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James, Henry, 1843-1916

"Roderick Hudson"

"
Christina was silent. She stretched out her bare arm and looked at it a
moment absently, turning it so as to see--or almost to see--the dimple
in her elbow. This was apparently a frequent gesture with her; Rowland
had already observed it. It was as coolly and naturally done as if she
had been in her room alone. "So he 's a man of genius," she suddenly
resumed. "Don't you think I ought to be extremely flattered to have a
man of genius perpetually hanging about? He is the first I ever saw,
but I should have known he was not a common mortal. There is something
strange about him. To begin with, he has no manners. You may say that it
's not for me to blame him, for I have none myself. That 's very true,
but the difference is that I can have them when I wish to (and very
charming ones too; I 'll show you some day); whereas Mr. Hudson will
never have them. And yet, somehow, one sees he 's a gentleman. He seems
to have something urging, driving, pushing him, making him restless and
defiant. You see it in his eyes. They are the finest, by the way, I ever
saw. When a person has such eyes as that you can forgive him his bad
manners.


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