlebendingsweetnesslessapproachablethanthegrimnessofsomeofhismother’soldaunts,fiercespinsterswhosaid"No"onprinciplebeforetheyknewwhattheyweregoingtobeasked.Mrs.vanderLuyden’sattitudesaidneitheryesnorno,butalwaysappearedtoinclinetoclemencytillherthinlips,waveringintotheshadowofasmile,madethealmostinvariablereply:"Ishallfirsthavetotalkthisoverwithmyhusband."SheandMr.vanderLuydenweresoexactlyalikethatArcheroftenwonderedhow,afterfortyyearsoftheclosestconjugality,twosuchmergedidentitieseverseparatedthemselvesenoughforanythingascontroversialasatalking-over.Butasneitherhadeverreachedadecisionwithoutprefacingitbythismysteriousconclave,Mrs.Archerandherson,havingsetforththeircase,waitedresignedlyforthefamiliarphrase.Mrs.vanderLuyden,however,whohadseldomsurprisedanyone,nowsurprisedthembyreachingherlonghandtowardthebell-rope."Ithink,"shesaid,"IshouldlikeHenrytohearwhatyouhavetoldme."Afootmanappeared,towhomshegravelyadded:"IfMr.vanderLuydenhasfinishedreadingthenewspaper,pleaseaskhimtobekindenoughtocome.