Sir George poured more tea. Lady Bailey said, “And what do you do in London, Mr Michell?” “I’m a university research student. I do some teaching. I’m working for an edition of Randolph Henry Ash.” “He wrote a good poem we learned at school,” said Sir George. “Never had any use for poetry myself, but I used to like that one. ‘The Hunter.’ Do you know that poem? About a stone-age chappie setting snares and sharpening flints and talking to his dog and snuffing the weather in the air. You got a real sense of danger from that poem. Funny way to spend your life, though, studying another chap’s
...more
