Two
It was pure chance that had brought me to the neighbourhood of Gipsy’sAcre that day. I was driving a hired car, taking some people down fromLondon to attend a sale, a sale not of a house but its contents. It was a bighouse just at the outskirts¹ of the town, a particularly ugly one. I drove anelderly couple there who were interested, from what I could overhear oftheir conversation, in a collection of papier m?ché, whatever papier m?chéwas. The only time I ever heard it mentioned before was by my mother inconnection with washing-up bowls. She’d said that a papier m?ché wash-ing-up bowl was far better than a plastic one any day! It seemed an oddthing for rich people to want to come down and buy a collection of thestuff.
However I stored the fact away in my mind and I thought I would lookin a dictionary or read up somewhere what papier m?ché really was.
Something that people thought worthwhile to hire a car for, and go downto a country sale and bid for. I liked to know about things. I was twenty-two years of age at that time and I had picked up a fair amount of know-ledge one way and another. I knew a good deal about cars, was a fairmechanic and a careful driver. Once I’d worked with horses in Ireland. Inearly got entangled² with a dope gang but I got wise and quit in time. Ajob as a chauffeur³ to a classy car hire firm isn’t bad at all. Good money tobe made with tips. And not usually too strenuous⁴. But the work itself wasboring.
Once I’d gone fruit picking in summer time. That didn’t pay much, but Ienjoyed myself. I’d tried a lot of things. I’d been a waiter in a third-classhotel, life guard on a summer beach, I’d sold encyclopaedias⁵ and vacuumcleaners and a few other things. I’d once done horticultural work in abotanical garden and had learnt a little about flowers.
I never stuck to anything. Why should I? I’d found nearly everything Idid interesting. Some things were harder work than others but I didn’treally mind that. I’m not really lazy. I suppose what I really am is restless.
I want to go everywhere, see everything, do everything. I want to findsomething. Yes, that’s it. I want to find something.

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