the author of beltraffio-第7章

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than　of　the　usual　Englishmanviewing　me　now　evidently　as　quite　a
familiar　friend；　took　part　in　the　declaration。　　〃It's　very　strange
when　one　thinks　it　all　over；　and　there's　a　grand　comicality　in　it
that　I　should　like　to　bring　out。　　She's　a　very　nice　woman；
extraordinarily　well…behaved；　upright　and　clever　and　with　a
tremendous　lot　of　good　sense　about　a　good　many　matters。　　Yet　her
conception　of　a　novelshe　has　explained　it　to　me　once　or　twice；　and
she　doesn't　do　it　badly　as　expositionis　a　thing　so　false　that　it
makes　me　blush。　　It's　a　thing　so　hollow；　so　dishonest；　so　lying；　in
which　life　is　so　blinked　and　blinded；　so　dodged　and　disfigured；　that
it　makes　my　ears　burn。　　It's　two　different　ways　of　looking　at　the
whole　affair；〃　he　repeated；　pushing　open　the　gate。　　〃And　they're
irreconcilable！〃　he　added　with　a　sigh。　　We　went　forward　to　the　house；
but　on　the　walk；　half…way　to　the　door；　he　stopped　and　said　to　me：
〃If　you're　going　into　this　kind　of　thing　there's　a　fact　you　should
know　beforehand；　it　may　save　you　some　disappointment。　　There's　a
hatred　of　art；　there's　a　hatred　of　literatureI　mean　of　the　genuine
kinds。　　Oh　the　shamsthose　they'll　swallow　by　the　bucket！〃　　I　looked
up　at　the　charming　house；　with　its　genial　colour　and　crookedness；　and
I　answered　with　a　smile　that　those　evil　passions　might　exist；　but
that　I　should　never　have　expected　to　find　them　there。　　〃Ah　it　doesn't
matter　after　all；〃　he　a　bit　nervously　laughed；　which　I　was　glad　to
hear；　for　I　was　reproaching　myself　with　having　worked　him　up。

If　I　had　it　soon　passed　off；　for　at　luncheon　he　was　delightful；
strangely　delightful　considering　that　the　difference　between　himself
and　his　wife　was；　as　he　had　said；　irreconcilable。　　He　had　the　art；　by
his　manner；　by　his　smile；　by　his　natural　amenity；　of　reducing　the
importance　of　it　in　the　common　concerns　of　life；　and　Mrs。　Ambient；　I
must　add；　lent　herself　to　this　transaction　with　a　very　good　grace。　　I
watched　her　at　table　for　further　illustrations　of　that　fixed　idea　of
which　Miss　Ambient　had　spoken　to　me；　for　in　the　light　of　the　united
revelations　of　her　sister…in…law　and　her　husband　she　had　come　to　seem
to　me　almost　a　sinister　personage。　　Yet　the　signs　of　a　sombre
fanaticism　were　not　more　immediately　striking　in　her　than　before；　it
was　only　after　a　while　that　her　air　of　incorruptible　conformity；　her
tapering　monosyllabic　correctness；　began　to　affect　me　as　in
themselves　a　cold　thin　flame。　　Certainly；　at　first；　she　resembled　a
woman　with　as　few　passions　as　possible；　but　if　she　had　a　passion　at
all　it　would　indeed　be　that　of　Philistinism。　　She　might　have　been
（for　there　are　guardian…spirits；　I　suppose；　of　all　great　principles）
the　very　angel　of　the　pink　of　proprietyputting　the　pink　for　a
principle；　though　I'd　rather　put　some　dismal　cold　blue。　　Mark
Ambient；　apparently；　ten　years　before；　had　simply　and　quite
inevitably　taken　her　for　an　angel；　without　asking　himself　of　what。
He　had　been　right　in　calling　my　attention　to　her　beauty。　　In　looking
for　some　explanation　of　his　original　surrender　to　her　I　saw　more　than
before　that　she　was；　physically　speaking；　a　wonderfully　cultivated
human　plantthat　he　might　well　have　owed　her　a　brief　poetic
inspiration。　　It　was　impossible　to　be　more　propped　and　pencilled；
more　delicately　tinted　and　petalled。

