the lesson of the master-第12节

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show　for　it　…　forty　volumes　of　wonderful　life；　of　rare　observation；

of　magnificent　ability。〃



〃I'm　very　clever；　of　course　I　know　that〃　…　but　it　was　a　thing；　in

fine；　this　author　made　nothing　of。　　〃Lord；　what　rot　they'd　all　be

if　I　hadn't　been　I'm　a　successful　charlatan；〃　he　went　on　…　〃I've

been　able　to　pass　off　my　system。　　But　do　you　know　what　it　is？　　It's

cartonpierre。〃



〃Carton…pierre？〃　Paul　was　struck；　and　gaped。



〃Lincrusta…Walton！〃



〃Ah　don't　say　such　things　…　you　make　me　bleed！〃　the　younger　man

protested。　　〃I　see　you　in　a　beautiful　fortunate　home；　living　in

comfort　and　honour。〃



〃Do　you　call　it　honour？〃　…　his　host　took　him　up　with　an　intonation

that　often　comes　back　to　him。　　〃That's　what　I　want　YOU　to　go　in

for。　　I　mean　the　real　thing。　　This　is　brummagem。〃



〃Brummagem？〃　Paul　ejaculated　while　his　eyes　wandered；　by　a　movement

natural　at　the　moment；　over　the　luxurious　room。



〃Ah　they　make　it　so　well　to…day　…　it's　wonderfully　deceptive！〃



Our　friend　thrilled　with　the　interest　and　perhaps　even　more　with

the　pity　of　it。　　Yet　he　wasn't　afraid　to　seem　to　patronise　when　he

could　still　so　far　envy。　　〃Is　it　deceptive　that　I　find　you　living

with　every　appearance　of　domestic　felicity　…　blest　with　a　devoted；

accomplished　wife；　with　children　whose　acquaintance　I　haven't　yet

had　the　pleasure　of　making；　but　who　MUST　be　delightful　young

people；　from　what　I　know　of　their　parents？〃



St。　George　smiled　as　for　the　candour　of　his　question。　　〃It's　all

excellent；　my　dear　fellow　…　heaven　forbid　I　should　deny　it。　　I've

made　a　great　deal　of　money；　my　wife　has　known　how　to　take　care　of

it；　to　use　it　without　wasting　it；　to　put　a　good　bit　of　it　by；　to

make　it　fructify。　　I've　got　a　loaf　on　the　shelf；　I've　got

everything　in　fact　but　the　great　thing。〃



〃The　great　thing？〃　Paul　kept　echoing。



〃The　sense　of　having　done　the　best　…　the　sense　which　is　the　real

life　of　the　artist　and　the　absence　of　which　is　his　death；　of　having

drawn　from　his　intellectual　instrument　the　finest　music　that　nature

had　hidden　in　it；　of　having　played　it　as　it　should　be　played。　　He

either　does　that　or　he　doesn't　…　and　if　he　doesn't　he　isn't　worth

speaking　of。　　Therefore；　precisely；　those　who　really　know　DON'T

speak　of　him。　　He　may　still　hear　a　great　chatter；　but　what　he　hears

most　is　the　incorruptible　silence　of　Fame。　　I've　squared　her；　you

may　say；　for　my　little　hour　…　but　what's　my　little　hour？　　Don't

imagine　for　a　moment；〃　the　Master　pursued；　〃that　I'm　such　a　cad　as

to　have　brought　you　down　here　to　abuse　or　to　complain　of　my　wife　to

you。　　She's　a　woman　of　distinguished　qualities；　to　whom　my

obligations　are　immense；　so　that；　if　you　please；　we'll　say　nothing

about　her。　　My　boys　…　my　children　are　all　boys　…　are　straight　and

strong；　thank　God；　and　have　no　poverty　of　growth　about　them；　no

penury　of　needs。　　I　receive　periodically　the　most　satisfactory

attestation　from　Harrow；　from　Oxford；　from　Sandhurst　…　oh　we've

done　the　best　for　them！　…　of　their　eminence　as　living　thriving

consuming　organisms。〃



〃It　must　be　delightful　to　feel　that　the　son　of　one's　loins　is　at

Sandhurst；〃　Paul　remarked　enthusiastically。



〃It　is　…　it's　charming。　　Oh　I'm　a　patriot！〃



The　young　man　then　could　but　have　the　greater　tribute　of　questions

to　pay。　　〃Then　what　did　you　mean　…　the　other　night　at　Summersoft　…

by　saying　that　children　are　a　curse？〃



〃My　dear　youth；　on　what　basis　are　we　talking？〃　and　St。　George

dropped　upon　the　sofa　at　a　short　distance　from　him。　　Sitting　a

little　sideways　he　leaned　back　against　the　opposite　arm　with　his

hands　raised　and　interlocked　behind　his　head。　　〃On　the　supposition

that　a　certain　perfection's　possible　and　even　desirable　…　isn't　it

so？　　Well；　all　I　say　is　that　one's　children　interfere　with

perfection。　　One's　wife　interferes。　　Marriage　interferes。〃



〃You　think　then　the　artist　shouldn't　marry？〃



〃He　does　so　at　his　peril　…　he　does　so　at　his　cost。〃



〃Not　even　when　his　wife's　in　sympathy　with　his　work？〃



〃She　never　is　…　she　can't　be！　　Women　haven't　a　conception　of　such

things。〃



〃Surely　they　on　occasion　work　themselves；〃　Paul　objected。



〃Yes；　very　badly　indeed。　　Oh　of　course；　often；　they　think　they

understand；　they　think　they　sympathise。　　Then　it　is　they're　most

dangerous。　　Their　idea　is　that　you　shall　do　a　great　lot　and　get　a

great　lot　of　money。　　Their　great　nobleness　and　virtue；　their

