LEONARD. No, thank you, Eustasia. (Now he is saying it.)
EUSTASIA. You wouldn’t like a hot-water bottle?
LEONARD (with a sigh). No, thank you, Eustasia.
EUSTASIA. You’ve only got to say, you know. Now shall we talk, or would you like me to read to you? (She settles down next to him.)
LEONARD (choosing the lesser evil). I think read—no, I mean, talk—no, read to me.
EUSTASIA. It’s for you to say, darling.
LEONARD (his eyes closed). Read to me, Eustasia.
EUSTASIA (opening her book). We’ll go on from where we left off. We didn’t get very far—I marked the place.... Yes, here we are. “... the sandy [163]deserts of Arabia and Africa.... 4.” And then there’s a little footnote at the bottom; that’s how I remember it. (Reading the footnote) “Tacit. Annal. l. ii., Dion Cassius l. lvi. p. 833, and the speech of Augustus himself.” That doesn’t seem to mean much. “It receives great light from the learned notes of his French translator, M. Spanheim.” Well, that’s a good thing. Spanheim—sounds more like a German, doesn’t it? Now are you sure you’re quite comfortable, dear?
LEONARD (his eyes closed). Yes, thank you, Eustasia.
EUSTASIA. Then I’ll begin. (In her reading-aloud voice) “Happily for the repose of mankind, the moderate system recommended by the wisdom of Augustus was adopted by the fears and vices of his immediate successors. Engaged in the pursuit of pleasure or the exercise of tyranny, the first Caesars seldom showed themselves to the armies or to the provinces; nor were they disposed to suffer that those triumphs which their indolence neglected should be usurped by the conduct and valour of their lieutenants.” (Speeding up) “The military fame of a subject was considered as an insolent invasion of the Imperial prerogative; and it became the duty as well as interest of every Roman General to guard the frontiers entrusted to his care”—(recklessly) “without aspiring for conquests which might have proved no less fatal to himself than to the vanquished barbarians.”... And then there’s another little footnote. Perhaps it would be better if I read all the little footnotes afterwards—what do you think, darling? Or shall we take them as they come?