greville fane-第4节

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he　would　help　her　to　write　hers。　　She　used　to　tell　me　that　he

supplied　passages　of　the　greatest　value　to　her　own　workall　sorts　of

technical　things；　about　hunting　and　yachting　and　winethat　she

couldn't　be　expected　to　get　very　straight。　　It　was　all　so　much

practice　for　him　and　so　much　alleviation　for　her。　　I　was　unable　to

identify　these　pages；　for　I　had　long　since　ceased　to　〃keep　up〃　with

Greville　Fane；　but　I　was　quite　able　to　believe　that　the　wine…question

had　been　put；　by　Leolin's　good　offices；　on　a　better　footing；　for　the

dear　lady　used　to　mix　her　drinks　（she　was　perpetually　serving　the

most　splendid　suppers）　in　the　queerest　fashion。　　I　could　see　that　he

was　willing　enough　to　accept　a　commission　to　look　after　that

department。　　It　occurred　to　me　indeed；　when　Mrs。　Stormer　settled　in

England　again；　that　by　making　a　shrewd　use　of　both　her　children　she

might　be　able　to　rejuvenate　her　style。　　Ethel　had　come　back　to

gratify　her　young　ambition；　and　if　she　couldn't　take　her　mother　into

society　she　would　at　least　go　into　it　herself。　　Silently；　stiffly；

almost　grimly；　this　young　lady　held　up　her　head；　clenched　her　long

teeth；　squared　her　lean　elbows　and　made　her　way　up　the　staircases　she

had　elected。　　The　only　communication　she　ever　made　to　me；　the　only

effusion　of　confidence　with　which　she　ever　honoured　me；　was　when　she

said：　　〃I　don't　want　to　know　the　people　mamma　knows；　I　mean　to　know

others。〃　　I　took　due　note　of　the　remark；　for　I　was　not　one　of　the

〃others。〃　　I　couldn't　trace　therefore　the　steps　of　her　process；　I

could　only　admire　it　at　a　distance　and　congratulate　her　mother　on　the

results。　　The　results　were　that　Ethel　went　to　〃big〃　parties　and　got

people　to　take　her。　　Some　of　them　were　people　she　had　met　abroad；　and

others　were　people　whom　the　people　she　had　met　abroad　had　met。　　They

ministered　alike　to　Miss　Ethel's　convenience；　and　I　wondered　how　she

extracted　so　many　favours　without　the　expenditure　of　a　smile。　　Her

smile　was　the　dimmest　thing　in　the　world；　diluted　lemonade；　without

sugar；　and　she　had　arrived　precociously　at　social　wisdom；　recognising

that　if　she　was　neither　pretty　enough　nor　rich　enough　nor　clever

enough；　she　could　at　least　in　her　muscular　youth　be　rude　enough。

Therefore　if　she　was　able　to　tell　her　mother　what　really　took　place

in　the　mansions　of　the　great；　give　her　notes　to　work　from；　the　quill

could　be　driven　at　home　to　better　purpose　and　precisely　at　a　moment

when　it　would　have　to　be　more　active　than　ever。　　But　if　she　did　tell；

it　would　appear　that　poor　Mrs。　Stormer　didn't　believe。　　As　regards

many　points　this　was　not　a　wonder；　at　any　rate　I　heard　nothing　of

Greville　Fane's　having　developed　a　new　manner。　　She　had　only　one

manner　from　start　to　finish；　as　Leolin　would　have　said。



She　was　tired　at　last；　but　she　mentioned　to　me　that　she　couldn't

afford　to　pause。　　She　continued　to　speak　of　Leolin's　work　as　the

great　hope　of　their　future　（she　had　saved　no　money）　though　the　young

man　wore　to　my　sense　an　aspect　more　and　more　professional　if　you

like；　but　less　and　less　literary。　　At　the　end　of　a　couple　of　years

there　was　something　monstrous　in　the　impudence　with　which　he　played

his　part　in　the　comedy。　　When　I　wondered　how　she　could　play　HER　part

I　had　to　perceive　that　her　good　faith　was　complete　and　that　what　kept

it　so　was　simply　her　extravagant　fondness。　　She　loved　the　young

impostor　with　a　simple；　blind；　benighted　love；　and　of　all　the　heroes

of　romance　who　had　passed　before　her　eyes　he　was　by　far　the　most

brilliant。



He　was　at　any　rate　the　most　realshe　could　touch　him；　pay　for　him；

suffer　for　him；　worship　him。　　He　made　her　think　of　her　princes　and

dukes；　and　when　she　wished　to　fix　these　figures　in　her　mind's　eye　she

thought　of　her　boy。　　She　had　often　told　me　she　was　carried　away　by

her　own　creations；　and　she　was　certainly　carried　away　by　Leolin。　　He

vivified；　by　potentialities　at　least；　the　whole　question　of　youth　and

passion。　　She　held；　not　unjustly；　that　the　sincere　novelist　should

feel　the　whole　flood　of　life；　she　acknowledged　with　regret　that　she

had　not　had　time　to　feel　it　herself；　and　it　was　a　joy　to　her　that　the

deficiency　might　be　supplied　by　the　sight　of　the　way　it　was　rushing

through　this　magnificent　young　man。　　She　exhorted　him；　I　suppose；　to

let　it　rush；　she　wrung　her　own　flaccid　little　sponge　into　the

torrent。　　I　knew　not　what　passed　between　them　in　her　hours　of

tuition；　but　I　gathered　that　she　mainly　impressed　on　him　that　the