If　I　had　had　it　in　my　heart　to　think　my　host　a　little　of　a　hypocrite
for　appearing　to　forget　at　table　everything　he　had　said　to　me　in　our
walk；　I　should　instantly　have　cancelled　such　a　judgement　on
reflecting　that　the　good　news　his　wife　was　able　to　give　him　about
their　little　boy　was　ground　enough　for　any　optimistic　reaction。　　It
may　have　come　partly；　too；　from　a　certain　compunction　at　having
breathed　to　me　at　all　harshly　on　the　cool　fair　lady　who　sat　therea
desire　to　prove　himself　not　after　all　so　mismated。　　Dolcino　continued
to　be　much　better；　and　it　had　been　promised　him　he　should　come
downstairs　after　his　dinner。　　As　soon　as　we　had　risen　from　our　own
meal　Mark　slipped　away；　evidently　for　the　purpose　of　going　to　his
child；　and　no　sooner　had　I　observed　this　than　I　became　aware　his　wife
had　simultaneously　vanished。　　It　happened　that　Miss　Ambient　and　I；
both　at　the　same　moment；　saw　the　tail　of　her　dress　whisk　out　of　a
doorway；　an　incident　that　led　the　young　lady　to　smile　at　me　as　if　I
now　knew　all　the　secrets　of　the　Ambients。　　I　passed　with　her　into　the
garden　and　we　sat　down　on　a　dear　old　bench　that　rested　against　the
west　wall　of　the　house。　　It　was　a　perfect　spot　for　the　middle　period
of　a　Sunday　in　June；　and　its　felicity　seemed　to　come　partly　from　an
antique　sun…dial　which；　rising　in　front　of　us　and　forming　the　centre
of　a　small　intricate　parterre；　measured　the　moments　ever　so　slowly
and　made　them　safe　for　leisure　and　talk。　　The　garden　bloomed　in　the
suffused　afternoon；　the　tall　beeches　stood　still　for　an　example；　and；
behind　and　above　us；　a　rose　tree　of　many　seasons；　clinging　to　the
faded　grain　of　the　brick；　expressed　the　whole　character　of　the　scene
in　a　familiar　exquisite　smell。　　It　struck　me　as　a　place　to　offer
genius　every　favour　and　sanctionnot　to　bristle　with　challenges　and
checks。　　Miss　Ambient　asked　me　if　I　had　enjoyed　my　walk　with　her
brother　and　whether　we　had　talked　of　many　things。

〃Well；　of　most　things；〃　I　freely　allowed；　though　I　remembered　we
hadn't　talked　of　Miss　Ambient。

〃And　don't　you　think　some　of　his　theories　are　very　peculiar？〃

〃Oh　I　guess　I　agree　with　them　all。〃　　I　was　very　particular；　for　Miss
Ambient's　entertainment；　to　guess。

〃Do　you　think　art's　everything？〃　she　put　to　me　in　a　moment。

〃In　art；　of　course　I　do！〃

〃And　do　you　think　beauty's　everything？〃

〃Everything's　a　big　word；　which　I　think　we　should　use　as　little　as
possible。　　But　how　can　we　not　want　beauty？〃

〃Ah　there　you　are！〃　she　sighed；　though　I　didn't　quite　know　what　she
meant　by　it。　　〃Of　course　it's　difficult　for　a　woman　to　judge　how　far
to　go；〃　she　went　on。　　〃I　adore　everything　that　gives　a　charm　to　life。
I'm　intensely　sensitive　to　form。　　But　sometimes　I　draw　backdon't
you　see　what　I　mean？I　don't　quite　see　where　I　shall　be　landed。　　I
only　want　to　be　quiet；　after　all；〃　Miss　Ambient　continued　as　if　she
had　long　been　baffled　of　this　modest　desire。　　〃And　one　must　be　good；
at　any　rate；　must　not　one？〃　she　pursued　with　a　dubious　quaveran
intimation　apparently　that　what　I　might　say　one　way　or　the　other
would　settle　it　for　her。　　It　was　difficult　for　me　to　be　very　original
in　reply；　and　I'm　afraid　I　repaid　her　confidence　with　an　unblushing
platitude。　　I　remember；　moreover；　attaching　to　it　an　inquiry；　equally
destitute　of　freshness　and　still　more　wanting　perhaps　in　tact；　as　to
whether　she　didn't　mean　to　go　to　church；　since　that　was　an　obvious
way　of　being　good。　　She　made　answer　that　she　had　performed　this　duty
in　the　morning；　and　that　for　her；　of　Sunday　afternoons；　supreme
virtue　consisted　in　answering　the　week's　letters。　　Then　suddenly　and
without　transition　she　brought　out：　　〃It's　quite　a　mistake　about
Dolcino's　being　better。　　I've　seen　him　and　he's　not　at　all　right。〃

I　wondered；　and　somehow　I　think　I　scarcely　believed。　　〃Surely　his
mother　would　know；　wouldn't　she？〃

She　appeared　for　a　moment　to　be　counting　the　leaves　on　one　of　the
great　beeches。　　〃As　regards　most　matters　one　can　easily　say　what；　in
a　given　situation；　my　sister…in…law　will；　or　would；　do。　　But　in　the
present　case　there　are　strange　elements　at　work。〃

