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1、ThePortraitofaLadyByHenryJamesPublishedbyPlaneteBook.VisitthesitetodownloadfreeeBooksofclassicliterature,booksandnovels.ThisworkislicensedunderaCreativeCommonsAttribution-Noncommercial3.0UnitedStatesLicense.Chapter1Undercertaincircumstancestherearefewhoursinlifemoreagreeab
2、lethanthehourdedicatedtotheceremonyknownasafternoontea.Therearecircumstancesinwhich,whetheryoupartakeoftheteaornot—somepeopleofcourseneverdo—thesituationisinitselfdelightful.ThosethatIhaveinmindinbeginningtounfoldthissimplehisto-ryofferedanadmirablesettingtoaninnocentpasti
3、me.TheimplementsofthelittlefeasthadbeendisposeduponthelawnofanoldEnglishcountry-house,inwhatIshouldcalltheperfectmiddleofasplendidsummerafternoon.Partoftheafternoonhadwaned,butmuchofitwasleft,andwhatwasleftwasofthefinestandrarestquality.Realduskwouldnotarriveformanyhours;b
4、utthefloodofsummerlighthadbeguntoebb,theairhadgrownmellow,theshadowswerelonguponthesmooth,denseturf.Theylengthenedslowly,however,andthesceneexpressedthatsenseoflei-surestilltocomewhichisperhapsthechiefsourceofone’senjoymentofsuchasceneatsuchanhour.Fromfiveo’clocktoeightiso
5、ncertainoccasionsalittleeternity;butonsuchanoccasionasthistheintervalcouldbeonlyaneternityofpleasure.Thepersonsconcernedinitweretakingtheirpleasurequietly,andtheywerenotofthesexwhichissup-posedtofurnishtheregularvotariesoftheceremonyIhavementioned.Theshadowsontheperfectlaw
6、nwerestraightFreeeBooksatPlaneteBook.com3andangular;theyweretheshadowsofanoldmansittinginadeepwicker-chairnearthelowtableonwhichtheteahadbeenserved,andoftwoyoungermenstrollingtoandfro,indesultorytalk,infrontofhim.Theoldmanhadhiscupinhishand;itwasanunusuallylargecup,ofadiff
7、erentpatternfromtherestofthesetandpaintedinbrilliantcolours.Hedisposedofitscontentswithmuchcircumspection,holdingitforalongtimeclosetohischin,withhisfaceturnedtothehouse.Hiscompanionshadeitherfinishedtheirteaorwereindifferenttotheirprivilege;theysmokedcigarettesastheyconti
8、nuedtostroll.Oneofthem,fromtimetotime,ashepassed,lookedwithacertainattentionattheelderman