exemplary　conscientiousness　as　British　females；　is　in　keeping　you

up　to　that。　　My　wife　makes　all　my　bargains　with　my　publishers　for

me；　and　has　done　so　for　twenty　years。　　She　does　it　consummately

well　…　that's　why　I'm　really　pretty　well　off。　　Aren't　you　the

father　of　their　innocent　babes；　and　will　you　withhold　from　them

their　natural　sustenance？　　You　asked　me　the　other　night　if　they're

not　an　immense　incentive。　　Of　course　they　are　…　there's　no　doubt　of

that！〃



Paul　turned　it　over：　　it　took；　from　eyes　he　had　never　felt　open　so

wide；　so　much　looking　at。　　〃For　myself　I've　an　idea　I　need

incentives。〃



〃Ah　well　then；　n'en　parlons　plus！〃　his　companion　handsomely　smiled。



〃YOU　are　an　incentive；　I　maintain；〃　the　young　man　went　on。　　〃You

don't　affect　me　in　the　way　you'd　apparently　like　to。　　Your　great

success　is　what　I　see　…　the　pomp　of　Ennismore　Gardens！〃



〃Success？〃　…　St。　George's　eyes　had　a　cold　fine　light。　　〃Do　you　call

it　success　to　be　spoken　of　as　you'd　speak　of　me　if　you　were　sitting

here　with　another　artist　…　a　young　man　intelligent　and　sincere　like

yourself？　　Do　you　call　it　success　to　make　you　blush　…　as　you　would

blush！　…　if　some　foreign　critic　（some　fellow；　of　course　I　mean；　who

should　know　what　he　was　talking　about　and　should　have　shown　you　he

did；　as　foreign　critics　like　to　show　it）　were　to　say　to　you：　　'He's

the　one；　in　this　country；　whom　they　consider　the　most　perfect；

isn't　he？'　　Is　it　success　to　be　the　occasion　of　a　young

Englishman's　having　to　stammer　as　you　would　have　to　stammer　at　such

a　moment　for　old　England？　　No；　no；　success　is　to　have　made　people

wriggle　to　another　tune。　　Do　try　it！〃



Paul　continued　all　gravely　to　glow。　　〃Try　what？〃



〃Try　to　do　some　really　good　work。〃



〃Oh　I　want　to；　heaven　knows！〃



〃Well；　you　can't　do　it　without　sacrifices　…　don't　believe　that　for

a　moment；〃　the　Master　said。　　〃I've　made　none。　　I've　had　everything。

In　other　words　I've　missed　everything。〃



〃You've　had　the　full　rich　masculine　human　general　life；　with　all

the　responsibilities　and　duties　and　burdens　and　sorrows　and　joys　…

all　the　domestic　and　social　initiations　and　complications。　　They

must　be　immensely　suggestive；　immensely　amusing；〃　Paul　anxiously

submitted。



〃Amusing？〃



〃For　a　strong　man　…　yes。〃



〃They've　given　me　subjects　without　number；　if　that's　what　you　mean；

but　they've　taken　away　at　the　same　time　the　power　to　use　them。

I've　touched　a　thousand　things；　but　which　one　of　them　have　I　turned

into　gold？　　The　artist　has　to　do　only　with　that　…　he　knows　nothing

of　any　baser　metal。　　I've　led　the　life　of　the　world；　with　my　wife

and　my　progeny；　the　clumsy　conventional　expensive　materialised

vulgarised　brutalised　life　of　London。　　We've　got　everything

handsome；　even　a　carriage　…　we're　perfect　Philistines　and

prosperous　hospitable　eminent　people。　　But；　my　dear　fellow；　don't

try　to　stultify　yourself　and　pretend　you　don't　know　what　we　HAVEN'T

got。　　It's　bigger　than　all　the　rest。　　Between　artists　…　come！〃　the

Master　wound　up。　　〃You　know　as　well　as　you　sit　there　that　you'd　put

a　pistol…ball　into　your　brain　if　you　had　written　my　books！〃



It　struck　his　listener　that　the　tremendous　talk　promised　by　him　at

Summersoft　had　indeed　come　off；　and　with　a　promptitude；　a　fulness；

with　which　the　latter's　young　imagination　had　scarcely　reckoned。

His　impression　fairly　shook　him　and　he　throbbed　with　the　excitement

of　such　deep　soundings　and　such　strange　confidences。　　He　throbbed

indeed　with　the　conflict　of　his　feelings　…　bewilderment　and

recognition　and　alarm；　enjoyment　and　protest　and　assent；　all

commingled　with　tenderness　（and　a　kind　of　shame　in　the

participation）　for　the　sores　and　bruises　exhibited　by　so　fine　a

creature；　and　with　a　sense　of　the　tragic　secret　nursed　under　his

trappings。　　The　idea　of　HIS；　Paul　Overt's；　becoming　the　occasion　of

such　an　act　of　humility　made　him　flush　and　pant；　at　the　same　time

that　his　consciousness　was　in　certain　directions　too　much　alive　not

to　swallow　…　　and　not　intensely　to　taste　…　every　offered　spoonful

of　the　revelation。　　It　had　been　his　odd　fortune　to　blow　upon　the

deep　waters；　to　make　them　surge　and　break　in　waves　of　strange

eloquence。　　But　how　couldn't　he　give　out　a　passionate　contradiction

of　his　host's　last　extravagance；　how　couldn't　he　enumerate　to　him

the　parts　of　his　work　he　loved；　the　splendid　things　he　had　found　in

it；　beyond　the　compass　of　any　other　writer　of　the　day？　　St。　George

listened　a　while；　courteously；　then　he　said；　laying　his　hand　on　his

visitor's：　　〃That