The Project Gutenberg EBook of Embarrassments, by Henry James

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Title: Embarrassments

Author: Henry James

Release Date: June 25, 2007 [EBook #21932]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EMBARRASSMENTS ***

Produced by David Widger

EMBARRASSMENTS

By Henry James

1896

Contents

The Figure in the Carpet

Glasses

The Next Time

The Way it Came

THE FIGURE IN THE CARPET

I

I had done a few things and earned a few pence--I had perhaps even
had time to begin to think I was finer than was perceived by the
patronising; but when I take the little measure of my course (a fidgety
habit, for it's none of the longest yet) I count my real start from
the evening George Corvick, breathless and worried, came in to ask me a
service. He had done more things than I, and earned more pence, though
there were chances for cleverness I thought he sometimes missed. I could
only however that evening declare to him that he never missed one for
kindness. There was almost rapture in hearing it proposed to me to
prepare for __The Middle__, the organ of our lucubrations, so called
from the position in the week of its day of appearance, an article for
which he had made himself responsible and of which, tied up with a
stout string, he laid on my table the subject. I pounced upon my
opportunity--that is on the first volume of it--and paid scant attention
to my friend's explanation of his appeal. What explanation could be more
to the point than my obvious fitness for the task? I had written on Hugh
Vereker, but never a word in _The Middle_, where my dealings were mainly
with the ladies and the minor poets. This was his new novel, an advance
copy, and whatever much or little it should do for his reputation I
was clear on the spot as to what it should do for mine. Moreover, if I
always read him as soon as I could get hold of him, I had a particular
reason for wishing to read him now: I had accepted an invitation to
Bridges for the following Sunday, and it had been mentioned in Lady
Jane's note that Mr. Vereker was to be there. I was young enough to have
an emotion about meeting a man of his