226
DAVID JACKSON
lines of Manas's he might know. His memory was excellent.
Failing that, he tried to remember the names of any of the
poems. Failing that, he was reduced to remembering his own
quatrain and, inaccurately, the title of a pamphlet of Manas's.
For each, the appearance of the other was a surprise.
Thinking he was going to meet an Older Poet, Nicolas had
put on a clean open-neck white shirt and washed and shaved.
Meredith's frank face and tall, athletic body came as a shock.
As
the image of Robert Frost receded, he asked himself, 'Why'd
I use up a white shirt?' He began arranging his psyche to pro–
duce a youthfulness younger than his host's. Meredith saw, in the
soft light in front of the Grafin's desk, someone very young.
Carravaggio came to mind and, thinking of Walter, Meredith
understood the amusement Manas must provide him. There was
something, Teenage Tempter? Puberty's Spokesman? something,
of impertinent youth about this Manas. And when he heard
Nicolas's tough voice asking the Grafin, sarcastically, "Guess you
lemme go in, now?" he was more amused, himself, than shocked.
The Grafin shrugged, raised an eyebrow, returned to her
ledgers.
It
was Meredith she was undecided about. She was
fairly certain his relationship to Mary Jane might turn into some–
thing she could not tolerate in her house, if it hadn't already
started. She could not bring herself to mention it. She was rely–
ing on a new coldness on her part to act as a warning.
Making their way back to Meredith's quarters, each was
preparing himself: Nicolas, looking around, saying "Gosh!"
every few steps, was creating a boyishness; Meredith, being made
to feel expansive by this, was preparing an open mind.
They entered the large ex-library. Nicolas's cry, "Hey, man,
this is
great!"
did much to warm Meredith. Monkey-like, Nico–
las danced around the room stroking the bindings of the books,
as if they were so many bananas. He went back to open and
close the door and marvel at how it disappeared and became
shelves. "Check that, man!" he cried. Meredith stood by the
windows, smiling. "There are all kinds of gadgets. Look, these
