“Not never you don’t? You are a little bundle of surprises....
“Here am I, sweating, sick and hot,
And there the shadowed waters fresh
Lean up to embrace the naked flesh.
Temperamentvoll German Jews—
Drink beer around.”—
Yes, he’s a poet right enough. How he makes one feel all his ache for the cool glimmer of an English stream—his loathing of fat bodies, and the wheezy moist voices and the sun flashing on the curve of their beaks?”
“Can you understand that bit? Good Lord, how funny! Should have thought——”
“What?” David’s eyes, brimful of suppressed amusement, met Richard’s over the rim of his glass.
“Should have thought it would have offended you. What the deuce are you laughing at now, Redbury? I’m glad you don’t sail for Palestine every to-morrow.... You’re all over the place; like Deb used to be before a party. Here—no—” as the bill was laid beside them; “I want change for a pound to pay you back for the ’bus. You can square with me over this afterwards.”