the author of beltraffio-第6节

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remembered　the　indisposed　child　above　and　the　possibility　of　parents
nervously　or　fussily　anxious。

〃What　has　that　infant　to　do　with　ideas？〃　I　asked。　　〃Surely　he　can't
tell　one　from　another。　　Has　he　read　his　father's　novels？〃

〃He's　very　precocious　and　very　sensitive；　and　his　mother　thinks　she
can't　begin　to　guard　him　too　early。〃　　Miss　Ambient's　head　drooped　a
little　to　one　side　and　her　eyes　fixed　themselves　on　futurity。　　Then
of　a　sudden　came　a　strange　alteration；　her　face　lighted　to　an　effect
more　joyless　than　any　gloom；　to　that　indeed　of　a　conscious　insincere
grimace；　and　she　added　〃When　one　has　children　what　one　writes　becomes
a　great　responsibility。〃

〃Children　are　terrible　critics；〃　I　prosaically　answered。　　〃I'm　really
glad　I　haven't　any。〃

〃Do　you　also　write；　then？　　And　in　the　same　style　as　my　brother？　　And
do　you　like　that　style？　　And　do　people　appreciate　it　in　America？　　I
don't　write；　but　I　think　I　feel。〃　　To　these　and　various　other
inquiries　and　observations　my　young　lady　treated　me　till　we　heard　her
brother's　step　in　the　hall　again　and　Mark　Ambient　reappeared。　　He　was
so　flushed　and　grave　that　I　supposed　he　had　seen　something
symptomatic　in　the　condition　of　his　child。　　His　sister　apparently　had
another　idea；　she　gazed　at　him　from　afaras　if　he　had　been　a　burning
ship　on　the　horizonand　simply　murmured　〃Poor　old　Mark！〃

〃I　hope　you're　not　anxious；〃　I　as　promptly　pronounced。

〃No；　but　I'm　disappointed。　　She　won't　let　me　in。　　She　has　locked　the
door；　and　I'm　afraid　to　make　a　noise。〃　　I　daresay　there　might　have
been　a　touch　of　the　ridiculous　in　such　a　confession；　but　I　liked　my
new　friend　so　much　that　it　took　nothing　for　me　from　his　dignity。
〃She　tells　mefrom　behind　the　doorthat　she'll　let　me　know　if　he's
worse。〃

