the author of beltraffio-第4章

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before　I've　finished　my　anecdote；　and　moreoverI　confess　itI　owe
the　young　lady　a　bit　of　a　grudge。　　Putting　aside　the　curious　cast　of
her　face　she　had　no　natural　aptitude　for　an　artistic　development；　had
little　real　intelligence。　　But　her　affectations　rubbed　off　on　her
brother's　renown；　and　as　there　were　plenty　of　people　who　darkly
disapproved　of　him　they　could　easily　point　to　his　sister　as　a　person
formed　by　his　influence。　　It　was　quite　possible　to　regard　her　as　a
warning；　and　she　had　almost　compromised　him　with　the　world　at　large。
He　was　the　original　and　she　the　inevitable　imitation。　　I　suppose　him
scarce　aware　of　the　impression　she　mainly　produced；　beyond　having　a
general　idea　that　she　made　up　very　well　as　a　Rossetti；　he　was　used　to
her　and　was　sorry　for　her；　wishing　she　would　marry　and　observing　how
she　didn't。　　Doubtless　I　take　her　too　seriously；　for　she　did　me　no
harm；　though　I'm　bound　to　allow　that　I　can　only　half…account　for　her。
She　wasn't　so　mystical　as　she　looked；　but　was　a　strange　indirect
uncomfortable　embarrassing　woman。　　My　story　gives　the　reader　at　best
so　very　small　a　knot　to　untie　that　I　needn't　hope　to　excite　his
curiosity　by　delaying　to　remark　that　Mrs。　Ambient　hated　her　sister…
in…law。　　This　I　learned　but　later　on；　when　other　matters　came　to　my
knowledge。　　I　mention　it；　however；　at　once；　for　I　shall　perhaps　not
seem　to　count　too　much　on　having　beguiled　him　if　I　say　he　must
promptly　have　guessed　it。　　Mrs。　Ambient；　a　person　of　conscience；　put
the　best　face　on　her　kinswoman；　who　spent　a　month　with　her　twice　a
year；　but　it　took　no　great　insight　to　recognise　the　very　different
personal　paste　of　the　two　ladies；　and　that　the　usual　feminine
hypocrisies　would　cost　them　on　either　side　much　more　than　the　usual
effort。　　Mrs。　Ambient；　smooth…haired；　thin…lipped；　perpetually　fresh；
must　have　regarded　her　crumpled　and　dishevelled　visitor　as　an
equivocal　joke；　she　herself　so　the　opposite　of　a　Rossetti；　she
herself　a　Reynolds　or　a　Lawrence；　with　no　more　far…fetched　note　in
her　composition　than　a　cold　ladylike　candour　and　a　well…starched
muslin　dress。

It　was　in　a　garment　and　with　an　expression　of　this　kind　that　she　made
her　entrance　after　I　had　exchanged　a　few　words　with　Miss　Ambient。
Her　husband　presently　followed　her　and；　there　being　no　other　company；
we　went　to　dinner。　　The　impressions　I　received　at　that　repast　are
present　to　me　still。　　The　elements　of　oddity　in　the　air　hovered；　as
it　were；　without　descendingto　any　immediate　check　of　my　delight。
This　came　mainly；　of　course；　from　Ambient's　talk；　the　easiest　and
richest　I　had　ever　heard。　　I　mayn't　say　to…day　whether　he　laid
himself　out　to　dazzle　a　rather　juvenile　pilgrim　from　over　the　sea；
but　that　matters　littleit　seemed　so　natural　to　him　to　shine。　　His
spoken　wit　or　wisdom；　or　whatever；　had　thus　a　charm　almost　beyond　his
written；　that　is　if　the　high　finish　of　his　printed　prose　be　really；
as　some　people　have　maintained；　a　fault。　　There　was　such　a　kindness
in　him；　however；　that　I've　no　doubt　it　gave　him　ideas　for　me；　or
about　me；　to　see　me　sit　as　open…mouthed　as　I　now　figure　myself。　　Not
so　the　two　ladies；　who　not　only　were　very　nearly　dumb　from　beginning
to　end　of　the　meal；　but　who　hadn't　even　the　air　of　being　struck　with
such　an　exhibition　of　fancy　and　taste。　　Mrs。　Ambient；　detached；　and
inscrutable；　met　neither　my　eye　nor　her　husband's；　she　attended　to
her　dinner；　watched　her　servants；　arranged　the　puckers　in　her　dress；
exchanged　at　wide　intervals　a　remark　with　her　sister…in…law　and；
while　she　slowly　rubbed　her　lean　white　hands　between　the　courses；
looked　out　of　the　window　at　the　first　signs　of　eveningthe　long　June
day　allowing　us　to　dine　without　candles。　　Miss　Ambient　appeared　to
give　little　direct　heed　to　anything　said　by　her　brother；　but　on　the
other　hand　she　was　much　engaged　in　watching　its　effect　upon　me。　　Her
〃die…away〃　pupils　continued　to　attach　themselves　to　my　countenance；
and　it　was　only　her　air　of　belonging　to　another　century　that　kept
them　from　being　importunate。　　She　seemed　to　look　at　me　across　the
ages；　and　the　interval　of　time　diminished　for　me　the　inconvenience。
It　was　as　if　she　knew　in　a　general　way　that　he　must　be　talking　very
well；　but　she　herself　was　so　at　home　among　such　allusions　that　she
had　no　need　to　pick　them　up　and　was　at　liberty　to　see　what　would
become　of　the　exposure　of　a　candid　young　American　to　a　high　aesthetic
temperature。