〃Strange　elements？　　Do　you　mean　in　the　constitution　of　the　child？〃

〃No；　I　mean　in　my　sister…in…law's　feelings。〃

〃Elements　of　affection　of　course；　elements　of　anxiety；〃　I　concurred。
〃But　why　do　you　call　them　strange？〃

She　repeated　my　words。　　〃Elements　of　affection；　elements　of　anxiety。
She's　very　anxious。〃

Miss　Ambient　put　me　indescribably　ill　at　ease；　she　almost　scared　me；
and　I　wished　she　would　go　and　write　her　letters。　　〃His　father　will
have　seen　him　now；〃　I　said；　〃and　if　he's　not　satisfied　he　will　send
for　the　doctor。〃

〃The　doctor　ought　to　have　been　here　this　morning；〃　she　promptly
returned。　　〃He　lives　only　two　miles　away。〃

I　reflected　that　all　this　was　very　possibly　but　a　part　of　the　general
tragedy　of　Miss　Ambient's　view　of　things；　yet　I　asked　her　why　she
hadn't　urged　that　view　on　her　sister…in…law。　　She　answered　me　with　a
smile　of　extraordinary　significance　and　observed　that　I　must　have
very　little　idea　of　her　〃peculiar〃　relations　with　Beatrice；　but　I
must　do　her　the　justice　that　she　re…enforced　this　a　little　by　the
plea　that　any　distinguishable　alarm　of　Mark's　was　ground　enough　for　a
difference　of　his　wife's。　　He　was　always　nervous　about　the　child；　and
as　they　were　predestined　by　nature　to　take　opposite　views；　the　only
thing　for　the　mother　was　to　cultivate　a　false　optimism。　　In　Mark's
absence　and　that　of　his　betrayed　fear　she　would　have　been　less　easy。
I　remembered　what　he　had　said　to　me　about　their　dealings　with　their
sonthat　between　them　they'd　probably　put　an　end　to　him；　but　I
didn't　repeat　this　to　Miss　Ambient：　　the　less　so　that　just　then　her
brother　emerged　from　the　house；　carrying　the　boy　in　his　arms。　　Close
behind　him　moved　his　wife；　grave　and　pale；　the　little　sick　face　was
turned　over　Ambient's　shoulder　and　toward　the　mother。　　We　rose　to
receive　the　group；　and　as　they　came　near　us　Dolcino　twisted　himself
about。　　His　enchanting　eyes　showed　me　a　smile　of　recognition；　in
which；　for　the　moment；　I　should　have　taken　a　due　degree　of　comfort。
Miss　Ambient；　however；　received　another　impression；　and　I　make　haste
to　say　that　her　quick　sensibility；　which　visibly　went　out　to　the
child；　argues　that　in　spite　of　her　affectations　she　might　have　been
of　some　human　use。　　〃It　won't　do　at　allit　won't　do　at　all；〃　she
said　to　me　under　her　breath。　　〃I　shall　speak　to　Mark　about　the
Doctor。〃

Her　small　nephew　was　rather　white；　but　the　main　difference　I　saw　in
him　was　that　he　was　even　more　beautiful　than　the　day　before。　　He　had
been　dressed　in　his　festal　garmentsa　velvet　suit　and　a　crimson
sashand　he　looked　like　a　little　invalid　prince　too　young　to　know
condescension　and　smiling　familiarly　on　his　subjects。

〃Put　him　down；　Mark；　he's　not　a　bit　at　his　ease；〃　Mrs。　Ambient　said。

〃Should　you　like　to　stand　on　your　feet；　my　boy？〃　his　father　asked。

He　made　a　motion　that　quickly　responded。　　〃Oh　yes；　I'm　remarkably
well。〃

Mark　placed　him　on　the　ground；　he　had　shining　pointed　shoes　with
enormous　bows。　　〃Are　you　happy　now；　Mr。　Ambient？〃

〃Oh　yes；　I'm　particularly　happy；〃　Dolcino　replied。　　But　the　words
were　scarce　out　of　his　mouth　when　his　mother　caught　him　up　and；　in　a
moment；　holding　him　on　her　knees；　took　her　place　on　the　bench　where
Miss　Ambient　and　I　had　been　sitting。　　This　young　lady　said　something
to　her　brother；　in　consequence　of　which　the　two　wandered　away　into
the　garden　together。



CHAPTER　IV



I　remained　with　Mrs。　Ambient；　but　as　a　servant　had　brought　out　a
couple　of　chairs　I　wasn't　obliged　to　seat　myself　beside　her。　　Our
conversation　failed　of　ease；　and　I；　for　my　part；　felt　there　would　be
a　shade　of　hypocrisy　in　my　now　trying　to　make　myself　agreeable　to　the
partner　of　my　friend's　existence。　　I　didn't　dislike　herI　rather
admired　her；　but　I　was　aware　that　I　differed　from　her　inexpressibly。
Then　I　suspected；　what　I　afterwards　def