over the teacups-第32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！



as　I　looked　and　listened　there　could　not　be　any　mistake　about　it。　　I

heard　Quick！　Quick！　Quick！　as　plainly；　at　least；　as　I　ever　heard　a

word　from　the　phonograph。　　I　stood　watching　the　dial　one　day；it　was

near　one　o'clock；and　a　strange　attraction　held　me　fastened　to　the

spot。　　Presently　something　appeared　to　trip　or　stumble　inside　of　the

infernal　mechanism。　　I　waited　for　the　sound　I　knew　was　to　follow。

How　nervous　I　got！　　It　seemed　to　me　that　it　would　never　strike。　　At

last　the　minute…hand　reached　the　highest　point　of　the　dial。　　Then

there　was　a　little　stir　among　the　works；　as　there　is　in　a

congregation　as　it　rises　to　receive　the　benediction。　　It　was　no　form

of　blessing　which　rung　out　those　deep；　almost　sepulchral　tones。　　But

the　word　they　uttered　could　not　be　mistaken。　　I　can　hear　its

prolonged；　solemn　vibrations　as　if　I　were　standing　before　the　clock

at　this　moment。



Gone！　Yes；　I　said　to　myself；　gone；its　record　made　up　to　be　opened

in　eternity。



I　stood　still；　staring　vaguely　at　the　dial　as　in　a　trance。　　And　as

the　next　hour　creeps　stealthily　up；　it　starts　all　at　once；　and　cries

aloud；　Gone！　Gone！　　The　sun　sinks　lower；　the　hour…hand　creeps

downward　with　it；　until　I　hear　the　thrice…repeated　monosyllable；

Gone！　Gone！　Gone！　　Soon　through　the　darkening　hours；　until　at　the

dead　of　night　the　long　roll　is　called；　and　with　the　last　Gone！　the

latest　of　the　long　procession　that　filled　the　day　follows　its　ghostly

companions　into　the　stillness　and　darkness　of　the　past。



I　silenced　the　striking　part　of　the　works。　　Still；　the　escapement

kept　repeating；　Quick！　　Quick！　　Quick！　　Still　the　long　minute…hand；

like　the　dart　in　the　grasp　of　Death；　as　we　see　it　in　Roubiliac's

monument　to　Mrs。　Nightingale；　among　the　tombs　of　Westminster　Abbey；

stretched　itself　out；　ready　to　transfix　each　hour　as　it　passed；　and

make　it　my　last。　　I　sat　by　the　clock　to　watch　the　leap　from　one　day

of　the　week　to　the　next。　　Then　would　come；　in　natural　order；　the　long

stride　from　one　month　to　the　following　one。



I　could　endure　it　no　longer。　　〃Take　that　clock　away！〃　I　said。　　They

took　it　away。　　They　took　me　away；　too；they　thought　I　needed　country

air。　　The　sounds　and　motions　still　pursued　me　in　imagination。　　I　was

very　nervous　when　I　came　here。　　The　walks　are　pleasant；　but　the　walls

seem　to　me　unnecessarily　high。　　The　boarders　are　numerous；　a　little

miscellaneous；　I　think。　　But　we　have　the　Queen；　and　the　President　of

the　United　States；　and　several　other　distinguished　persons；　if　we　may

trust　what　they　tell　about　themselves。



After　we　had　listened　to　Number　Five's　story；　I　was　requested　to　read

a　couple　of　verses　written　by　me　when　the　guest　of　my　friends；　whose

name　is　hinted　by　the　title　prefixed　to　my　lines。



　　　　　　　　　　LA　MAISON　D'OR。



　　　　　　　　　　　BAR　HARBOR。



》From　this　fair　home　behold　on　either　side

The　restful　mountains　or　the　restless　sea：

So　the　warm　sheltering　walls　of　life　divide

Time　and　its　tides　from　still　eternity。



Look　on　the　waves：　their　stormy　voices　teach

That　not　on　earth　may　toil　and　struggle　cease。

Look　on　the　mountains：　better　far　than　speech

Their　silent　promise　of　eternal　peace。









VIII。



I　had　intended　to　devote　this　particular　report　to　an　account　of　my

replies　to　certain　questions　which　have　been　addressed　to　me；

questions　which　I　have　a　right　to　suppose　interest　the　public；　and

which；　therefore；　I　was　justified　in　bringing　before　The　Teacups；　and

presenting　to　the　readers　of　these　articles。



Some　may　care　for　one　of　these　questions；　and　some　for　another。　　A

good　many　young　people　think　nothing　about　life　as　it　presents　itself

in　the　far　horizon；　bounded　by　the　snowy　ridges　of　threescore　and　the

dim　peaks　beyond　that　remote　barrier。　　Again；　there　are　numbers　of

persons　who　know　nothing　at　all　about　the　Jews；　while；　on　the　other

hand；　there　are　those　who　can；　or　think　they　can；　detect　the

Israelitish　blood　in　many　of　their　acquaintances　who　believe

themselves　of　the　purest　Japhetic　origin；　and　are　full　of　prejudices

about　the　Semitic　race。



I　do　not　mean　to　be　cheated　out　of　my　intentions。　　I　propose　to

answer　my　questioners　on　the　two　points　just　referred　to；　but　I　find

myself　so　much　interested　in　the　personal　affairs　of　The　Teacups　that

I　must　deal　with　them　before　attacking　those　less　exciting　subjects。

There　is　no　use；　let　me　say　here；　in　addressing　to　me　letters　marked

