“And you'd still go, my leetle friend?”
“Yes—I want to go—I hate being in an office here.”
“And what is it zat you will do when you are there?”
Suddenly, in a flash, illuminating the little room, shining over the whole world, Peter knew what it was that he would do.
“I will write.”
“Write what?”
“Stories.”
With that word muttered, his head hanging, his cheeks flushing, as though it were something of which he was most mightily ashamed, he knew what it was he had been wanting all these months. The desire had been there, the impulse had been there ... now with the spoken word the blind faltering impulse was changed into definite certainty.
Mr. Zanti thought it a tremendous joke. He roared, shouted with riotous laughter. “Oh, ze boy—he will be the death of me—'I will write stories'—Oh yes, so easy, so very simple. 'I will write stories'—Oh yes.”
But Peter was very solemn. He did not like his great intention to be laughed at.