fraternity-第39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！



'How　dreadful　this　is！'　Cecilia　thought。　　'I　never　expected　him　to　feel　it；　and　yet　I　can　do　nothing！'　　Hastily　she　asked：　〃Would　it　do　if　you　had　Thyme　to　copy　for　you？　　I'm　sure　she'd　love　to　come。〃

〃She　is　my　grand…daughter；〃　Mr。　Stone　said　simply。　　〃It　would　not　be　the　same。〃

Cecilia　could　think　of　nothing　now　to　say　but：　〃Would　you　like　to　wash　your　hands；　dear？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Stone。

〃Then　will　you　go　up　to　Stephen's　dressing…room　for　hot　water；　or　will　you　wash　them　in　the　lavatory？〃

〃In　the　lavatory；〃　said　Mr。　Stone。　　〃I　shall　be　freer　there。〃

When　he　had　gone　Cecilia　thought：　'Oh　dear；　how　shall　I　get　through　the　evening？　　Poor　darling；　he　is　so　single…minded！'

At　the　sounding　of　the　dinner…gong　they　all　assembledThyme　from　her　bedroom　with　cheeks　and　eyes　still　pink；　Stephen　with　veiled　inquiry　in　his　glance；　Mr。　Stone　from　freedom　in　the　lavatoryand　sat　down；　screened；　but　so　very　little；　from　each　other　by　sprays　of　white　lilac。　　Looking　round　her　table；　Cecilia　felt　rather　like　one　watching　a　dew…belled　cobweb；　most　delicate　of　all　things　in　the　world；　menaced　by　the　tongue　of　a　browsing　cow。

Both　soup　and　fish　had　been　achieved；　however；　before　a　word　was　spoken。　　It　was　Stephen　who；　after　taking　a　mouthful　of　dry　sherry；　broke　the　silence。

〃How　are　you　getting　on　with　your　book；　sir？〃

Cecilia　heard　that　question　with　something　like　dismay。　　It　was　so　bald；　for；　however　inconvenient　Mr。　Stone's　absorption　in　his　manuscript　might　be；　her　delicacy　told　her　how　precious　beyond　life　itself　that　book　was　to　him。　　To　her　relief；　however；　her　father　was　eating　spinach。

〃You　must　be　getting　near　the　end；　I　should　think；〃　proceeded　Stephen。

Cecilia　spoke　hastily：　〃Isn't　this　white　lilac　lovely；　Dad？〃

Mr。　Stone　looked　up。

〃It　is　not　white；　it　is　really　pink。　　The　test　is　simple。〃　　He　paused　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　lilac。

'Ah！'　thought　Cecilia；　'now；　if　I　can　only　keep　him　on　natural　science　he　used　to　be　so　interesting。'

〃All　flowers　are　one！〃　said　Mr。　Stone。　　His　voice　had　changed。

'Oh！'　thought　Cecilia；　'he　is　gone！'

〃They　have　but　a　single　soul。　　In　those　days　men　divided；　and　subdivided　them；　oblivious　of　the　one　pale　spirit　which　underlay　those　seemingly　separate　forms。〃

Cecilia's　glance　passed　swiftly　from　the　manservant　to　Stephen。

She　saw　one　of　her　husband's　eyes　rise　visibly。　　Stephen　did　so　hate　one　thing　to　be　confounded　with　another。

〃Oh；　come；　sir；〃　she　heard　him　say；　〃you　don't　surely　tell　us　that　dandelions　and　roses　have　the　same　pale　spirit！〃

Mr。　Stone　looked　at　him　wistfully。

〃Did　I　say　that？〃　　he　said。　　〃I　had　no　wish　to　be　dogmatic。〃

〃Not　at　all；　sir；　not　at　all；〃　murmured　Stephen。

Thyme；　leaning　over　to　her　mother；　whispered　〃Oh；　Mother；　don't　let　grandfather　be　queer；　I　can't　bear　it　to…night！〃

Cecilia；　at　her　wits'　end；　said　hurriedly：

〃Dad；　will　you　tell　us　what　sort　of　character　you　think　that　little　girl　who　comes　to　you　has？〃

