villa rubein and other stories-第48节

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September　1900。













TO



MY　BROTHER



HUBERT　GALSWORTHY









SALVATION　OF　A　FORSYTE









I



Swithin　Forsyte　lay　in　bed。　　The　corners　of　his　mouth　under　his　white

moustache　drooped　towards　his　double　chin。　　He　panted：



〃My　doctor　says　I'm　in　a　bad　way；　James。〃



His　twin…brother　placed　his　hand　behind　his　ear。　　〃I　can't　hear　you。

They　tell　me　I　ought　to　take　a　cure。　　There's　always　a　cure　wanted

for　something。　　Emily　had　a　cure。〃



Swithin　replied：　〃You　mumble　so。　　I　hear　my　man；　Adolph。　　I　trained

him。。。。　　You　ought　to　have　an　ear…trumpet。　　You're　getting　very

shaky；　James。〃



There　was　silence；　then　James　Forsyte；　as　if　galvanised；　remarked：　〃I

s'pose　you've　made　your　will。　　I　s'pose　you've　left　your　money　to　the

family；　you've　nobody　else　to　leave　it　to。　　There　was　Danson　died　the

other　day；　and　left　his　money　to　a　hospital〃



The　hairs　of　Swithin's　white　moustache　bristled。　　〃My　fool　of　a

doctor　told　me　to　make　my　will；〃　he　said；　〃I　hate　a　fellow　who　tells

you　to　make　your　will。　　My　appetite's　good；　I　ate　a　partridge　last

night。　　I'm　all　the　better　for　eating。　　He　told　me　to　leave　off

champagne！　　I　eat　a　good　breakfast。　　I'm　not　eighty。　　You're　the　same

age；　James。　　You　look　very　shaky。〃



James　Forsyte　said：　〃You　ought　to　have　another　opinion。　　Have　Blank；

he's　the　first　man　now。　　I　had　him　for　Emily；　cost　me　two　hundred

guineas。　　He　sent　her　to　Homburg；　that's　the　first　place　now。　　The

Prince　was　thereeverybody　goes　there。〃



Swithin　Forsyte　answered：　〃I　don't　get　any　sleep　at　night；　now　I

can't　get　out；　and　I've　bought　a　new　carriagegave　a　pot　of　money

for　it。　　D'　you　ever　have　bronchitis？　　They　tell　me　champagne's

dangerous；　it's　my　belief　I　couldn't　take　a　better　thing。〃



James　Forsyte　rose。



〃You　ought　to　have　another　opinion。　　Emily　sent　her　love；　she　would

have　come　in；　but　she　had　to　go　to　Niagara。　　Everybody　goes　there；

it's　the　place　now。　　Rachel　goes　every　morning：　she　overdoes　it

she'll　be　laid　up　one　of　these　days。　　There's　a　fancy　ball　there　to…

night；　the　Duke　gives　the　prizes。〃



Swithin　Forsyte　said　angrily：　〃I　can't　get　things　properly　cooked

here；　at　the　club　I　get　spinach　decently　done。〃　　The　bed…clothes

jerked　at　the　tremor　of　his　legs。



James　Forsyte　replied：　〃You　must　have　done　well　with　Tintos；　you　must

have　made　a　lot　of　money　by　them。　　Your　ground…rents　must　be　falling

in；　too。　　You　must　have　any　amount　you　don't　know　what　to　do　with。〃

He　mouthed　the　words；　as　if　his　lips　were　watering。



Swithin　Forsyte　glared。　　〃Money！〃　he　said；　〃my　doctor's　bill's

enormous。〃



James　Forsyte　stretched　out　a　cold；　damp　hand　〃Goodbye！　You　ought　to

have　another　opinion。　　I　can't　keep　the　horses　waiting：　they're　a　new

pairstood　me　in　three　hundred。　　You　ought　to　take　care　of　yourself。

I　shall　speak　to　Blank　about　you。　　You　ought　to　have　himeverybody

says　he's　the　first　man。　　Good…bye！〃



