heparknehospialforhedyingwasasixysoryowerofprimroseilesashesavageseppedouofhisaxicoperaconvoyofgailycolouredaerialhearsesrosewhirringfromheroofanddaredawayacrosshepark，weswards，boundforhesloughcremaoriumahelifgaeshepresidingporergavehimheinformaionherequired，andhedroppeddownoward81（agallopingseniliyward，heporerexpined）onheseveneenhfloor

iwasargeroombrighwihsunshineandyellowpain，andconainingwenybeds，alloccupiedlindawasdyingincompany–incompanyandwihallhemodernconveniencesheairwasconinuouslyalivewihgaysynheicmelodiesahefooofeverybed，confroningismoribundoccupan，wasaelevisionboxelevisionwaslefon，aru

ingap，frommorningillnigheveryquarerofanhourheprevailingperfumeofheroomwasauomaicallychanged“wery，”expinedhenurse，whohadakenchargeofhesavageahedoor，“weryocreaeahoroughlypleasanamospherehere–somehingbeweenafirscsshoelandafeelypace，ifyouakemymeaning”

“whereisshe？”askedhesavage，ignoringhesepolieexpnaions

henursewasoffended“youareinahurry，”shesaid

“ishereanyhope？”heasked

“youmean，ofhernodying？”（henodded）“no，ofcoursehereisn’whensomebody’ssenhere，here’sno…”sarledbyheexpressionofdisressonhispaleface，shesuddenlybrokeoff“why，whaeverishemaer？”sheaskedshewasnoaccusomedohiskindofhinginvisiors（nohahereweremanyvisiorsanyhow：oranyreasonwhyhereshouldbemanyvisiors）“you’renofeelingill，areyou？”

heshookhishead“she’smymoher，”hesaidinascarcelyaudiblevoice

henursegncedahimwihsarled，horrifiedeyes；henquicklylookedawayfromhroaoempleshewasallonehoblush

“akemeoher，”saidhesavage，makinganefforospeakinanordinaryone

sillblushing，sheledhewaydownhewardfacessillfreshandunwihered（forseniliygallopedsohardhaihadnoimeoagehecheeks–onlyhehearandbrain）urnedasheypassedheirprogresswasfollowedbyhebnk，incuriouseyesofsecondinfancyhesavageshudderedashelooked

lindawaslyinginhesofhelongrowofbeds，nexohewallproppeduponpillows，shewaswachinghesemifinalsofhesouhamericanriema

surfacee

ischampionship，whichwerebeingpyedinsilenanddiminishedreproduciononhescreenofheelevisionboxahefooofhebedhiherandhiheracrossheirsquareofilluminedgsshelilefiguresnoiselesslydared，likefishinanaquarium–hesilenbuagiaedinhabiansofanoherworld

lindalookedon，vaguelyanduncomprehendinglysmilingherpale，bloaedfaceworeanexpressionofimbecilehappinesseverynowandhenhereyelidsclosed，andforafewsecondssheseemedobedozinghenwihalilesarshewouldwakeupagain–wakeupoheaquariumanicsofhee

ischampions，ohesupervoxwurlizerianarenderingof“hugmeillyoudrugme，honey，”ohewarmdraughofverbenahacameblowinghroughhevenioraboveherhead–wouldwakeohesehings，orraheroadreamofwhichhesehings，ransformedandembellishedbyhesomainherblood，werehemarvellousconsiuens，andsmileoncemoreherbrokenanddiscolouredsmileofinfanileconenmen

“well，imusgo，”saidhenurse“i’vegomybachofchildrencomingbesides，here’snumber3”shepoinedupheward“mighgooffanyminuenowwell，makeyourselfcomforable”shewalkedbrisklyaway

hesavagesadownbesidehebed

“linda，”hewhispered，akingherhand

ahesoundofhername，sheurnedhervagueeyesbrighenedwihrecogniionshesqueezedhishand，shesmiled，herlipsmoved；henquiesuddenlyherheadfellforwardshewasasleephesawachingher–seekinghroughheiredflesh，seekingandfindinghayoung，brighfacewhichhadsoopedoverhischildhoodinmalpais，remembering（andheclosedhiseyes）hervoice，hermovemens，allheevensofheirlifeogeher“srepocockgeeobanbury…”howbeauifulhersinginghadbeen！andhosechildishrhymes，howmagicallysrangeandmyserious！

a，b，c，viamind：hefa’sinheliver，hecod’sinhesea

hefelhehoearswellingupbehindhiseyelidsasherecalledhewordsandlinda’svoiceassherepeaedhemandhenhereadinglessons：heoisinhepo，hecaisonhema；andheelemenaryinsrucionsforbeaworkersinheembryosoreandlongeveningsbyhefireor，insummerime，onheroofofhelilehouse，whensheoldhimhosesoriesabouheoherpce，ousidehereservaion：habeauiful，beauifuloherpce，whosememory，asofaheaven，aparadiseofgoodnessandloveliness，hesillkepwholeandinac，undefiledbyconacwihherealiyofhisreallondon，heseacualcivilizedmenandwomen

asuddennoiseofshrillvoicesmadehimopenhiseyesand，aferhasilybrushingawayheears，lookroundwhaseemedaninerminablesreamofidenicaleighyearoldmalewinswaspouringinoheroomwinaferwin，winaferwin，heycame–anighmareheirfaces，heirrepeaedface–forherewasonlyonebeweenheloofhem–puggishlysared，allnosrilsandpalegogglingeyesheiruniformwaskhakiallheirmouhshungopensquealingandchaeringheyeneredinamomen，iseemed，hewardwasmaggoywihhemheyswarmedbeweenhebeds，cmberedover，crawledunder，peepedinoheelevisionboxes，madefacesahepaiens

lindaasonishedandraherarmedhemagroupsoodcluseredahefooofherbed，saringwihhefrighenedandsupidcuriosiyofanimalssuddenlyconfronedbyheunknown

“oh，look，look！”heyspokeinlow，scaredvoices“whaeverishemaerwihher？whyisshesofa？”