He will be easy
to find any week-end," he remarked ringing the bell so that we might
settle up with the waiter.
* * * * *
Later on I asked Marlow why he wished to cultivate this chance
acquaintance. He confessed apologetically that it was the commonest sort
of curiosity. I flatter myself that I understand all sorts of curiosity.
Curiosity about daily facts, about daily things, about daily men. It is
the most respectable faculty of the human mind--in fact I cannot conceive
the uses of an incurious mind. It would be like a chamber perpetually
locked up. But in this particular case Mr. Powell seemed to have given
us already a complete insight into his personality such as it was; a
personality capable of perception and with a feeling for the vagaries of
fate, but essentially simple in itself.
Marlow agreed with me so far. He explained however that his curiosity
was not excited by Mr. Powell exclusively. It originated a good way
further back in the fact of his accidental acquaintance with the Fynes,
in the country. This chance meeting with a man who had sailed with
Captain Anthony had revived it.
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