great　thing　was　to　live；　because　that　gave　you　material。　　He　asked

nothing　better；　he　collected　material；　and　the　formula　served　as　a

universal　pretext。　　You　had　only　to　look　at　him　to　see　that；　with　his

rings　and　breastpins；　his　cross…barred　jackets；　his　early　embonpoint；

his　eyes　that　looked　like　imitation　jewels；　his　various　indications

of　a　dense；　full…blown　temperament；　his　idea　of　life　was　singularly

vulgar；　but　he　was　not　so　far　wrong　as　that　his　response　to　his

mother's　expectations　was　not　in　a　high　degree　practical。　　If　she　had

imposed　a　profession　on　him　from　his　tenderest　years　it　was　exactly　a

profession　that　he　followed。　　The　two　were　not　quite　the　same；

inasmuch　as　HIS　was　simply　to　live　at　her　expense；　but　at　least　she

couldn't　say　that　he　hadn't　taken　a　line。　　If　she　insisted　on

believing　in　him　he　offered　himself　to　the　sacrifice。　　My　impression

is　that　her　secret　dream　was　that　he　should　have　a　liaison　with　a

countess；　and　he　persuaded　her　without　difficulty　that　he　had　one。　　I

don't　know　what　countesses　are　capable　of；　but　I　have　a　clear　notion

of　what　Leolin　was。



He　didn't　persuade　his　sister；　who　despised　himshe　wished　to　work

her　mother　in　her　own　way；　and　I　asked　myself　why　the　girl's　judgment

of　him　didn't　make　me　like　her　better。　　It　was　because　it　didn't　save

her　after　all　from　a　mute　agreement　with　him　to　go　halves。　　There

were　moments　when　I　couldn't　help　looking　hard　into　his　atrocious

young　eyes；　challenging　him　to　confess　his　fantastic　fraud　and　give

it　up。　　Not　a　little　tacit　conversation　passed　between　us　in　this

way；　but　he　had　always　the　best　of　it。　　If　I　said：　　〃Oh；　come　now；

with　ME　you　needn't　keep　it　up；　plead　guilty；　and　I'll　let　you　off；〃

he　wore　the　most　ingenuous；　the　most　candid　expression；　in　the　depths

of　which　I　could　read：　　〃Oh；　yes；　I　know　it　exasperates　youthat's

just　why　I　do　it。〃　　He　took　the　line　of　earnest　inquiry；　talked　about

Balzac　and　Flaubert；　asked　me　if　I　thought　Dickens　DID　exaggerate　and

Thackeray　OUGHT　to　be　called　a　pessimist。　　Once　he　came　to　see　me；　at

his　mother's　suggestion　he　declared；　on　purpose　to　ask　me　how　far；　in

my　opinion；　in　the　English　novel；　one　really　might　venture　to　〃go。〃

He　was　not　resigned　to　the　usual　pruderieshe　suffered　under　them

already。　　He　struck　out　the　brilliant　idea　that　nobody　knew　how　far

we　might　go；　for　nobody　had　ever　tried。　　Did　I　think　HE　might　safely

trywould　it　injure　his　mother　if　he　did？　　He　would　rather　disgrace

himself　by　his　timidities　than　injure　his　mother；　but　certainly　some

one　ought　to　try。　　Wouldn't　_I_　trycouldn't　I　be　prevailed　upon　to

look　at　it　as　a　duty？　　Surely　the　ultimate　point　ought　to　be　fixed

he　was　worried；　haunted　by　the　question。　　He　patronised　me

unblushingly；　made　me　feel　like　a　foolish　amateur；　a　helpless　novice；

inquired　into　my　habits　of　work　and　conveyed　to　me　that　I　was　utterly

vieux　jeu　and　had　not　had　the　advantage　of　an　early　training。　　I　had

not　been　brought　up　from　the　germ；　I　knew　nothing　of　lifedidn't　go

at　it　on　HIS　system。　　He　had　dipped　into　French　feuilletons　and

picked　up　plenty　of　phrases；　and　he　made　a　much　better　show　in　talk

than　his　poor　mother；　who　never　had　time　to　read　anything　and　could

only　be　vivid　with　her　pen。　　If　I　didn't　kick　him　downstairs　it　was

because　he　would　have　alighted　on　her　at　the　bottom。



When　she　went　to　live　at　Primrose　Hill　I　called　upon　her　and　found

her　weary　and　wasted。　　It　had　waned　a　good　deal；　the　elation　caused

the　year　before　by　Ethel's　marriage；　the　foam　on　the　cup　had　subsided

and　there　was　a　bitterness　in　the　draught。



She　had　had　to　take　a　cheaper　house　and　she　had　to　work　still　harder

to　pay　even　for　that。　　Sir　Baldwin　was　obliged　to　be　close；　his

charges　were　fearful；　and　the　dream　of　her　living　with　her　daughter

（a　vision　she　had　never　mentioned　to　me）　must　be　renounced。　　〃I　would

have　helped　with　things；　and　I　could　have　lived　perfectly　in　one

room；〃　she　said；　〃I　would　have　paid　for　everything；　andafter　all

I'm　some　one；　ain't　I？　　But　I　don't　fit　in；　and　Ethel　tells　me　there

are　tiresome　people　she　MUST　receive。　　I　can　help　them　from　here；　no

doubt；　better　than　from　there。　　She　told　me　once；　you　know；　what　she

thinks　of　my　picture　of　life。　　'Mamma；　your　picture　of　life　is

preposterous！'　　No　doubt　it　is；　but　she's　vexed　with　me　for　letting

my　prices　go　down；　and　I　had　to　write　three　novels　to　pay　for　all　her

marriage　cost　me。　　I　did　it　very　wellI　mean　the　outfit　and　the

wedding；　but　that's