john bull on the guadalquivir-第3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！



〃Yes；　and　I　called　him　an　ass！　　I　hope　he　doesn't　mind　it。〃

〃Oh！　no；　he　won't　think　anything　about　it；〃　said　Johnson。　　〃That　sort
of　fellows　don't。　　I　dare　say　we　shall　see　him　in　the　bull…ring　next
Sunday；　and　then　we'll　make　all　right　with　a　glass　of　lemonade。〃

And　so　our　adventure　ended　with　the　man　of　the　gold　ornaments。　　I　was
sorry　that　I　had　spoken　English　before　him　so　heedlessly；　and
resolved　that　I　would　never　be　guilty　of　such　gaucherie　again。　　But；
then；　who　would　think　that　a　Spanish　bull…fighter　would　talk　a
foreign　language？　　I　was　sorry；　also；　that　I　had　torn　his　coat；　it
had　looked　so　awkward；　and　sorry　again　that　I　had　offered　the　man
money。　　Altogether　I　was　a　little　ashamed　of　myself；　but　I　had　too
much　to　look　forward　to　at　Seville　to　allow　any　heaviness　to　remain
long　at　my　heart；　and　before　I　had　arrived　at　the　marvellous　city　I
had　forgotten　both　him　and　his　buttons。

Nothing　could　be　nicer　than　the　way　in　which　I　was　welcomed　at　Mr。
Daguilar's　house；　or　more　kindI　may　almost　say　affectionatethan
Maria's　manner　to　me。　　But　it　was　too　affectionate；　and　I　am　not　sure
that　I　should　not　have　liked　my　reception　better　had　she　been　more
diffident　in　her　tone；　and　less　inclined　to　greet　me　with　open
warmth。　　As　it　was；　she　again　gave　me　her　cheek　to　kiss；　in　her
father's　presence；　and　called　me　dear　John；　and　asked　me　specially
after　some　rabbits　which　I　had　kept　at　home　merely　for　a　younger
sister；　and　then　it　seemed　as　though　she　were　in　no　way　embarrassed
by　the　peculiar　circumstances　of　our　position。　　Twelve　months　since　I
had　asked　her　to　be　my　wife；　and　now　she　was　to　give　me　an　answer；
and　yet　she　was　as　assured　in　her　gait；　and　as　serenely　joyous　in　her
tone；　as　though　I　were　a　brother　just　returned　from　college。　　It
could　not　be　that　she　meant　to　refuse　me；　or　she　would　not　smile　on
me　and　be　so　loving；　but　I　could　almost　have　found　it　in　my　heart　to
wish　that　she　would。　　〃It　is　quite　possible；〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃that
I　may　not　be　found　so　ready　for　this　family　bargain。　　A　love　that　is
to　be　had　like　a　bale　of　goods　is　not　exactly　the　love　to　suit　my
taste。〃　　But　then；　when　I　met　her　again　in　the　morning　I　could　no
more　have　quarrelled　with　her　than　I　could　have　flown。

