Page 329 - of-human-bondage-

sarcasm. He seldom talked of anything but painting, and
then only with the one or two persons whom he thought
worth while. Philip wondered whether there was in him re-
ally anything: his reticence, the haggard look of him, the
pungent humour, seemed to suggest personality, but might
be no more than an effective mask which covered nothing.
With Lawson on the other hand Philip soon grew in-
timate. He had a variety of interests which made him an
agreeable companion. He read more than most of the stu-
dents and though his income was small, loved to buy books.
He lent them willingly; and Philip became acquainted with
Flaubert and Balzac, with Verlaine, Heredia, and Villiers
de l’Isle Adam. They went to plays together and sometimes
to the gallery of the Opera Comique. There was the Odeon
quite near them, and Philip soon shared his friend’s passion
for the tragedians of Louis XIV and the sonorous Alexan-
drine. In the Rue Taitbout were the Concerts Rouge, where
for seventy-five centimes they could hear excellent music
and get into the bargain something which it was quite pos-
sible to drink: the seats were uncomfortable, the place was
crowded, the air thick with caporal horrible to breathe, but
in their young enthusiasm they were indifferent. Sometimes
they went to the Bal Bullier. On these occasions Flanagan
accompanied them. His excitability and his roisterous en-
thusiasm made them laugh. He was an excellent dancer,
and before they had been ten minutes in the room he was
prancing round with some little shop-girl whose acquain-
tance he had just made.
The desire of all of them was to have a mistress. It was

Of Human Bondage