〃personal；〃　〃private；〃　〃confidential；〃　and　so　forth；　asking　me　how　I

came　to　know　what　happened　in　certain　conversations　of　which　I　shall

give　a　partial　account。　　If　there　is　a　very　sensitive　phonograph

lying　about　here　and　there　in　unsuspected　corners；　that　might　account

for　some　part　of　my　revelations。　　If　Delilah；　whose　hearing　is　of

almost　supernatural　delicacy；　reports　to　me　what　she　overhears；　it

might　explain　a　part　of　the　mystery。　　I　do　not　want　to　accuse

Delilah；　but　a　young　person　who　assures　me　she　can　hear　my　watch

ticking　in　my　pocket；　when　I　am　in　the　next　room；　might　undoubtedly

tell　many　secrets；　if　so　disposed。　　Number　Five　is　pretty　nearly

omniscient；　and　she　and　I　are　on　the　best　terms　with　each　other。

These　are　all　the　hints　I　shall　give　you　at　present。



The　Teacups　of　whom　the　least　has　been　heard　at　our　table　are　the

Tutor　and　the　Musician。　　The　Tutor　is　a　modest　young　man；　kept　down　a

little；　I　think；　by　the　presence　of　older　persons；　like　the　Professor

and　myself。　　I　have　met　him　several　times；　of　late；　walking　with

different　lady　Teacups：　once　with　the　American　Annex；　twice　with　the

English　Annex；　once　with　the　two　Annexes　together；　once　with　Number

Five。



I　have　mentioned　the　fact　that　the　Tutor　is　a　poet　as　among　his

claims　to　our　attention。　　I　must　add　that　I　do　not　think　any　the

worse　of　him　for　expressing　his　emotions　and　experiences　in　verse。

For　though　rhyming　is　often　a　bad　sign　in　a　young　man；　especially　if

he　is　already　out　of　his　teens；　there　are　those　to　whom　it　is　as

natural；　one　might　almost　say　as　necessary；　as　it　is　to　a　young　bird

to　fly。　　One　does　not　care　to　see　barnyard　fowls　tumbling　about　in

trying　to　use　their　wings。　　They　have　a　pair　of　good；　stout

drumsticks；　and　had　better　keep　to　them；　for　the　most　part。　　But　that

feeling　does　not　apply　to　young　eagles；　or　even　to　young　swallows　and

sparrows。　　The　Tutor　is　by　no　means　one　of　those　ignorant；　silly；

conceited　phrase…tinklers；　who　live　on　the　music　of　their　own

jingling　syllables　and　the　flattery　of　their　foolish　friends。　　I

think　Number　Five　must　appreciate　him。　　He　is　sincere；　warmhearted；

his　poetry　shows　that；not　in　haste　to　be　famous；　and　he　looks　to　me

as　if　he　only　wanted　love　to　steady　him。　　With　one　of　those　two　young

girls　he　ought　certainly　to　be　captivated；　if　he　is　not　already。

Twice　walking　with　the　English　Annex；　I　met　him；　and　they　were　so

deeply　absorbed　in　conversation　they　hardly　noticed　me。　　He　has　been

talking　over　the　matter　with　Number　Five；　who　is　just　the　kind　of

person　for　a　confidante。



〃I　know　I　feel　very　lonely；〃　he　was　saying；　〃and　I　only　wish　I　felt

sure　that　I　could　make　another　person　happy。　　My　life　would　be

transfigured　if　I　could　find　such　a　one；　whom　I　could　love　well

enough　to　give　my　life　to　her；for　her；　if　that　were　needful；　and

who　felt　an　affinity　for　me；　if　any　one　could。〃



〃And　why　not　your　English　maiden？〃　said　Number　Five。



〃What　makes　you　think　I　care　more　for　her　than　for　her　American

friend？〃　said　the　Tutor。



〃Why；　have　n't　I　met　you　walking　with　her；　and　did　n't　you　both　seem

greatly　interested　in　the　subject　you　were　discussing？　　I　thought；　of

course；　it　was　something　more　or　less　sentimental　that　you　were

talking　about。〃



〃I　was　explaining　that　'enclitic　de'　in　Browning's　Grammarian's

Funeral。　　I　don't　think　there　was　anything　very　sentimental　about

that。　　She　is　an　inquisitive　creature；　that　English　girl。　　She　is

very　fond　of　asking　me　questions；in　fact；　both　of　them　are。　　There

is　one　curious　difference　between　them：　the　English　girl　settles　down

into　her　answers　and　is　quiet；　the　American　girl　is　never　satisfied

with　yesterday's　conclusions；　she　is　always　reopening　old　questions

in　the　light　of　some　new　fact　or　some　novel　idea。　　I　suppose　that

people　bred　from　childhood　to　lean　their　backs　against　the　wall　of

the　Creed　and　the　church　catechism　find　it　hard　to　sit　up　straight　on

the　republican　stool；　which　obliges　them　to　stiffen　their　own　backs。

Which　of　these　two　girls　would　be　the　safest　choice　for　a　young　man？

I　should　really　like　to　hear　what　answer　yon　would　make　if　I

consulted　you　seriously；　with　a　view　to　my　own　choice；on　the

supposition　that　there　was　a　fair　chance　that　either　of　them　might　be

won。〃



〃The　one　you　are　in　love　with；〃　answered　Number　Five。



〃But　what　if　it　were　a　case　of　'How　happy　could　I　be　with　either'？

Which　offers　the　best　chance　of　happiness；a　marriage　between　two

persons　of　the　same　country；　or　a　marriage　wh