I　was　inexpressibly　charmed　with　the　whole　city；　and　especially　with
the　house　in　which　Mr。　Daguilar　lived。　　It　opened　from　the　corner　of
a　narrow；　unfrequented　streeta　corner　like　an　elbowand；　as　seen
from　the　exterior；　there　was　nothing　prepossessing　to　recommend　it；
but　the　outer　door　led　by　a　short　hall　or　passage　to　an　inner　door　or
grille；　made　of　open　ornamental　iron…work；　and　through　that　we
entered　a　court；　or　patio；　as　they　I　called　it。　　Nothing　could　be
more　lovely　or　deliciously　cool　than　was　this　small　court。　　The
building　on　each　side　was　covered　by　trellis…work；　and　beautiful
creepers；　vines；　and　parasite　flowers；　now　in　the　full　magnificence
of　the　early　summer；　grew　up　and　clustered　round　the　windows。　　Every
inch　of　wall　was　covered；　so　that　none　of　the　glaring　whitewash
wounded　the　eye。　　In　the　four　corners　of　the　patio　were　four　large
orange…trees；　covered　with　fruit。　　I　would　not　say　a　word　in　special
praise　of　these；　remembering　that　childish　promise　she　had　made　on　my
behalf。　　In　the　middle　of　the　court　there　was　a　fountain；　and　round
about　on　the　marble　floor　there　were　chairs；　and　here　and　there　a
small　table；　as　though　the　space　were　really　a　portion　of　the　house。
It　was　here　that　we　used　to　take　our　cup　of　coffee　and　smoke　our
cigarettes；　I　and　old　Mr。　Daguilar；　while　Maria　sat　by；　not　only
approving；　but　occasionally　rolling　for　me　the　thin　paper　round　the
fragrant　weed　with　her　taper　fingers。　　Beyond　the　patio　was　an　open
passage　or　gallery；　filled　also　with　flowers　in　pots；　and　then；
beyond　this；　one　entered　the　drawing…room　of　the　house。　　It　was　by　no
means　a　princely　palace　or　mansion；　fit　for　the　owner　of　untold
wealth。　　The　rooms　were　not　over　large　nor　very　numerous；　but　the
most　had　been　made　of　a　small　space；　and　everything　had　been　done　to
relieve　the　heat　of　an　almost　tropical　sun。

〃It　is　pretty；　is　it　not？〃　she　said；　as　she　took　me　through　it。

〃Very　pretty；〃　I　said。　　〃I　wish　we　could　live　in　such　houses。〃

〃Oh；　they　would　not　do　at　all　for　dear　old　fat；　cold；　cozy　England。
You　are　quite　different；　you　know；　in　everything　from　us　in　the
south；　more　phlegmatic；　but　then　so　much　steadier。　　The　men　and　the
houses　are　all　the　same。〃

I　can　hardly　tell　why；　but　even　this　wounded　me。　　It　seemed　to　me　as
though　she　were　inclined　to　put　into　one　and　the　same　category　things
English；　dull；　useful；　and　solid；　and　that　she　was　disposed　to　show　a
sufficient　appreciation　for　such　necessaries　of　life；　though　she
herself　had　another　and　inner　sensea　sense　keenly　alive　to　the
poetry　of　her　own　southern　chime；　and　that　I；　as　being　English；　was
to　have　no　participation　in　this　latter　charm。　　An　English　husband
might　do　very　well；　the　interests　of　the　firm　might　make　such　an
arrangement　desirable；　such　a　mariage　de　convenanceso　I　argued　to
myselfmight　be　quite　compatible　withwith　heaven　only　knows　what
delights　of　superterrestial　romance；　from　which　I；　as　being　an
English　thick…headed　lump　of　useful　coarse　mortality；　was　to　be
altogether　debarred。　　She　had　spoken　to　me　of　oranges；　and　having
finished　the　survey　of　the　house；　she　offered　me　some　sweet　little
cakes。　　It　could　not　be　that　of　such　things　were　the　thoughts　which
lay　undivulged　beneath　the　clear　waters　of　those　deep　black　eyes
undivulged　to　me；　though　no　one　else　could　have　so　good　a　right　to
read　those　thoughts！　　It　could　not　be　that　that　noble　brow　gave　index
of　a　mind　intent　on　the　trade　of　which　she　spoke　so　often！　　Words　of
other　sort　than　any　that　had　been　vouchsafed　to　me　must　fall　at　times
from　the　rich　curves　of　that　perfect　month。

