Seated, he was more self-assertive. 🔊 He flung back the wings of his cape with a gesture which, had not those wings been waterproof, might have seemed to hurl defiance at things in general. 🔊 And he ordered an absinthe. 🔊 "Je me tiens toujours fidéle," he told Rothenstein, "à la sorcière glauque." 🔊

"It is bad for you," said Rothenstein, dryly. 🔊

"Nothing is bad for one," answered Soames. 🔊 "Dans ce monde il n'y a ni bien ni mal." 🔊

"Nothing good and nothing bad? 🔊 How do you mean?" 🔊

"I explained it all in the preface to Negations. 🔊"

"Negations?" 🔊

"Yes, I gave you a copy of it." 🔊

"Oh, yes, of course. 🔊 But, did you explain, for instance, that there was no such thing as bad or good grammar?" 🔊

"N-no," said Soames. 🔊 "Of course in art there is the good and the evil. 🔊 But in life—no." 🔊 He was rolling a cigarette. 🔊 He had weak, white hands, not well washed, and with finger-tips much stained with nicotine. 🔊 "In life there are illusions of good and evil, but"—his voice trailed away to a murmur in which the words "vieux jeu" and "rococo" were faintly audible. 🔊 I think he felt he was not doing himself justice, and feared that Rothenstein was going to point out fallacies. 🔊 Anyhow, he cleared his throat and said, "Parlons d'autre chose." 🔊