short stories and essays-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


there；　and　I　said　it　did　not　matter。　　Then　we　both　looked　at　the　bathing；
and　he　said：

〃I　don't　like　that。〃

〃Why；〃　I　asked；　〃do　you　see　any　harm　in　it？〃

〃No。　　But　I　don't　like　the　looks　of　it。　　It　ain't　nice。　　It's　queer。〃

It　was　indeed　like　one　of　those　uncomfortable　dreams　where　you　are　not
dressed　sufficiently　for　company；　or　perhaps　at　all；　and　yet　are　making　a
very　public　appearance。　　This　promiscuous　bathing　was　not　much　in　excess
of　the　convention　that　governs　the　sea…bathing　of　the　politest　people；　it
could　not　be；　and　it　was　marked　by　no　grave　misconduct。　　Here　and　there　a
gentleman　was　teaching　a　lady　to　swim；　with　his　arms　round　her；　here　and
there　a　wild　nereid　was　splashing　another；　a　young　Jew　pursued　a　flight
of　naiads　with　a　section　of　dead　eel　in　his　hand。　　But　otherwise　all　was
a　damp　and　dreary　decorum。　　I　challenged　my　philosopher　in　vain　for　a
specific　cause　of　his　dislike　of　the　scene。

Most　of　the　people　on　the　sand　were　in　bathing…dress；　but　there　were　a
multitude　of　others　who　had　apparently　come　for　the　sea…air　and　not　the
sea…bathing。　　A　mother　sat　with　a　sick　child　on　her　knees；　babies　were
cradled　in　the　sand　asleep；　and　people　walked　carefully　round　and　over
them。　　There　were　everywhere　a　great　many　poor　mothers　and　children；　who
seemed　getting　the　most　of　the　good　that　was　going。




VI。

But　upon　the　whole；　though　I　drove　away　from　the　beach　celebrating　the
good　temper　and　the　good　order　of　the　scene　to　an　applausive　driver；　I
have　since　thought　of　it　as　rather　melancholy。　　It　was　in　fact　no　wiser
or　livelier　than　a　society　function　in　the　means　of　enjoyment　it
afforded。　　The　best　thing　about　it　was　that　it　left　the　guests　very　much
to　their　own　devices。　　The　established　pleasures　were　clumsy　and
tiresome…looking；　but　one　could　eschew　them。　　The　more　of　them　one
eschewed；　the　merrier　perhaps；　for　I　doubt　if　the　race　is　formed　for　much
pleasure；　and　even　a　day's　rest　is　more　than　most　people　can　bear。　　They
endure　it　in　passing；　but　they　get　home　weary　and　cross；　even　after　a
twenty…mile　run　on　the　wheel。　　The　road；　by…the…by；　was　full　of　homeward
wheels　by　this　time；　single　and　double　and　tandem；　and　my　driver
professed　that　their　multitude　greatly　increased　the　difficulties　of　his
profession。






SAWDUST　IN　THE　ARENA

It　was　in　the　old　Roman　arena　of　beautiful　Verona　that　the　circus　events
I　wish　to　speak　of　took　place；　in　fact；　I　had　the　honor　and　profit　of
seeing　two　circuses　there。　　Or；　strictly　speaking；　it　was　one　entire
circus　that　I　saw；　and　the　unique　speciality　of　another；　the　dying　glory
of　a　circus　on　its　last　legs；　the　triumphal　fall　of　a　circus　superb　in
adversity。




I。

The　entire　circus　was　altogether　Italian；　with　the　exception　of　the
clowns；　who；　to　the　credit　of　our　nation；　are　always　Americans；　or
advertised　as　such；　in　Italy。　　Its　chief　and　almost　absorbing　event　was　a
reproduction　of　the　tournament　which　had　then　lately　been　held　at　Rome　in
celebration　of　Prince　Tommaso's　coming　of　age；　and　for　a　copy　of　a　copy
it　was　really　fine。　　It　had　fitness　in　the　arena；　which　must　have
witnessed　many　such　mediaeval　shows　in　their　time；　and　I　am　sensible
still　of　the　pleasure　its　effects　of　color　gave　me。　　There　was　one
beautiful　woman；　a　red　blonde　in　a　green　velvet　gown；　who　might　have
ridden；　as　she　was；　out　of　a　canvas　of　Titian's；　if　he　had　ever　painted
equestrian　pictures；　and　who　at　any　rate　was　an　excellent　Carpaccio。
Then；　the　'Clowns　Americani'　were　very　amusing；　from　a　platform　devoted
solely　to　them；　and　it　was　a　source　of　pride　if　not　of　joy　with　me　to
think　that　we　were　almost　the　only　people　present　who　understood　their
jokes。　　In　the　vast　oval　of　the　arena；　however；　the　circus　ring　looked
very　little；　not　half　so　large；　say；　as　the　rim　of　a　lady's　hat　in　front
of　you　at　the　play；　and　on　the　gradines　of　the　ancient　amphitheatre　we
were　all　such　a　great　way　off　that　a　good　field…glass　would　have　been
needed　to　distinguish　the　features　of　the　actors。　　I　could　not　make　out；
therefore；　whether　the　'Clowns　Americani'　had　the　national　expression　or
not；　but　one　of　them；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　spoke　the　United　States　language
with　a　cockney　accent。　　I　suspect　that　he　was　an　Englishman　who　had
passed　himself　off　upon　the　Italian　management　as　a　true　Yankee；　and　who
had　formed　himself　upon　our　school　of　clowning；　just　as　some　of　the
recent　English　humorists　have　patterned　after　certain　famous　wits　of
ours。　　I　do　not　know　that　I　would　have　exposed　this　impostor；　even　if
occasion　had　offered；　for；　after　all；　his　fraud　was　a　tribute　to　our　own
primacy　in　clowning；　and　the　Veronese　were　none　the　worse　for　his　erring
aspirates。

