Here happened to be Paris. Before that, for two years, it had been Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, the Virgin Islands; before that, New York; before that, Majorca; before that, Rome; before that, Three Star Ranch, Kneehole, Montana; before that, London; before that, Villa Léonie, Le Lavandou, Var ... What difference did 'here' make? 'here' was more places than he could easily remember; he had to match years and addresses before he knew where he had lived. Why don't you just say, 'What are you doing?' and have done? Hendricks demanded of this unknown inquisitive voice. There was no answer, of course. All the voice did was ask once, ruin the beginning of the day, and shut up. It is not, Hendricks thought, as if I were a cheerful waker. Some people feel low at sunset, l'heure bleue given over to assignations, brooding cocktails, a wistful spell with the gramophone, doubt. For me, l'heure bleue is dandy. By then I have got past the day, I can rest on my oars, more time is finished. It is waking that I hate.
