The flame goes about
with us everywhere; it's not ourselves exactly, but what we feel; the
world is short, or people mainly; all kinds of people."
"A nice streaky bubble yours must be!" said Hirst.
"And supposing my bubble could run into some one else's bubble--"
"And they both burst?" put in Hirst.
"Then--then--then--" pondered Hewet, as if to himself, "it would be an
e-nor-mous world," he said, stretching his arms to their full width, as
though even so they could hardly clasp the billowy universe, for when he
was with Hirst he always felt unusually sanguine and vague.
"I don't think you altogether as foolish as I used to, Hewet," said
Hirst. "You don't know what you mean but you try to say it."
"But aren't you enjoying yourself here?" asked Hewet.
"On the whole--yes," said Hirst. "I like observing people. I like
looking at things. This country is amazingly beautiful. Did you notice
how the top of the mountain turned yellow to-night? Really we must take
our lunch and spend the day out. You're getting disgustingly fat." He
pointed at the calf of Hewet's bare leg.
"We'll get up an expedition," said Hewet energetically. "We'll ask the
entire hotel. We'll hire donkeys and--"
"Oh, Lord!" said Hirst, "do shut it! I can see Miss Warrington and Miss
Allan and Mrs. Elliot and the rest squatting on the stones and quacking,
'How jolly!'"
"We'll ask Venning and Perrott and Miss Murgatroyd--every one we can lay
hands on," went on Hewet.
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