1984 - Planet eBook

when Winston secured his tray and began to make for hertable. He walked casually towards her, his eyes searchingfor a place at some table beyond her. She was perhaps threemetres away from him. Another two seconds would do it.Then a voice behind him called, ‘Smith!’ He pretended notto hear. ‘Smith!’ repeated the voice, more loudly. It was nouse. He turned round. A blond-headed, silly-faced youngman named Wilsher, whom he barely knew, was invitinghim with a smile to a vacant place at his table. It was notsafe to refuse. After having been recognized, he could notgo and sit at a table with an unattended girl. It was too noticeable.He sat down with a friendly smile. The silly blondface beamed into his. Winston had a hallucination of himselfsmashing a pick-axe right into the middle of it. Thegirl’s table filled up a few minutes later.But she must have seen him coming towards her, andperhaps she would take the hint. Next day he took care toarrive early. Surely enough, she was at a table in about thesame place, and again alone. The person immediately aheadof him in the queue was a small, swiftly-moving, beetle-likeman with a flat face and tiny, suspicious eyes. As Winstonturned away from the counter with his tray, he saw that thelittle man was making straight for the girl’s table. His hopessank again. There was a vacant place at a table further away,but something in the little man’s appearance suggestedthat he would be sufficiently attentive to his own comfortto choose the emptiest table. With ice at his heart Winstonfollowed. It was no use unless he could get the girl alone.At this moment there was a tremendous crash. The little