Page 633 - of-human-bondage-

to politics and bull-fighting.
Philip asked Lawson and Hayward to come and see his
new rooms, and they came, one with a bottle of whiskey,
the other with a pate de foie gras; and he was delighted
when they praised his taste. He would have invited the
Scotch stockbroker too, but he had only three chairs, and
thus could entertain only a definite number of guests. Law-
son was aware that through him Philip had become very
friendly with Norah Nesbit and now remarked that he had
run across her a few days before.
‘She was asking how you were.’
Philip flushed at the mention of her name (he could not
get himself out of the awkward habit of reddening when he
was embarrassed), and Lawson looked at him quizzically.
Lawson, who now spent most of the year in London, had so
far surrendered to his environment as to wear his hair short
and to dress himself in a neat serge suit and a bowler hat.
‘I gather that all is over between you,’ he said.
‘I’ve not seen her for months.’
‘She was looking rather nice. She had a very smart hat on
with a lot of white ostrich feathers on it. She must be doing
pretty well.’
Philip changed the conversation, but he kept thinking of
her, and after an interval, when the three of them were talk-
ing of something else, he asked suddenly:
‘Did you gather that Norah was angry with me?’
‘Not a bit. She talked very nicely of you.’
‘I’ve got half a mind to go and see her.’
‘She won’t eat you.’

Of Human Bondage