eugene pickering-第5节

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idea　of　my　marriage　has　ceased　to　be　a　novelty；　and　I　have

contemplated　it　mentally　in　every　possible　light。　　I　fear　nothing

from　that　side；　but　I　do　fear　something　from　conscience。　　I　want　my

hands　tied。　　Will　you　do　me　a　favour？　　Pick　up　the　letter；　put　it

into　your　pocket；　and　keep　it　till　I　ask　you　for　it。　　When　I　do；　you

may　know　that　I　am　at　my　rope's　end。〃



I　took　the　letter；　smiling。　　〃And　how　long　is　your　rope　to　be？　　The

Homburg　season　doesn't　last　for　ever。〃



〃Does　it　last　a　month？　　Let　that　be　my　season！　　A　month　hence　you

will　give　it　back　to　me。〃



〃To…morrow　if　you　say　so。　　Meanwhile；　let　it　rest　in　peace！〃　　And　I

consigned　it　to　the　most　sacred　interstice　of　my　pocket…book。　　To　say

that　I　was　disposed　to　humour　the　poor　fellow　would　seem　to　be　saying

that　I　thought　his　request　fantastic。　　It　was　his　situation；　by　no

fault　of　his　own；　that　was　fantastic；　and　he　was　only　trying　to　be

natural。　　He　watched　me　put　away　the　letter；　and　when　it　had

disappeared　gave　a　soft　sigh　of　relief。　　The　sigh　was　natural；　and

yet　it　set　me　thinking。　　His　general　recoil　from　an　immediate

responsibility　imposed　by　others　might　be　wholesome　enough；　but　if

there　was　an　old　grievance　on　one　side；　was　there　not　possibly　a　new…

born　delusion　on　the　other？　　It　would　be　unkind　to　withhold　a

reflection　that　might　serve　as　a　warning；　so　I　told　him；　abruptly；

that　I　had　been　an　undiscovered　spectator；　the　night　before；　of　his

exploits　at　roulette。



He　blushed　deeply；　but　he　met　my　eyes　with　the　same　clear　good…

humour。



〃Ah；　then；　you　saw　that　wonderful　lady？〃



〃Wonderful　she　was　indeed。　　I　saw　her　afterwards；　too；　sitting　on　the

terrace　in　the　starlight。　　I　imagine　she　was　not　alone。〃



〃No；　indeed；　I　was　with　herfor　nearly　an　hour。　　Then　I　walked　home

with　her。〃



〃Ah！　　And　did　you　go　in？〃



〃No；　she　said　it　was　too　late　to　ask　me；　though　she　remarked　that　in

a　general　way　she　did　not　stand　upon　ceremony。〃



〃She　did　herself　injustice。　　When　it　came　to　losing　your　money　for

you；　she　made　you　insist。〃



〃Ah；　you　noticed　that　too？〃　cried　Pickering；　still　quite　unconfused。

〃I　felt　as　if　the　whole　table　were　staring　at　me；　but　her　manner　was

so　gracious　and　reassuring　that　I　supposed　she　was　doing　nothing

unusual。　　She　confessed；　however；　afterwards；　that　she　is　very

eccentric。　　The　world　began　to　call　her　so；　she　said；　before　she　ever

dreamed　of　it；　and　at　last　finding　that　she　had　the　reputation；　in

spite　of　herself；　she　resolved　to　enjoy　its　privileges。　　Now；　she

does　what　she　chooses。〃



〃In　other　words；　she　is　a　lady　with　no　reputation　to　lose！〃



Pickering　seemed　puzzled；　he　smiled　a　little。　〃Is　not　that　what　you

