"Smith was an artist. He was also a clerk in the Foreign Office. His reputations as a writer was distinguished; he was not interesed in vulgar, and to sell well would problably have damaged his career.

I could not guess waht I had induced him to invite me to have coffee with him. It is true, he was alone, but I should have supposed he had found his thoughts exellent company, and I could not believe he imaged that I had anything to say that would interest him. Neverthelesse I could not but see that he was doing his best to make himself pleasant....."

Dieser gesamte Text (der übrigens noch weiter geht) ist so komisch geschrieben. Kommt es nur mir so for? Und wie lässt sich der fett markierte Teil auf Deutsch übersetzen?