Swithin　Forsyte　continued　to　stare　at　the　ceiling。　　He　thought：　'A

poor　thing；　James！　a　selfish　beggar！　　Must　be　worth　a　couple　of

hundred　thousand！'　　He　wheezed；　meditating　on　life。。。。



He　was　ill　and　lonely。　　For　many　years　he　had　been　lonely；　and　for

two　years　ill；　but　as　he　had　smoked　his　first　cigar；　so　he　would　live

his　life…stoutly；　to　its　predestined　end。　　Every　day　he　was　driven　to

the　club；　sitting　forward　on　the　spring　cushions　of　a　single

brougham；　his　hands　on　his　knees；　swaying　a　little；　strangely　solemn。

He　ascended　the　steps　into　that　marble　hallthe　folds　of　his　chin

wedged　into　the　aperture　of　his　collarwalking　squarely　with　a

stick。　　Later　he　would　dine；　eating　majestically；　and　savouring　his

food；　behind　a　bottle　of　champagne　set　in　an　ice…pailhis　waistcoat

defended　by　a　napkin；　his　eyes　rolling　a　little　or　glued　in　a　stare

on　the　waiter。　　Never　did　he　suffer　his　head　or　back　to　droop；　for　it

was　not　distinguished　so　to　do。



Because　he　was　old　and　deaf；　he　spoke　to　no　one；　and　no　one　spoke　to

him。　　The　club　gossip；　an　Irishman；　said　to　each　newcomer：　〃Old

Forsyte！　　Look　at　'um！　　Must　ha'　had　something　in　his　life　to　sour

'um！〃　　But　Swithin　had　had　nothing　in　his　life　to　sour　him。



For　many　days　now　he　had　lain　in　bed　in　a　room　exuding　silver；

crimson；　and　electric　light；　smelling　of　opopanax　and　of　cigars。　　The

curtains　were　drawn；　the　firelight　gleamed；　on　a　table　by　his　bed

were　a　jug　of　barley…water　and　the　Times。　　He　made　an　attempt　to

read；　failed；　and　fell　again　to　thinking。　　His　face　with　its　square

chin；　looked　like　a　block　of　pale　leather　bedded　in　the　pillow。　　It

was　lonely！　　A　woman　in　the　room　would　have　made　all　the　difference！

Why　had　he　never　married？　　He　breathed　hard；　staring　froglike　at　the

ceiling；　a　memory　had　come　into　his　mind。　　It　was　a　long　time　ago

forty　odd　yearsbut　it　seemed　like　yesterday。。。。



It　happened　when　he　was　thirty…eight；　for　the　first　and　only　time　in

his　life　travelling　on　the　Continent；　with　his　twin…brother　James　and

a　man　named　Traquair。　　On　the　way　from　Germany　to　Venice；　he　had

found　himself　at　the　Hotel　Goldene　Alp　at　Salzburg。　　It　was　late

August；　and　weather　for　the　gods：　sunshine　on　the　walls　and　the

shadows　of　the　vine…leaves；　and　at　night；　the　moonlight；　and　again　on

the　walls　the　shadows　of　the　vine…leaves。　　Averse　to　the　suggestions

of　other　people；　Swithin　had　refused　to　visit　the　Citadel；　he　had

spent　the　day　alone　in　the　window　of　his　bedroom；　smoking　a

succession　of　cigars；　and　disparaging　the　appearance　of　the　passers…

by。　　After　dinner　he　was　driven　by　boredom　into　the　streets。　　His

chest　puffed　out　like　a　pigeon's；　and　with　something　of　a　pigeon's

cold　and　inquiring　eye；　he　strutted；　annoyed　at　the　frequency　of

uniforms；　which　seemed　to　him　both　needless　and　offensive。　　His

spleen　rose　at　this　crowd　of　foreigners；　who　spoke　an　unintelligible

language；　wore　hair　on　their　faces；　and　smoked　bad　tobacco。　　'A　queer