Mr。　Stone　paused　in　the　act　of　drinking　water；　his　attention　had　evidently　been　riveted；　he　did　not；　however；　speak。　　And　Cecilia；　seeing　that　the　butler；　out　of　the　perversity　which　she　found　so　conspicuous　in　her　servants；　was　about　to　hand　him　beef；　made　a　desperate　movement　with　her　lips。　　〃No；　Charles；　not　there；　not　there！〃

The　butler；　tightening　his　lips；　passed　on。　　Mr。　Stone　spoke：

〃I　had　not　considered　that。　　She　is　rather　of　a　Celtic　than　an　Anglo…　Saxon　type；　the　cheekbones　are　prominent；　the　jaw　is　not　massive；　the　head　is　broadif　I　can　remember　I　will　measure　it；　the　eyes　are　of　a　peculiar　blue；　resembling　chicory　flowers；　the　mouth…；　Mr。　Stone　paused。

Cecilia　thought：　'What　a　lucky　find！　　Now　perhaps　he　will　go　on　all　right！'

〃I　do　not　know；〃　Mr。　Stone　resumed；　speaking　in　a　far…off　voice；　〃whether　she　would　be　virtuous。〃

Cecilia　heard　Stephen　drinking　sherry；　Thyme；　too；　was　drinking　something；　she　herself　drank　nothing；　but；　pink　and　quiet；　for　she　was　a　well…bred　woman；　said：

〃You　have　no　new　potatoes；　dear。　　Charles；　give　Mr。　Stone　some　new　potatoes。〃

By　the　almost　vindictive　expression　on　Stephen's　face　she　saw；　however；　that　her　failure　had　decided　him　to　resume　command　of　the　situation。　　〃Talking　of　brotherhood；　sir；〃　he　said　dryly；　〃would　you　go　so　far　as　to　say　that　a　new　potato　is　the　brother　of　a　bean？〃

Mr。　Stone；　on　whose　plate　these　two　vegetables　reposed；　looked　almost　painfully　confused。

〃I　do　not　perceive；〃　he　stammered；　〃any　difference　between　them。〃

〃It's　true；〃　said　Stephen；　〃the　same　pale　spirit　can　be　extracted　from　them　both。〃

Mr。　Stone　looked　up　at　him。

〃You　laugh　at　me；〃　he　said。　　〃I　cannot　help　it；　but　you　must　not　laugh　at　lifethat　is　blasphemy。〃

Before　the　piercing　wistfulness　of　that　sudden　gaze　Stephen　was　abashed。　　Cecilia　saw　him　bite　his　lower　lip。

〃We're　talking　too　much；〃　he　said；　〃we　really　must　let　your　father　eat！〃　　And　the　rest　of　the　dinner　was　achieved　in　silence。

When　Mr。　Stone；　refusing　to　be　accompanied；　had　taken　his　departure；　and　Thyme　had　gone　to　bed；　Stephen　withdrew　to　his　study。　　This　room；　which　had　a　different　air　from　any　other　portion　of　the　house；　was　sacred　to　his　private　life。　　Here；　in　specially　designed　compartments；　he　kept　his　golf　clubs；　pipes；　and　papers。　　Nothing　was　touched　by　anyone　except　himself；　and　twice　a　week　by　one　particular　housemaid。　　Here　was　no　bust　of　Socrates；　no　books　in　deerskin　bindings；　but　a　bookcase　filled　with　treatises　on　law；　Blue　Books；　reviews；　and　the　novels　of　Sir　Walter　Scott；　two　black　oak　cabinets　stood　side　by　side　against　the　wall　filled　with　small　drawers。　　When　these　cabinets　were　opened　and　the　drawers　drawn　forward　there　emerged　a　scent　of　metal　polish。　　If　the　green…baize　covers　of　the　drawers　were　lifted；　there　were　seen　coins；　carefully　arranged　with　labelsas　one　may　see　plants　growing　in　rows；　each　with　its　little　name　tied　on。　　To　these　tidy　rows　of　shining　metal　discs　Stephen　turned　in　moments　when　his　spirit　was　fatigued。　　To　add　to　them；　touch　them；　read　their　names；　gave　him　the　sweet；　secret　feeling　which　comes　to　a　man　who　rubs　one　hand　against　the　other。　　Like　a　dram…drinker；　Stephen　drankin　little　dosesof　the　feeling　these　coins　gave　him。　　They　were　his　creative　work；　his　history　of　the　world。　　To　them　he　gave　that　side　of　him　which　refused　to　find　its　full　expression　in　summarising　law；　playing　golf；　or　reading　the　reviews；　that　side　of　a　man　which　aches；　he　knows　not　wherefore；　to　construct　something　ere　he　die。　　From　Rameses　to　George　IV。　the　coins　lay　within　those　drawerslinks　of　the　long　unbroken　chain　of　authority。