〃It's　very　good　of　her；〃　said　Miss　Ambient　with　a　hollow　sound。

I　had　exchanged　a　glance　with　Mark　in　which　it's　possible　he　read
that　my　pity　for　him　was　untinged　with　contempt；　though　I　scarce　know
why　he　should　have　cared；　and　as　his　sister　soon　afterward　got　up　and
took　her　bedroom　candlestick　he　proposed　we　should　go　back　to　his
study。　　We　sat　there　till　after　midnight；　he　put　himself　into　his
slippers　and　an　old　velvet　jacket；　he　lighted　an　ancient　pipe；　but　he
talked　considerably　less　than　before。　　There　were　longish　pauses　in
our　communion；　but　they　only　made　me　feel　we　had　advanced　in
intimacy。　　They　helped　me　further　to　understand　my　friend's　personal
situation　and　to　imagine　it　by　no　means　the　happiest　possible。　　When
his　face　was　quiet　it　was　vaguely　troubled；　showing；　to　my　increase
of　interestif　that　was　all　that　was　wanted！that　for　him　too　life
was　the　same　struggle　it　had　been　for　so　many　another　man　of　genius。
At　last　I　prepared　to　leave　him；　and　then；　to　my　ineffable　joy；　he
gave　me　some　of　the　sheets　of　his　forthcoming　bookwhich；　though
unfinished；　he　had　indulged　in　the　luxury；　so　dear　to　writers　of
deliberation；　of　having　〃set　up；〃　from　chapter　to　chapter；　as　he
advanced。　　These　early　pages；　the　premices；　in　the　language　of
letters；　of　that　new　fruit　of　his　imagination；　I　should　take　to　my
room　and　look　over　at　my　leisure。　　I　was　in　the　act　of　leaving　him
when　the　door　of　the　study　noiselessly　opened　and　Mrs。　Ambient　stood
before　us。　　She　observed　us　a　moment；　her　candle　in　her　hand；　and
then　said　to　her　husband　that　as　she　supposed　he　hadn't　gone　to　bed
she　had　come　down　to　let　him　know　Dolcino　was　more　quiet　and　would
probably　be　better　in　the　morning。　　Mark　Ambient　made　no　reply；　he
simply　slipped　past　her　in　the　doorway；　as　if　for　fear　she　might
seize　him　in　his　passage；　and　bounded　upstairs　to　judge　for　himself
of　his　child's　condition。　　She　looked　so　frankly　discomfited　that　I
for　a　moment　believed　her　about　to　give　him　chase。　　But　she　resigned
herself　with　a　sigh　and　her　eyes　turned；　ruefully　and　without　a　ray；
to　the　lamplit　room　where　various　books　at　which　I　had　been　looking
were　pulled　out　of　their　places　on　the　shelves　and　the　fumes　of
tobacco　hung　in　mid…air。　　I　bade　her　good…night　and　then；　without
intention；　by　a　kind　of　fatality；　a　perversity　that　had　already　made
me　address　her　overmuch　on　that　question　of　her　husband's　powers；　I
alluded　to　the　precious　proof…sheets　with　which　Ambient　had　entrusted
me　and　which　I　nursed　there　under　my　arm。　　〃They're　the　opening
chapters　of　his　new　book；〃　I　said。　　〃Fancy　my　satisfaction　at　being
allowed　to　carry　them　to　my　room！〃

She　turned　away；　leaving　me　to　take　my　candlestick　from　the　table　in
the　hall；　but　before　we　separated；　thinking　it　apparently　a　good
occasion　to　let　me　know　once　for　all　since　I　was　beginning；　it　would
seem；　to　be　quite　〃thick〃　with　my　hostthat　there　was　no　fitness　in
my　appealing　to　her　for　sympathy　in　such　a　case；　before　we　separated；
I　say；　she　remarked　to　me　with　her　quick　fine　well…bred　inveterate
curtness：　　〃I　daresay　you　attribute　to　me　ideas　I　haven't　got。　　I
don't　take　that　sort　of　interest　in　my　husband's　proof…sheets。　　I
consider　his　writings　most　objectionable！〃



CHAPTER　III



I　had　an　odd　colloquy　the　next　morning　with　Miss　Ambient；　whom　I
found　strolling　in　the　garden　before　breakfast。　　The　whole　place
looked　as　fresh　and　trim；　amid　the　twitter　of　the　birds；　as　if；　an
hour　before；　the　housemaids　had　been　turned　into　it　with　their　dust…
pans　and　feather…brushes。　　I　almost　hesitated　to　light　a　cigarette
and　was　doubly　startled　when；　in　the　act　of　doing　so；　I　suddenly　saw
the　sister　of　my　host；　who　had；　at　the　best；　something　of　the
weirdness　of　an　apparition；　stand　before　me。　　She　might　have　been
posing　for　her　photograph。　　Her　sad…coloured　robe　arranged　itself　in
serpentine　folds　at　her　feet；　her　hands　locked　themselves　listlessly
together　in　front；　her　chin　rested　on　a　cinque…cento　ruff。　　The　first
thing　I　did　after　bidding　her　good…morning　was　to　ask　her　for　news　of
her　little　nephewto　express　the　hope　she　had　heard　he　was　better。
She　was　able　to　gratify　this　trustshe　spoke　as　if　we　might　expect
to　see　him　during　the　day。　　We　walked　through　the　shrubberies
together　and　she　gave　me　further　light　on　her　brother's　household；
which　offered　me　an　opportunity　to　repeat　to　her　what　his　wife　had　so
startled　and　distressed　me　with　the　night　before。　　WAS　it　the　sorry
truth　that　she　thought　his　productions　objectionable？

