Rites of Passage – William Golding - bzelbublive.info

and drew his chin back to his collar."I am happy to hear you say so, ma'am. But I have seencards played in some queer places, I can tell you!""As to that, sir, of course I have no knowledge. But surelygames are not altered in themselves by the nature of theplace in which they are played? I speak of it as I must,knowing no more of the games than as they are played int h e houses of gentlefolk. But I would expect someknowledge of-let us say-whist, as necessary to a younglady, always provided-" and here I believe there must havebeen a change of expression on the invisible face, since acuriously i ro ni c inflection entered the voice-"alwaysprovided she has the wit to lose prettily." The tall youngofficer crowed in the way these fellows suppose to belaughing and Mr Summers took the opportunity ofpresenting me to the lady, Miss Granham. I declared I hadoverheard part of the conversation and felt inferior in nothaving a wide and deep knowledge of the games theyspoke of. Miss Granham now turned her face on me andthough I saw she could not be Mr Taylor's ' regular snorter"her features were severely pleasant enough when lightedwi th t he social smile. I praised the innocent hours ofenjoyment afforded by cards and hoped that at some timein our long voyage I should have the benefit of MissGranham's instruction.Now there was the devil of it. The smile vanished.