"OF HUMAN BONDAGE" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maugham W. Somerset)

the world. I see he limps."

"Yes, he's got a club-foot. It was such a grief to his mother."

Then Emma came back. They called a hansom, and she told the
driver where to go.


CHAPTER III

WHEN they reached the house Mrs. Carey had died in--it was in a
dreary, respectable street between Notting Hill Gate and High
Street, Kensington--Emma led Philip into the drawing-room. His
uncle was writing letters of thanks for the wreaths which had
been sent. One of them, which had arrived too late for the
funeral, lay in its cardboard box on the hall-table.

"Here's Master Philip," said Emma.

Mr. Carey stood up slowly and shook hands with the little boy.
Then on second thoughts he bent down and kissed his forehead. He
was a man of somewhat less than average height, inclined to
corpulence, with his hair, worn long, arranged over the scalp so
as to conceal his baldness. He was clean-shaven. His features
were regular, and it was possible to imagine that in his youth
he had been good-looking. On his watch-chain he wore a gold
cross.

"You're going to live with me now, Philip," said Mr. Carey.
"Shall you like that?"

Two years before Philip had been sent down to stay at the
vicarage after an attack of chicken-pox; but there remained with
him a recollection of an attic and a large garden rather than of
his uncle and aunt.

"Yes."

"You must look upon me and your Aunt Louisa as your father and
mother."

The child's mouth trembled a little, he reddened, but did not
answer.

"Your dear mother left you in my charge."

Mr. Carey had no great ease in expressing himself. When the news
came that his sister-in-law was dying, he set off at once for
London, but on the way thought of nothing but the disturbance in
his life that would be caused if her death forced him to