〃She　doesn't　usually　come　out　with　that　so　soon！〃　Miss　Ambient
returned　in　answer　to　my　breathlessness。

〃Poor　lady；〃　I　pleaded；　〃she　saw　I'm　a　fanatic。〃

〃Yes；　she　won't　like　you　for　that。　　But　you　mustn't　mind；　if　the　rest
of　us　like　you！　　Beatrice　thinks　a　work　of　art　ought　to　have　a
'purpose。'　　But　she's　a　charming　womandon't　you　think　her　charming？
I　find　in　her　quite　the　grand　air。〃

〃She's　very　beautiful；〃　I　produced　with　an　effort；　while　I　reflected
that　though　it　was　apparently　true　that　Mark　Ambient　was　mismated　it
was　also　perceptible　that　his　sister　was　perfidious。　　She　assured　me
her　brother　and　his　wife　had　no　other　difference　but　thisone　that
she　thought　his　writings　immoral　and　his　influence　pernicious。　　It
was　a　fixed　idea；　she　was　afraid　of　these　things　for　the　child。　　I
answered　that　it　was　in　all　conscience　enough；　the　trifle　of　a
woman's　regarding　her　husband's　mind　as　a　well　of　corruption；　and　she
seemed　much　struck　with　the　novelty　of　my　remark。　　〃But　there　hasn't
been　any　of　the　sort　of　trouble　that　there　so　often　is　among　married
people；〃　she　said。　　〃I　suppose　you　can　judge　for　yourself　that
Beatrice　isn't　at　allwell；　whatever　they　call　it　when　a　woman　kicks
over！　　And　poor　Mark　doesn't　make　love　to　other　people　either。　　You
might　think　he　would；　but　I　assure　you　he　doesn't。　　All　the　same　of
course；　from　her　point　of　view；　you　know；　she　has　a　dread　of　my
brother's　influence　on　the　child　on　the　formation　of　his　character；
his　'ideals；'　poor　little　brat；　his　principles。　　It's　as　if　it　were　a
subtle　poison　or　a　contagionsomething　that　would　rub　off　on　his
tender　sensibility　when　his　father　kisses　him　or　holds　him　on　his
knee。　　If　she　could　she'd　prevent　Mark　from　even　so　much　as　touching
him。　　Every　one　knows　itvisitors　see　it　for　themselves；　so　there's
no　harm　in　my　telling　you。　　Isn't　it　excessively　odd？　　It　comes　from
Beatrice's　being　so　religious　and　so　tremendously　moralso　a　cheval
on　fifty　thousand　riguardi。　　And　then　of　course　we　mustn't　forget；〃
my　companion　added；　a　little　unexpectedly；　to　this　polyglot
proposition；　〃that　some　of　Mark's　ideas　arewell；　reallyrather
impossible；　don't　you　know？〃

I　reflected　as　we　went　into　the　house；　where　we　found　Ambient
unfolding　The　Observer　at　the　breakfast…table；　that　none　of　them　were
probably　quite　so　〃impossible；　don't　you　know？〃　as　his　sister。　　Mrs。
Ambient；　a　little　〃the　worse；〃　as　was　mentioned；　for　her
ministrations；　during　the　night；　to　Dolcino；　didn't　appear　at
breakfast。　　Her　husband　described　her；　however；　as　hoping　to　go　to
church。　　I　afterwards　learnt　that　she　did　go；　but　nothing　naturally
was　less　on　the　cards　than　that　we　should　accompany　her。　　It　was
while　the　church…bell　droned　near　at　hand　that　the　author　of
〃Beltraffio〃　led　me　forth　for　the　ramble　he　had　spoken　of　in　his
note。　　I　shall　attempt　here　no　record　of　where　we　went　or　of　what　we
saw。　　We　kept　to