«Words are Hamlet's being as they were Shakespeare's.»
«Oh what a noble mind is here o'erthrown.»
«How all occasions do inform against me.»
«Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice.»
«Oh what a rogue and peasant slave am I.»
«Absent thee from felicity a while.»
«I played Hamlet once,» said Julian.
«What?»
«I played Hamlet once, at school, I was sixteen.»
I had closed the book and had my two hands flat on the table. I stared at the girl. She smiled, and then when I did not, giggled and blushed, thrusting back her hair with a crooked finger. «I wasn't very good. I say, Bradley, do my feet smell?»
«Yes, but it's charming.»
«I'll put the boots on again.» She began to point one pink foot, thrusting it into its purple sheath. «I'm sorry, I interrupted you, please go on.»
«No. The show's over.»
«Please. What you were saying was marvellous, though I can't really understand much of it. I do wish you'd let me take notes. Can't I now?» She was zipping up the boots.
«No. What I was saying is no good for your exam. That's esoteric lore. You'd plough if you tried to utter that stuff. In fact you don't understand any of it. It doesn't matter. You'd better just learn a few simple things. I'll send you some notes and one or two books to read. I know what questions they'll ask you and I know what answers will get you top marks.»
«But I don't want to do the easy stuff, I want to do the difficult stuff, besides, if what you say is true-«You can't conjure with that word at your age.»
«But I do want to understand. I thought Shakespeare was a sort of business man, I thought he was really interested in making money-«
«He was.»
I got up. I felt suddenly exhausted, almost dazed, damp with sweat from head to foot as if I were outlined with warm quicksilver. I opened the window and a breath of slightly cooler air entered the room, polluted and dusty, yet also somehow bearing the half-obliterated ghosts of flowers from distant parks. A massed-up buzz of various noise filled the room, cars, voices, the endless hum of London's being. I opened the front of my shirt all the way down to the waist and scratched in my curly mat of grey hair. I turned to face Julian. Then I went to the walnut hanging cupboard and brought out glasses and the sherry decanter. I poured out sherry.
«So you played Hamlet. Describe your costume.»
«Oh the usual. All Hamlets dress the same, don't they. Unless they're in modern dress, and we weren't.»
«Do what I ask please.»
«What?»
