There was a touch of spring in the air, a poisonous, malefic spring that seemed to burst from the manholes… — Henry Miller

There was a touch of spring in the air, a poisonous, malefic spring that seemed to burst from the manholes. Night after night I had been coming back to this quarter, attracted by certain leprous streets which only revealed their sinister splendor when the light of day had oozed away and the whores commenced to take up their posts.

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