within the tides-第8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！




found　him　there　and；　closing　the　parasol；　leaned　over　by　his　side



with　a　remark　on　the　increasing　heat　of　the　season。　　Renouard



assented　and　changed　his　position　a　little；　the　other；　after　a



short　silence；　administered　unexpectedly　a　question　which；　like　the



blow　of　a　club　on　the　head；　deprived　Renouard　of　the　power　of



speech　and　even　thought；　but；　more　cruel；　left　him　quivering　with



apprehension；　not　of　death　but　of　everlasting　torment。　　Yet　the



words　were　extremely　simple。







〃Something　will　have　to　be　done　soon。　　We　can't　remain　in　a　state



of　suspended　expectation　for　ever。　　Tell　me　what　do　you　think　of



our　chances？〃







Renouard；　speechless；　produced　a　faint　smile。　　The　professor



confessed　in　a　jocular　tone　his　impatience　to　complete　the　circuit



of　the　globe　and　be　done　with　it。　　It　was　impossible　to　remain



quartered　on　the　dear　excellent　Dunsters　for　an　indefinite　time。



And　then　there　were　the　lectures　he　had　arranged　to　deliver　in



Paris。　　A　serious　matter。







That　lectures　by　Professor　Moorsom　were　a　European　event　and　that



brilliant　audiences　would　gather　to　hear　them　Renouard　did　not



know。　　All　he　was　aware　of　was　the　shock　of　this　hint　of　departure。



The　menace　of　separation　fell　on　his　head　like　a　thunderbolt。　　And



he　saw　the　absurdity　of　his　emotion；　for　hadn't　he　lived　all　these



days　under　the　very　cloud？　　The　professor；　his　elbows　spread　out；



looked　down　into　the　garden　and　went　on　unburdening　his　mind。　　Yes。



The　department　of　sentiment　was　directed　by　his　daughter；　and　she



had　plenty　of　volunteered　moral　support；　but　he　had　to　look　after



the　practical　side　of　life　without　assistance。







〃I　have　the　less　hesitation　in　speaking　to　you　about　my　anxiety；



because　I　feel　you　are　friendly　to　us　and　at　the　same　time　you　are



detached　from　all　these　sublimities　…　confound　them。〃







〃What　do　you　mean？〃　murmured　Renouard。







〃I　mean　that　you　are　capable　of　calm　judgment。　　Here　the　atmosphere



is　simply　detestable。　　Everybody　has　knuckled　under　to　sentiment。



Perhaps　your　deliberate　opinion　could　influence　。　。　。〃







〃You　want　Miss　Moorsom　to　give　it　up？〃　　The　professor　turned　to　the



young　man　dismally。







〃Heaven　only　knows　what　I　want。〃







Renouard　leaning　his　back　against　the　balustrade　folded　his　arms　on



his　breast；　appeared　to　meditate　profoundly。　　His　face；　shaded



softly　by　the　broad　brim　of　a　planter's　Panama　hat；　with　the



straight　line　of　the　nose　level　with　the　forehead；　the　eyes　lost　in



the　depth　of　the　setting；　and　the　chin　well　forward；　had　such　a



profile　as　may　be　seen　amongst　the　bronzes　of　classical　museums；



pure　under　a　crested　helmet　…　recalled　vaguely　a　Minerva's　head。







〃This　is　the　most　troublesome　time　I　ever　had　in　my　life；〃



exclaimed　the　professor　testily。







〃Surely　the　man　must　be　worth　it；〃　muttered　Renouard　with　a　pang　of



jealousy　traversing　his　breast　like　a　self…inflicted　stab。







Whether　enervated　by　the　heat　or　giving　way　to　pent　up　irritation



the　professor　surrendered　himself　to　the　mood　of　sincerity。







〃He　began　by　being　a　pleasantly　dull　boy。　　He　developed　into　a



pointlessly　clever　young　man；　without；　I　suspect；　ever　trying　to



understand　anything。　　My　daughter　knew　him　from　childhood。　　I　am　a



busy　man；　and　I　confess　that　their　engagement　was　a　complete



surprise　to　me。　　I　wish　their　reasons　for　that　step　had　been　more



naive。　　But　simplicity　was　out　of　fashion　in　their　set。　　From　a



worldly　point　of　view　he　seems　to　have　been　a　mere　baby。　　Of



course；　now；　I　am　assured　that　he　is　the　victim　of　his　noble



confidence　in　the　rectitude　of　his　kind。　　But　that's　mere



idealising　of　a　sad　reality。　　For　my　part　I　will　tell　you　that　from



the　very　beginning　I　had　the　gravest　doubts　of　his　dishonesty。



Unfortunately　my　clever　daughter　hadn't。　　And　now　we　behold　the



reaction。　　No。　　To　be　earnestly　dishonest　one　must　be　really　poor。



This　was　only　a　manifestation　of　his　extremely　refined　cleverness。



The　complicated　simpleton。　　He　had　an　awful　awakening　though。〃







In　such　words　did　Professor　Moorsom　give　his　〃young　friend〃　to



understand　the　state　of　his　feelings　toward　the　lost　man。　　It　was



evident　that　the　father　of　Miss　Moorsom　wished　him　to　remain　lost。



Perhaps　the　unprecedented　heat　of　the　season　made　him　long　for　the