The　temperature　was　aesthetic　certainly；　but　it　was　less　so　than　I
could　have　desired；　for　I　failed　of　any　great　success　in　making　our
friend　abound　about　himself。　　I　tried　to　put　him　on　the　ground　of　his
own　genius；　but　he　slipped　through　my　fingers　every　time　and　shifted
the　saddle　to　one　or　other　of　his　contemporaries。　　He　talked　about
Balzac　and　Browning；　about　what　was　being　done　in　foreign　countries；
about　his　recent　tour　in　the　East　and　the　extraordinary　forms　of　life
to　be　observed　in　that　part　of　the　world。　　I　felt　he　had　reasons　for
holding　off　from　a　direct　profession　of　literary　faith；　a　full
consistency　or　sincerity；　and　therefore　dealt　instead　with　certain
social　topics；　treating　them　with　extraordinary　humour　and　with　a　due
play　of　that　power　of　ironic　evocation　in　which　his　books　abound。　　He
had　a　deal　to　say　about　London　as　London　appears　to　the　observer　who
has　the　courage　of　some　of　his　conclusions　during　the　high…pressure
timefrom　April　to　Julyof　its　gregarious　life。　　He　flashed　his
faculty　of　playing　with　the　caught　image　and　liberating　the　wistful
idea　over　the　whole　scheme　of　manners　or　conception　of　intercourse　of
his　compatriots；　among　whom　there　were　evidently　not　a　few　types　for
which　he　had　little　love。　　London　in　short　was　grotesque　to　him；　and
he　made　capital　sport　of　it；　his　only　allusion　that　I　can　remember　to
his　own　work　was　his　saying　that　he　meant　some　day　to　do　an　immense
and　general；　a　kind　of　epic；　social　satire。　　Miss　Ambient's　perpetual
gaze　seemed　to　put　to　me：　　〃Do　you　perceive　how　artistic；　how　very
strange　and　interesting；　we　are？　　Frankly　now　is　it　possible　to　be
MORE　artistic；　MORE　strange　and　interesting；　than　this？　　You　surely
won't　deny　that　we're　remarkable。〃　　I　was　irritated　by　her　use　of　the
plural　pronoun；　for　she　had　no　right　to　pair　herself　with　her
brother；　and　moreover；　of　course；　I　couldn't　see　my　way　toat　all
geniallyinclude　Mrs。　Ambient。　　Yet　there　was　no　doubt　they　were；
taken　together；　unprecedented　enough；　and；　with　all　allowances；　I　had
never　been　left；　or　condemned；　to　draw　so　many　rich　inferences。