So　felt　I　then；　pining　for　something　to　make　me　unhappy。　　Ah；　me！　　I
know　all　about　it　now；　and　am　content。　　But　I　wish　that　some　learned
pundit　would　give　us　a　good　definition　of　romance；　would　describe　in
words　that　feeling　with　which　our　hearts　are　so　pestered　when　we　are
young；　which　makes　us　sigh　for　we　know　not　what；　and　forbids　us　to　be
contented　with　what　God　sends　us。　　We　invest　female　beauty　with
impossible　attributes；　and　are　angry　because　our　women　have　not　the
spiritualised　souls　of　angels；　anxious　as　we　are　that　they　should
also　be　human　in　the　flesh。　　A　man　looks　at　her　he　would　love　as　at　a
distant　landscape　in　a　mountainous　land。　　The　peaks　are　glorious　with
more　than　the　beauty　of　earth　and　rock　and　vegetation。　　He　dreams　of
some　mysterious　grandeur　of　design　which　tempts　him　on　under　the　hot
sun；　and　over　the　sharp　rock；　till　he　has　reached　the　mountain　goal
which　he　had　set　before　him。　　But　when　there；　he　finds　that　the
beauty　is　well…nigh　gone；　and　as　for　that　delicious　mystery　on　which
his　soul　had　fed；　it　has　vanished　for　ever。

I　know　all　about　it　now；　and　am；　as　I　said；　content。　　Beneath　those
deep　black　eyes　there　lay　a　well　of　love；　good；　honest；　homely　love；
love　of　father　and　husband　and　children　that　were　to　comeof　that
love　which　loves　to　see　the　loved　ones　prospering　in　honesty。　　That
noble　browfor　it　is　noble；　I　am　unchanged　in　that　opinion；　and　will
go　unchanged　to　my　gravecovers　thoughts　as　to　the　welfare　of　many；
and　an　intellect　fitted　to　the　management　of　a　household；　of
servants；　namely；　and　children；　and　perchance　a　husband。　　That　mouth
can　speak　words　of　wisdom；　of　very　useful　wisdomthough　of　poetry　it
has　latterly　uttered　little　that　was　original。　　Poetry　and　romance！
They　are　splendid　mountain　views　seen　in　the　distance。　　So　let　men　be
content　to　see　them；　and　not　attempt　to　tread　upon　the　fallacious
heather　of　the　mystic　hills。

In　the　first　week　of　my　sojourn　in　Seville　I　spoke　no　word　of　overt
love　to　Maria；　thinking；　as　I　confess；　to　induce　her　thereby　to　alter
her　mode　of　conduct　to　myself。　　〃She　knows　that　I　have　come　here　to
make　love　to　herto　repeat　my　offer；　and　she　will　at　any　rate　be
chagrined　if　I　am　slow　to　do　so。〃　　But　it　had　no　effect。　　At　home　my
mother　was　rather　particular　about　her　table；　and　Maria's　greatest
efforts　seemed　to　be　used　in　giving　me　as　nice　dinners　as　we　gave
her。　　In　those　days　I　did　not　care　a　straw　about　my　dinner；　and　so　I
took　an　opportunity　of　telling　her。　　〃Dear　me；〃　said　she；　looking　at
me　almost　with　grief；　〃do　you　not？　　What　a　pity！　　And　do　you　not　like
music　either。〃　　〃Oh；　yes；　I　adore　it；〃　I　replied。　　I　felt　sure　at　the
time　that　had　I　been　born　in　her　own　sunny　clime；　she　would　never
have　talked　to　me　about　eating。　　But　that　was　my　mistake。

I　used　to　walk　out　with　her　about　the　city；　seeing　all　that　is　there
of　beauty　and　magnificence。　　And　in　what　city　is　there　more　that　is
worth　the　seeing？　　At　first　this　was　very　delightful　to　me；　for　I
felt　that　I　was　blessed　with　a　privilege　that　would　not　be　granted　to
any　other　man。　　But　its　value　soon　fell　in　my　eyes；　for　others　would
accost　her；　and　walk　on　the　other　side；　talking　to　her　in　Spanish；　as
though　I　hardly　existed；　or　were　a　servant　there　for　her　protection。
And　I　was　not　allowed　to　take　her　arm；　and　thus　to　appropriate　her；
as　I　sh