For, while he was but too ready to accept the position that was almost immediately offered to him on his coming of age, and found, indeed, a subtle pleasure in the thought that he might really become to the London of his own day what to imperial Neronian Rome the author of the Satyricon once had been, yet in his inmost heart he desired to be something more than a mere arbiter elegantiarum, to be consulted on the wearing of a jewel, or the knotting of a necktie, or the conduct of a cane.
Ze, adina heldu zuenean, ia bat batean eskeini zitzaion gizarte postu hura onartzeko prest baino gehiago bazegoen ere, eta bera, bere London, eta bere garairako, benetan Neronen garaiko Erromako inperiorako, "Satyricon"-aren autorea izan zen gauza bera bilaka zitekeela pentsatzeak bakarrik plazere sotil bat ematen bazion ere, bere bihotzaren barren-barrenean, besterik gabe arbiter elegantiarum bat izatea, edota harri bitxi bat nola jarri behar zen, lepoko korapiloa nola egin behar zen, edota makila nola erabili behar zen galde ziezaioten pertsona baino zerbait gehiago izan nahi zuen.