lot！'　he　thought。　　The　sound　of　music　from　a　cafe　attracted　him；　he

walked　in；　vaguely　moved　by　a　wish　for　the　distinction　of　adventure；

without　the　trouble　which　adventure　usually　brought　with　it；　spurred

too；　perhaps；　by　an　after…dinner　demon。　　The　cafe　was　the　bier…halle

of　the　'Fifties；　with　a　door　at　either　end；　and　lighted　by　a　large

wooden　lantern。　　On　a　small　dais　three　musicians　were　fiddling。

Solitary　men；　or　groups；　sat　at　some　dozen　tables；　and　the　waiters

hurried　about　replenishing　glasses；　the　air　was　thick　with　smoke。

Swithin　sat　down。　　〃Wine！〃　he　said　sternly。　　The　astonished　waiter

brought　him　wine。　　Swithin　pointed　to　a　beer　glass　on　the　table。

〃Here！〃　he　said；　with　the　same　ferocity。　　The　waiter　poured　out　the

wine。　　'Ah！'　thought　Swithin；　'they　can　understand　if　they　like。'　　A

group　of　officers　close　by　were　laughing；　Swithin　stared　at　them

uneasily。　　A　hollow　cough　sounded　almost　in　his　ear。　　To　his　left　a

man　sat　reading；　with　his　elbows　on　the　corners　of　a　journal；　and　his

gaunt　shoulders　raised　almost　to　his　eyes。　　He　had　a　thin；　long　nose；

broadening　suddenly　at　the　nostrils；　a　black…brown　beard；　spread　in　a

savage　fan　over　his　chest；　what　was　visible　of　the　face　was　the

colour　of　old　parchment。　　A　strange；　wild；　haughty…looking　creature！

Swithin　observed　his　clothes　with　some　displeasurethey　were　the

clothes　of　a　journalist　or　strolling　actor。　　And　yet　he　was

impressed。　　This　was　singular。　　How　could　he　be　impressed　by　a　fellow

in　such　clothes！　　The　man　reached　out　a　hand；　covered　with　black

hairs；　and　took　up　a　tumbler　that　contained　a　dark…coloured　fluid。

'Brandy！'　thought　Swithin。　　The　crash　of　a　falling　chair　startled

himhis　neighbour　had　risen。　　He　was　of　immense　height；　and　very

thin；　his　great　beard　seemed　to　splash　away　from　his　mouth；　he　was

glaring　at　the　group　of　officers；　and　speaking。　　Swithin　made　out　two

words：　〃Hunde！　Deutsche　Hunde！〃　'Hounds！　Dutch　hounds！'　he　thought：

'Rather　strong！'　　One　of　the　officers　had　jumped　up；　and　now　drew　his

sword。　　The　tall　man　swung　his　chair　up；　and　brought　it　down　with　a

thud。　　Everybody　round　started　up　and　closed　on　him。　　The　tall　man

cried　out；　〃To　me；　Magyars！〃



Swithin　grinned。　　The　tall　man　fighting　such　odds　excited　his

unwilling　admiration；　he　had　a　momentary　impulse　to　go　to　his

assistance。　　'Only　get　a　broken　nose！'　he　thought；　and　looked　for　a

safe　corner。　　But　at　that　moment　a　thrown　lemon　struck　him　on　the

jaw。　　He　jumped　out　of　his　chair　and　rushed　at　the　officers。　　The

Hungarian；　swinging　his　chair；　threw　him　a　look　of　gratitudeSwithin

glowed　with　momentary　admiration　of　himself。　　A　sword　blade　grazed

hisarm；　he　felt　a　sudden　dislike　of　the　Hungarian。　　'This　is　too

much；'　he　thought；　and；　catching　up　a　chair；　flung　it　at　the　wooden

lantern。　　There　was　a　crashfaces　and　swords　vanished。　　He　struck　a

match；　and　by　the　light　of　it　bolted　for　the　door。　　A　second　later　he

was　in　the　street。









II



A　voice　said　in　English；　〃God　bless　you；　brot