Putting　on　an　old　black　velvet　jacket　laid　out　for　him　across　a　chair；　and　lighting　the　pipe　that　he　could　never　bring　himself　to　smoke　in　his　formal　dinner　clothes；　he　went　to　the　right…hand　cabinet；　and　opened　it。　　He　stood　with　a　smile；　taking　up　coins　one　by　one。　　In　this　particular　drawer　they　were　of　the　best　Byzantine　dynasty；　very　rare。　　He　did　not　see　that　Cecilia　had　stolen　in；　and　was　silently　regarding　him。　　Her　eyes　seemed　doubting　at　that　moment　whether　or　no　she　loved　him　who　stood　there　touching　that　other　mistress　of　his　thoughtsthat　other　mistress　with　whom　he　spent　so　many　evening　hours。　　The　little　green…baize　cover　fell。　　Cecilia　said　suddenly：

〃Stephen；　I　feel　as　if　I　must　tell　Father　where　that　girl　is！〃

Stephen　turned。

〃My　dear　child；〃　he　answered　in　his　special　voice；　which；　like　champagne；　seemed　to　have　been　dried　by　artifice；　〃you　don't　want　to　reopen　the　whole　thing？〃

〃But　I　can　see　he　really　is　upset　about　it；　he's　looking　so　awfully　white　and　thin。〃

〃He　ought　to　give　up　that　bathing　in　the　Serpentine。　　At　his　age　it's　monstrous。　　And　surely　any　other　girl　will　do　just　as　well？〃

〃He　seems　to　set　store　by　reading　to　her　specially。〃

Stephen　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　It　had　happened　to　him　on　one　occasion　to　be　present　when　Mr。　Stone　was　declaiming　some　pages　of　his　manuscript。　　He　had　never　forgotten　the　discomfort　of　the　experience。　　〃That　crazy　stuff；〃　as　he　had　called　it　to　Cecilia　afterwards；　had　remained　on　his　mind；　heavy　and　damp；　like　a　cold　linseed　poultice。　　His　wife's　father　was　a　crank；　and　perhaps　even　a　little　more　than　a　crank；　a　wee　bit　〃touched〃that　she　couldn't　help；　poor　girl；　but　any　allusion　to　his　cranky　produce　gave　Stephen　pain。　　Nor　had　he　forgotten　his　experience　at　dinner。

〃He　seems　to　have　grown　fond　of　her；〃　murmured　Cecilia。

〃But　it's　absurd　at　his　time　of　life！〃

〃Perhaps　that　makes　him　feel　it　more；　people　do　miss　things　when　they　are　old！〃

Stephen　slid　the　drawer　back　into　its　socket。　　There　was　dry　decision　in　that　gesture。

〃Look　here！　　Let's　exercise　a　little　common　sense；　it's　been　sacrificed　to　sentiment　all　through　this　wretched　business。　　One　wants　to　be　kind；　of　course；　but　one's　got　to　draw　the　line。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Cecilia；　〃where？〃

〃The　thing；〃　went　on　Stephen；　〃has　been　a　mistake　from　first　to　last。　It's　all　very　well　up　to　a　certain　point；　but　after　that　it　becomes　destructive　of　all　comfort。　　It　doesn't　do　to　let　these　people　come　into　personal　contact　with　you。　　There　are　the　proper　channels　for　that　sort　of　thing。〃

Cecilia's　eyes　were　lowered；　as　though　she　did　not　dare　to　let　him　see　her　thou