egin no matter
how--perhaps with a jest at some absurd adventure of his own, perhaps
with the recitation, in his vibrating voice and full Scotch accent, of
some snatch of poetry that was haunting him, perhaps with a rhapsody of
analytic delight over some minute accident of beauty or expressiveness
that had struck him in man, woman, child, or external nature. And
forthwith the floodgates would be opened, and the talk would stream on
in endless, never importunate, flood and variety. A hundred fictitious
characters would be invented and launched on their imaginary careers; a
hundred ingenious problems of conduct and cases of honour would be set
and solved; romantic voyages would be planned and followed out in
vision, with a thousand incidents; the possibilities of life and art
would be illuminated with search-lights of bewildering range and
penetration, sober argument and high poetic eloquence alternating with
coruscations of insanely apposite slang--the earthiest jape anon
shooting up into the empyrean and changing into the most ethereal
fantasy--the stalest and most vulgarised forms of speech gaining
brilliancy and illuminating power from some hitherto undreamt-of
application--and all the while an atmosphere of goodwill diffusing
itself from the speaker, a glow of eager benignity and affectionate
laughter emanating from his presence, till every one about him seemed to
catch something of his own gift and inspiration. This sympathetic power
of inspiring others was the special and distinguishing note of
Stevenson's conversation. He would keep a houseful or a single companion
entertained all day, and day after day and half the nights, yet never
seemed to monopolise the talk or absorb it; rather he helped every one
about him to discover and to exercise unexpected powers of their own.

Imagine all this helped by the most speaking of presences: a steady,
penetrating fire in the brown, wide-set eyes, a compelling power and
richness in the smile; courteous, waving gestures of the arms and long,
nervous hands, a lit cigarette generally held between the fingers;
continual rapid shiftings and pacings to and fro as he conversed: rapid,
but not flurried nor awkward, for there was a grace in his attenuated
but well-carried figure, and his movements were light, deft, and full of
spring. There was something for strangers, and even for friends, to get
over in the queer garments which in youth it was his whim to wear--the
badge, as they al