say　of　bad　women？〃



〃Of　someof　those　who　are　found　out。〃



〃Well；〃　he　said；　still　smiling；　〃I　have　not　yet　found　out　Madame

Blumenthal。〃



〃If　that's　her　name；　I　suppose　she's　German。〃



〃Yes；　but　she　speaks　English　so　well　that　you　wouldn't　know　it。　　She

is　very　clever。　　Her　husband　is　dead。〃



I　laughed　involuntarily　at　the　conjunction　of　these　facts；　and

Pickering's　clear　glance　seemed　to　question　my　mirth。　　〃You　have　been

so　bluntly　frank　with　me；〃　I　said；　〃that　I　too　must　be　frank。　　Tell

me；　if　you　can；　whether　this　clever　Madame　Blumenthal；　whose　husband

is　dead；　has　given　a　point　to　your　desire　for　a　suspension　of

communication　with　Smyrna。〃



He　seemed　to　ponder　my　question；　unshrinkingly。　　〃I　think　not；〃　he

said；　at　last。　　〃I　have　had　the　desire　for　three　months；　I　have　known

Madame　Blumenthal　for　less　than　twenty…four　hours。〃



〃Very　true。　　But　when　you　found　this　letter　of　yours　on　your　place　at

breakfast；　did　you　seem　for　a　moment　to　see　Madame　Blumenthal　sitting

opposite？〃



〃Opposite？〃



〃Opposite；　my　dear　fellow；　or　anywhere　in　the　neighbourhood。　　In　a

word；　does　she　interest　you？〃



〃Very　much！〃　he　cried；　joyously。



〃Amen！〃　I　answered；　jumping　up　with　a　laugh。　　〃And　now；　if　we　are　to

see　the　world　in　a　month；　there　is　no　time　to　lose。　　Let　us　begin

with　the　Hardtwald。〃



Pickering　rose；　and　we　strolled　away　into　the　forest；　talking　of

lighter　things。　　At　last　we　reached　the　edge　of　the　wood；　sat　down　on

a　fallen　log；　and　looked　out　across　an　interval　of　meadow　at　the　long

wooded　waves　of　the　Taunus。　　What　my　friend　was　thinking　of　I　can't

say；　I　was　meditating　on　his　queer　biography；　and　letting　my

wonderment　wander　away　to　Smyrna。　　Suddenly　I　remembered　that　he

possessed　a　portrait　of　the　young　girl　who　was　waiting　for　him　there

in　a　white…walled　garden。　　I　asked　him　if　he　had　it　with　him。　　He

said　nothing；　but　gravely　took　out　his　pocket…book　and　drew　forth　a

small　photograph。　　It　represented；　as　the　poet　says；　a　simple　maiden

in　her　flowera　slight　young　girl；　with　a　certain　childish　roundness

of　contour。　　There　was　no　ease　in　her　posture；　she　was　standing；

stiffly　and　shyly；　for　her　likeness；　she　wore　a　short…waisted　white

dress；　her　arms　hung　at　her　sides　and　her　hands　were　clasped　in

front；　her　head　was　bent　downward　a　little；　and　her　dark　eyes　fixed。

But　her　awkwardness　was　as　pretty　as　that　of　some　angular　seraph　in　a

mediaeval　carving；　and　in　her　timid　gaze　there　seemed　to　lurk　the

questioning　gleam　of　childhood。　　〃What　is　this　for？〃　her　charming

eyes　appeared　to　ask；　〃why　have　I　been　dressed　up　for　this　ceremony

in　a　white　frock　and　amber　beads？〃



〃Gracious　powers！〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃what　an　enchanting　thing　is

innocence！〃



〃That　portrait　was　taken　a　year　and　a　half　ago；〃　said　Pickering；　as

if　with　an　effort　to　be　perfectly　just。　　〃By　this　time；　I　suppose；

she　looks　a　little　wiser。〃



〃Not　much；　I　hope；〃　I　said；　as　I　gave　it　back。　　〃She　is　very　sweet！〃



〃Yes；　poor　girl；　she　is　very　sweetno　doubt！〃　　And　he　put　the　thing

away　without　looking　at　it。



We　were　silent　for　some　moments。　　At　last；　abruptly〃My　dear

fellow；〃　I　said；　〃I　should　take　some　satisfaction　in　seeing　you

immediately　leave　Homburg。〃



〃Immediately？〃



〃To…dayas　soon　as　you　can　get　ready。〃



He　looked　at　me；　surprised；　and　little　by　little　he　blushed。　　〃There

is　something　I　have　not　told　you；〃　he　said；　〃something　that　your

saying　that　Madame　Blumenthal　has　no　reputation　to　lose　has　made　me

half　afraid　to　tell　you。〃



〃I　think　I　can　guess　it。　　Madame　Blumenthal　has　asked　you　to　come　and

play　her　game　for　her　again。〃



〃Not　at　all！〃　cried　Pickering；　with　a　smile　of　triumph。　　〃She　says

that　she　means　to　play　no　more　for　the　present。　　She　has　asked　me　to

come　and　take　tea　with　her　this　evening。〃



〃Ah；　then；〃　I　said；　very　gravely；　〃of　course　you　can't　leave

Homburg。〃



He　answered　nothing；　but　looked　askance　at　me；　as　if　he　were

expecting　me　to　laugh。　　〃Urge　it　strongly；〃　he　said　in　a　moment。

〃Say　it's　my　dutythat　I　MUST。〃



I　didn't　quite　understand　him；　but；　feathering　the　shaft　with　a

harmless　expletive；　I　told　him　that　unless　he　followed　my　advice　I

would　never　speak　to　him　again。



He　got　up；　stood　before　me；　and　struck　the　ground　with　his　stick。

〃Good！〃　he　cried；　〃I　wanted　an　occasion　to　break　a　ruleto　leap　a

barrier。　　Here　it　is。　　I　stay！〃



I　made　him　a　mock　bow　for　his　energy。　　〃That's　very　fine；〃　I　said；

〃but　now；　to　put　you　in　a　proper　mood　for　Madame　Blumenthal's　tea；　we

will　go　and　listen　to　the　band　play　Schubert　under　the　lindens。〃　　And

we　walked　back　through　the　woods。



I　went　to　see　Pickering　the　next　day；　at　his　inn；　and　on　knocking；　as

directed；　at　his　door；　was　surprised　to　hear　the　sound　of　a　loud

voice　within。　　My　knock　remained　unnoticed；　so　I　presently　introduced

myself。　　I　found　no　company；　but　I　discovered　my　friend　walking　up

and　down　the　room　and　apparently　declaiming　to　himself　from　a　little

volume　bound　in　white　vellum。　　He　greeted　me　heartily；　threw　his　book

on　the　table；　and　said　that　he　was　taking　a　German　lesson。



〃And　who　is　your　teacher？〃　I　asked；　glancing　at　the　book。



He　rather　avoided　meeting　my　eye；　as　he　answered；　after　an　instant's

delay；　〃Madame　Blumenthal。〃



〃Indeed！　　Has　she　written　a　grammar？〃



〃It's　not　a　grammar；　it's　a　tragedy。〃　　And　he　handed　me　the　book。



I　opened　it；　and　beheld；　in　delicate　type；　with　a　very　large　margin；

an　Historisches　Trauerspiel　in　five　acts；　entitled　〃Cleopatra。〃

There　were　a　great　many　marginal　corrections　and　annotations；

apparently　from　the　author's　hand；　the　speeches　were　very　long；　and

there　was　an　inordinate　number　of　soliloquies　by　the　heroine。　　One　of

them；　I　remember；　towards　the　end　of　the　play；　began　in　this　fashion

…



〃What；　after　all；　is　life　but　sensation；　and　sensation　but

deception？reality　that　pales　before　the　light　of　one's　dreams　as

Octavia's　dull　beauty　fades　beside　mine？　　But　let　me　believe　in　some

intenser　bliss；　and　seek　it　in　the　arms　of　death！〃



〃It　seems　decidedly　passionate；〃　I　said。　　〃Has　the　tragedy　ever　been

acted？〃



〃Never　in　public；　but　Madame　Blumenthal　tells　me　that　she　had　it