The Rules of Engagement
“I asked, in as neutral a tone as possible.
“Oh, yes. That nice Mr Fairlie gave me a lift.”
I felt there was nothing else I needed to know. What was to follow I knew already. Besides, I was finding it difficult to maintain my side of the conversation. I felt curiously abstracted, as if I were taking in too little oxygen. I was sitting in Betsy's flat, without altogether remembering how I had got there. She had invited me for coffee, and I had gone, though I had had a strong impulse to re...fuse her invitation. Yet I had no reason for doing so. What I really wanted was to stay at home, in bed, if possible. I wanted the coming winter to enclose me, so that I could not be seen. That was my instinctive wish: that no one should see me.
“He's very nice, isn't he?” said Betsy. “Very easy to talk to.” I had never found him easy to talk to. To listen to, perhaps, or rather to tease out what he was not saying, matters I could supply for myself, in the shape of those domestic details for which I was hungry.MoreLess
“Oh, yes. That nice Mr Fairlie gave me a lift.”
I felt there was nothing else I needed to know. What was to follow I knew already. Besides, I was finding it difficult to maintain my side of the conversation. I felt curiously abstracted, as if I were taking in too little oxygen. I was sitting in Betsy's flat, without altogether remembering how I had got there. She had invited me for coffee, and I had gone, though I had had a strong impulse to re...fuse her invitation. Yet I had no reason for doing so. What I really wanted was to stay at home, in bed, if possible. I wanted the coming winter to enclose me, so that I could not be seen. That was my instinctive wish: that no one should see me.
“He's very nice, isn't he?” said Betsy. “Very easy to talk to.” I had never found him easy to talk to. To listen to, perhaps, or rather to tease out what he was not saying, matters I could supply for myself, in the shape of those domestic details for which I was hungry.MoreLess
Read book The Rules of Engagement for free
You can download books for free in various formats, such as epub, pdf, azw, mobi, txt and others on book networks site. Additionally, the entire text is available for online reading through our e-reader. Our site is not responsible for the performance of third-party products (sites).
Write Review:
Guest
Read Also
![Cover Murmurmontis: [yearbook] 2008 98](/assets/111c1d7a/blank-cover-small.jpg)
8 / 10
10 / 10
User Reviews: