I never seemed in his way; he did not take fits of chilling hauteur: when he met me unexpectedly, the encounter seemed welcome; he had always a word and sometimes a smile for me: when summoned by formal invitation to his presence, I was honoured by a cordiality of reception that made me feel I really possessed the power to amuse him, and that these evening conferences were sought as much for his pleasure as for my benefit.
Amikor hívatott, hogy csatlakozzam hozzá, úgy fogadott, mint egy kedves vendéget. Már-már kezdtem azt hinni, hogy valóban szórakoztatja a jelenlétem, és hogy ezekben az esti együttlétekben neki éppannyi öröme telik, mint nekem.