Monday, August 26, 2013

Isak Dinesen

From the book, Out of Africa, "Visitors to The Farm," p. 207

"In the light of the lamp Emmanuelson was a sad sight.  He had on a long black overcoat such as nobody wears in Africa,  he was unshaven and his hair was not cut, his old shoes were split at the toe.  He was bringing no belongings with him to Tanganyika, his hands were empty.  It seemed that I was to take the part of the High Priest who presents the goat alive to the Lord, and sends it into the wilderness.  I thought that here we needed wine. Berkeley Cole, who generally kept the house in wine, some time ago has sent me a case of very rare burgundy, and I now told Juma to open a bottle from it.  When we sat down for dinner and Emmanuelson's glass was filled he drank half of it, held it towards the lamp and looked at it for along time like a person attentively listening to music.  "Fameux" he said,  "fameux; this is a Chambertin 1906."  It was so, and that gave me respect for Emmanuelson.