cool　spaces　of　the　Pacific；　the　sweep　of　the　ocean's　free　wind



along　the　promenade　decks；　cumbered　with　long　chairs；　of　a　ship



steaming　towards　the　Californian　coast。　　To　Renouard　the



philosopher　appeared　simply　the　most　treacherous　of　fathers。　　He



was　amazed。　　But　he　was　not　at　the　end　of　his　discoveries。







〃He　may　be　dead；〃　the　professor　murmured。







〃Why？　　People　don't　die　here　sooner　than　in　Europe。　　If　he　had　gone



to　hide　in　Italy；　for　instance；　you　wouldn't　think　of　saying　that。〃







〃Well！　　And　suppose　he　has　become　morally　disintegrated。　　You　know



he　was　not　a　strong　personality；〃　the　professor　suggested　moodily。



〃My　daughter's　future　is　in　question　here。〃







Renouard　thought　that　the　love　of　such　a　woman　was　enough　to　pull



any　broken　man　together　…　to　drag　a　man　out　of　his　grave。　　And　he



thought　this　with　inward　despair；　which　kept　him　silent　as　much



almost　as　his　astonishment。　　At　last　he　managed　to　stammer　out　a



generous　…







〃Oh！　　Don't　let　us　even　suppose。　。　。〃







The　professor　struck　in　with　a　sadder　accent　than　before　…







〃It's　good　to　be　young。　　And　then　you　have　been　a　man　of　action；



and　necessarily　a　believer　in　success。　　But　I　have　been　looking　too



long　at　life　not　to　distrust　its　surprises。　　Age！　　Age！　　Here　I



stand　before　you　a　man　full　of　doubts　and　hesitation　…　SPE　LENTUS；



TIMIDUS　FUTURI。〃







He　made　a　sign　to　Renouard　not　to　interrupt；　and　in　a　lowered



voice；　as　if　afraid　of　being　overheard；　even　there；　in　the　solitude



of　the　terrace　…







〃And　the　worst　is　that　I　am　not　even　sure　how　far　this　sentimental



pilgrimage　is　genuine。　　Yes。　　I　doubt　my　own　child。　　It's　true　that



she's　a　woman。　。　。　。　〃







Renouard　detected　with　horror　a　tone　of　resentment；　as　if　the



professor　had　never　forgiven　his　daughter　for　not　dying　instead　of



his　son。　　The　latter　noticed　the　young　man's　stony　stare。







〃Ah！　you　don't　understand。　　Yes；　she's　clever；　open…minded；



popular；　and　…　well；　charming。　　But　you　don't　know　what　it　is　to



have　moved；　breathed；　existed；　and　even　triumphed　in　the　mere



smother　and　froth　of　life　…　the　brilliant　froth。　　There　thoughts；



sentiments；　opinions；　feelings；　actions　too；　are　nothing　but



agitation　in　empty　space　…　to　amuse　life　…　a　sort　of　superior



debauchery；　exciting　and　fatiguing；　meaning　nothing；　leading



nowhere。　　She　is　the　creature　of　that　circle。　　And　I　ask　myself　if



she　is　obeying　the　uneasiness　of　an　instinct　seeking　its



satisfaction；　or　is　it　a　revulsion　of　feeling；　or　is　she　merely



deceiving　her　own　heart　by　this　dangerous　trifling　with　romantic



images。　　And　everything　is　possible　…　except　sincerity；　such　as



only　stark；　struggling　humanity　can　know。　　No　woman　can　stand　that



mode　of　life　in　which　women　rule；　and　remain　a　perfectly　genuine；



simple　human　being。　　Ah！　　There's　some　people　coming　out。〃







He　moved　off　a　pace；　then　turning　his　head：　　〃Upon　my　word！　　I



would　be　infinitely　obliged　to　you　if　you　could　throw　a　little　cold



water。　。　。　〃　and　at　a　vaguely　dismayed　gesture　of　Renouard；　he



added：　　〃Don't　be　afraid。　　You　wouldn't　be　putting　out　a　sacred



fire。〃







Renouard　could　hardly　find　words　for　a　protest：　　〃I　assure　you　that



I　never　talk　with　Miss　Moorsom　…　on　…　on　…　that。　　And　if　you；　her



father　。　。　。　〃







〃I　envy　you　your　innocence；〃　sighed　the　professor。　　〃A　father　is



only　an　everyday　person。　　Flat。　　Stale。　　Moreover；　my　child　would



naturally　mistrust　me。　　We　belong　to　the　same　set。　　Whereas　you



carry　with　you　the　prestige　of　the　unknown。　　You　have　proved



yourself　to　be　a　force。〃







Thereupon　the　professor　followed　by　Renouard　joined　the　circle　of



all　the　inmates　of　the　house　assembled　at　the　other　end　of　the



terrace　about　a　tea…table；　three　white　heads　and　that　resplendent



vision　of　woman's　glory；　the　sight　of　which　had　the　power　to



flutter　his　heart　like　a　reminder　of　the　mortality　of　his　frame。







He　avoided　the　seat　by　the　side　of　Miss　Moorsom。　　The　others　were



talking　together　languidly。　　Unnoticed　he　looked　at　that　woman　so



marvellous　that　centuries　seemed　to　lie　between　them。　　He　was



oppressed　and　overcome　at　the　thought　of　what　she　could　give　to



some　man　who　really　would　be　a　force！　　What　a　glorious　struggle



with　this　amazon。　　What　noble　burden　for　the　victorious　strength。







Dear　old　Mrs。　Dunster　was　dispensing　tea；　looking　from　time　to　time



with　interest　towards　Miss　Mo