The　audience　was　for　me　the　best　part　of　the　spectacle；　as　the　audience
always　is　in　Italy；　and　I　indulged　my　fancy　in　some　cheap　excursions
concerning　the　place　and　people。　　I　reflected　that　it　was　the　same　race
essentially　as　that　which　used　to　watch　the　gladiatorial　shows　in　that
arena　when　it　was　new；　and　that　very　possibly　there　were　among　these
spectators　persons　of　the　same　blood　as　those　Veronese　patricians　who　had
left　their　names　carved　on　the　front　of　the　gradines　in　places；　to　claim
this　or　that　seat　for　their　own。　　In　fact；　there　was　so　little
difference；　probably；　in　their　qualities；　from　that　time　to　this；　that　I
felt　the　process　of　the　generations　to　be　a　sort　of　impertinence；　and　if
Nature　had　been　present；　I　might　very　well　have　asked　her　why；　when　she
had　once　arrived　at　a　given　expression　of　humanity；　she　must　go　on
repeating　it　indefinitely？　　How　were　all　those　similar　souls　to　know
themselves　apart　in　their　common　eternity？　　Merely　to　have　been
differently　circumstanced　in　time　did　not　seem　enough；　and　I　think　Nature
would　have　been　puzzled　to　answer　me。　　But　perhaps　not；　she　may　have　had
her　reasons；　as　that　you　cannot　have　too　much　of　a　good　thing；　and　that
when　the　type　was　so　fine　in　most　respects　as　the　Italian　you　could　not
do　better　than　go　on　repeating　impressions　from　it。

Certainly　I　myself　could　have　wished　no　variation　from　it　in　the　young
officer　of　'bersaglieri'；　who　had　come　down　from　antiquity　to　the　topmost
gradine　of　the　arena　over　against　me；　and　stood　there　defined　against　the
clear　evening　sky；　one　hand　on　his　hip；　and　the　other　at　his　side；　while
his　thin　cockerel　plumes　streamed　in　the　light　wind。　　I　have　since
wondered　if　he　knew　how　beautiful　he　was；　and　I　am　sure　that；　if　he　did
not；　all　the　women　there　did；　and　that　was　doubtless　enough　for　the　young
officer　of　'bersaglieri'。




II。

I　think　that　he　was　preliminary　to　the　sole　event　of　that　partial　circus
I　have　mentioned。　　This　event　was　one　that　I　have　often　witnessed
elsewhere；　but　never　in　such　noble　and　worthy　keeping。　　The　top　of　the
outer　arena　wall　must　itself　be　fifty　feet　high；　and　the　pole　in　the
centre　of　its　oval　seemed　to　rise　fifty　feet　higher　yet。　　At　its　base　an
immense　net　was　stretched；　and　a　man　in　a　Prince　Albert　coat　and　a　derby
hat　was　figuring　about；　anxiously　directing　the　workmen　who　were　fixing
the　guy…ropes；　and　testing　every　particular　of　the　preparation　with　his
own　hands。　　While　this　went　on；　a　young　girl　ran　out　into　the　arena；　and；
after　a　bow　to　the　spectators；　quickly　mounted　to　the　top　of　the　pole；
where　she　presently　stood　in　statuesque　beauty　that　took　all　eyes　even
from　the　loveliness　of　the　officer　of　'bersaglieri'。　　There　the　man　in
the　Prince　Albert　coat　and　the　derby　hat　stepped　back　from　the　net　and
looked　up　at　her。

She　called　down；　in　English　that　sounded　like　some　delocalized；
denaturalized　speech；　it　was　so　strange　then　and　there；　〃Is　it　all
right？〃

He　shouted　back　in　the　same　alienated　tongue；　〃Yes；　keep　to　the　left；〃
and　she　dived　straight　downward　in　the　long　plunge；　till；　just　before　she
reached　the　net；　she　turned　a　quick　somersault　into　its　elastic　mesh。

It　was　all　so　exquisitely　graceful　that　one　forgot　how　wickedly　dangerous
it　was；　but　I　think　that　the　brief　English　colloquy　was　the　great　wonder
of　the　event　for　me；　and　I　doubt　if　I　could　ever　have　been　perfectly
happy　again；　if　chance　had　not　amiably　suffered　me　to　satisfy　my
curiosity　concerning　the　speakers。　　A　few　evenings　after　that；　I　was　at
that　copy　of　a　copy　of　a　tournament；　and；　a　few　gradines　below　me；　I　saw
the　man　of　the　Prince　Albert　coat　and　the　derby　hat。　　I　had　already　made
up　my　mind　that　he　was　an　American；　for　I　supposed　that　an　Englishman
would　rather　perish　than　wear　such　a　coat　with　such　a　hat；　and　as　I　had
wished　all　my　life　to　speak　to　a　circus…man；　I　went　down　and　boldly
accosted　him。　　〃Are　you　a　brother　Yankee？〃　　I　asked；　and　he　laughed；　and
confessed　that　he　was　an　Englishman；　but　he　said　he　was　glad　to　meet　any
one　who　spoke　English；　and　he　made　a　place　for　me　by　his　side。　　He　was
very　willing　to　tell　how　he　happened　to　be　there；　and　he　explained　that
he　was　the　manager　of　a　circus；　which　had　been　playing　to　very　good
business　all　winter　in　Spain。　　In　an　evil　hour　he　decided　to　come　to
Italy；　but　he　found　the　prices　so　ruinously　low　that　he　was　forced　to
disband　his　company。　　This　diving　girl　was　all　that　remained　to　him　of
its　many　attractions；　and　he　was　trying