, however, had continued forward in the same movement, laying a friendly hand for a moment on Winstons arm, so that the two of them were walking side by side. He began speaking with the peculiar grave courtesy that differentiated him from the majority of Inner Party members. I had been hoping for an opportunity of talking to you, he said. I was reading one of your Newspeak articles in The Times the other day. You take a scholarly interest in Newspeak, I believe? Winston had recovered part of his self-possession. Hardly scholarly, he said. Im only an amateur. Its not my Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 199 subject. I have never had anything to do with the actual construction of the language. But you write it very elegantly, said OBrien. That is not only my own opinion. I was talking recently to a friend of yours who is certainly an expert. His name has slipped my memory for the moment. Again Winstons heart stirred painfully. It was inconceivable that this was anything other than a refere

But Syme was not only dead, he was abolished, an unperson. Any identifiable reference to him would have been mortally dangerous. OBriens remark must obviously have been intended as a signal, a codeword. By sharing a small act of thoughtcrime he had turned the two of them into accomplices. They had continued to stroll slowly down the corridor, but now OBrien halted. With the curious, disarming friendliness that he always managed to put in to the gesture he resettled his spectacles on his nose. Then he went on: What I had really intended to say was that in your article I noticed you had used two words which have become obsolete. But they have only become so very recently. Have you seen the tenth edition of the

Newspeak Dictionary? No, said Winston. I didnt think it had been issued yet. We are still using the ninth in the Records Department. The tenth edition is not due to appear for some months, I believe. But a few advance copies have been circulated. I have one myself. It might interest you to look at it, perhaps? Very much so, said Winston, immediately seeing where 200 1984 this tended. Some of the new developments are most ingenious. The reduction in the number of verbsthat is the point that will appeal to you, I think. Let me see, shall I send a messenger to you with the dictionary? But I am afraid I invariably forget anything of that kind. Perhaps you could pick it up at my flat at some time that suited you? Wait. Let me give you my address. They were standing in front of a telescreen. Somewhat absentmindedly OBrien felt two of his pockets and then produced a small leather-covered notebook and a gold ink-pencil. Immediately beneath the telescreen, in such a position that anyone who was

I am usually at home in the evenings, he said. If not, my servant will give you the dictionary. He was gone, leaving Winston holding the scrap of paper, which this time there was no need to conceal. Nevertheless he carefully memorized what was written on it, and some hours later dropped it into the memory hole along with a mass of other papers. They had been talking to one another for a couple of minutes at the most. There was only one meaning that the episode could possibly have. It had been contrived as a way of letting Winston know OBriens address. This was necessary, because except by direct enquiry it was never possible to discover where anyone lived. There were no directories of any kind. If you ever want to see me, this is where I can Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 201 be found, was what OBrien had been saying to him. Perhaps there wo