After　the　ladies　had　retired　my　host　took　me　into　his　study　to　smoke；
where　I　appealingly　brought　him　round；　or　so　tried；　to　some
disclosure　of　fond　ideals。　　I　was　bent　on　proving　I　was　worthy　to
listen　to　him；　on　repaying　him　for　what　he　had　said　to　me　before
dinner；　by　showing　him　how　perfectly　I　understood。　　He　liked　to　talk；
he　liked　to　defend　his　convictions　and　his　honour　（not　that　I
attacked　them）；　he　liked　a　little　perhapsit　was　a　pardonable
weaknessto　bewilder　the　youthful　mind　even　while　wishing　to　win　it
over。　　My　ingenuous　sympathy　received　at　any　rate　a　shock　from　three
or　four　of　his　professionshe　made　me　occasionally　gasp　and　stare。
He　couldn't　help　forgetting；　or　rather　couldn't　know；　how　little；　in
another　and　drier　clime；　I　had　ever　sat　in　the　school　in　which　he　was
master；　and　he　promoted　me　as　at　a　jump　to　a　sense　of　its　penetralia。
My　trepidations；　however；　were　delightful；　they　were　just　what　I　had
hoped　for；　and　their　only　fault　was　that　they　passed　away　too
quickly；　since　I　found　that　for　the　main　points　I　was　essentially；　I
was　quite　constitutionally；　on　Mark　Ambient's　〃side。〃　　This　was　the
taken　stand　of　the　artist　to　whom　every　manifestation　of　human　energy
was　a　thrilling　spectacle　and　who　felt　for　ever　the　desire　to　resolve
his　experience　of　life　into　a　literary　form。　　On　that　high　head　of
the　passion　for　form　the　attempt　at　perfection；　the　quest　for　which
was　to　his　mind　the　real　search　for　the　holy　grailhe　said　the　most
interesting；　the　most　inspiring　things。　　He　mixed　with　them　a
thousand　illustrations　from　his　own　life；　from　other　lives　he　had
known；　from　history　and　fiction；　and　above　all　from　the　annals　of　the
time　that　was　dear　to　him　beyond　all　periods；　the　Italian　cinque…
cento。　　It　came　to　me　thus　that　in　his　books　he　had　uttered　but　half
his　thought；　and　that　what　he　had　kept　back　from　motives　I　deplored
when　I　made　them　out　laterwas　the　finer　and　braver　part。　　It　was
his　fate　to　make　a　great　many　still　more　〃prepared〃　people　than　me
not　inconsiderably　wince；　but　there　was　no　grain　of　bravado　in　his
ripest　things　（I've　always　maintained　it；　though　often　contradicted）；
and　at　bottom　the　poor　fellow；　disinterested　to　his　finger…tips　and
regarding　imperfection　not　only　as　an　aesthetic　but　quite　also　as　a
social　crime；　had　an　extreme　dread　of　scandal。　　There　are　critics　who
regret　that　having　gone　so　far　he　didn't　go　further；　but　I　regret
nothingputting　aside　two　or　three　of　the　motives　I　just　mentioned
since　he　arrived　at　a　noble　rarity　and　I　don't　see　how　you　can　go
beyond　that。　　The　hours　I　spent　in　his　studythis　first　one　and　the
few　that　followed　it；　they　were　not；　after　all；　so　numerousseem　to
glow；　as　I　look　back　on　them；　with　a　tone　that　is　partly　that　of　the
brown　old　room；　rich；　under　the　shaded　candle…light　where　we　sat　and
smoked；　with　the　dusky　delicate　bindings　of　valuable　books；　partly
that　of　his　voice；　of　which　I　still　catch　the　echo；　charged　with　the
fancies　and　figures　that　came　at　his　command。　　When　we　went　back　to
the　drawing…room　we　found　Miss　Ambient　alone　in　possession　and　prompt
to　mention　that　her　sister…in…law　had　a　quarter　of　an　hour　before
been　called　by　the　nurse　to　see　the　child；　who　appeared　rather
unwella　little　feverish。

〃Feverish！　how　in　the　world　comes　he　to　be　feverish？〃　Ambient　asked。
〃He　was　perfectly　right　this　afternoon。〃

〃Beatrice　says　you　walked　him　about　too　muchyou　almost　killed　him。〃

〃Beatrice　must　be　very　happyshe　has　an　opportunity　to　triumph！〃
said　my　friend　with　a　bright　bitterness　which　was　all　I　could　have
wished　it。

〃Surely　not　if　the　child's　ill；〃　I　ventured　to　remark　by　way　of
pleading　for　Mrs。　Ambient。

〃My　dear　fellow；　you　aren't　marriedyou　don't　know　the　nature　of
wives！〃　my　host　returned　with　spirit。

I　tried　to　match　it。　　〃Possibly　not；　but　I　know　the　nature　of
mothers。〃

〃Beatrice　is　perfect　as　a　mother；〃　sighed　Miss　Ambient　quite
tremendously　and　with　her　fingers　interlaced　on　her　embroidered
knees。

〃I　shall　go　up　and　see　my　boy；〃　her　brother　went　on。〃　　Do　you　suppose
he's　asleep？〃

〃Beatrice　won't　let　you　see　him；　dear〃as　to　which　our　young　lady
looked　at　me；　though　addressing　our　companion。

〃Do　you　call　that　being　perfect　as　a　mother？〃　Ambient　asked。

〃Yes；　from　her　point　of　view。〃

〃Damn　her　point　of　view！〃　cried　the　author　of　〃Beltraffio。〃　　And　he
left　the　room；　after　which　we　heard　him　ascend　the　stairs。

I　sat　there　for　some　ten　minutes　with　Miss　Ambient；　and　we　naturally
had　some　exchange　of　remarks；　which　began；　I　think；　by　my　asking　her
what　the　point　of　view　of　her　sister…in…law　could　be。

〃Oh　it's　so　very　odd。　　But　we're　so　very　odd　altogether。　　Don't　you
find　us　awfully　unlike