greville fane-第5节

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

wedding；　but　that's　why　I'm　here。　　At　any　rate　she　doesn't　want　a

dingy　old　woman　in　her　house。　　I　should　give　it　an　atmosphere　of

literary　glory；　but　literary　glory　is　only　the　eminence　of　nobodies。

Besides；　she　doubts　my　gloryshe　knows　I'm　glorious　only　at　Peckham

and　Hackney。　　She　doesn't　want　her　friends　to　ask　if　I've　never　known

nice　people。　　She　can't　tell　them　I've　never　been　in　society。　　She

tried　to　teach　me　better　once；　but　I　couldn't　learn。　　It　would　seem

too　as　if　Peckham　and　Hackney　had　had　enough　of　me；　for　（don't　tell

any　one！）　I've　had　to　take　less　for　my　last　than　I　ever　took　for

anything。〃　　I　asked　her　how　little　this　had　been；　not　from　curiosity；

but　in　order　to　upbraid　her；　more　disinterestedly　than　Lady　Luard　had

done；　for　such　concessions。　　She　answered　〃I'm　ashamed　to　tell　you；〃

and　then　she　began　to　cry。



I　had　never　seen　her　break　down；　and　I　was　proportionately　moved；　she

sobbed；　like　a　frightened　child；　over　the　extinction　of　her　vogue　and

the　exhaustion　of　her　vein。　　Her　little　workroom　seemed　indeed　a

barren　place　to　grow　flowers；　and　I　wondered；　in　the　after　years　（for

she　continued　to　produce　and　publish）　by　what　desperate　and　heroic

process　she　dragged　them　out　of　the　soil。　　I　remember　asking　her　on

that　occasion　what　had　become　of　Leolin；　and　how　much　longer　she

intended　to　allow　him　to　amuse　himself　at　her　cost。　　She　rejoined

with　spirit；　wiping　her　eyes；　that　he　was　down　at　Brighton　hard　at

workhe　was　in　the　midst　of　a　noveland　that　he　FELT　life　so；　in

all　its　misery　and　mystery；　that　it　was　cruel　to　speak　of　such

experiences　as　a　pleasure。　　〃He　goes　beneath　the　surface；〃　she　said；

〃and　he　FORCES　himself　to　look　at　things　from　which　he　would　rather

turn　away。　　Do　you　call　that　amusing　yourself？　　You　should　see　his

face　sometimes！　　And　he　does　it　for　me　as　much　as　for　himself。　　He

tells　me　everythinghe　comes　home　to　me　with　his　trouvailles。　　We

are　artists　together；　and　to　the　artist　all　things　are　pure。　　I've

often　heard　you　say　so　yourself。〃　　The　novel　that　Leolin　was　engaged

in　at　Brighton　was　never　published；　but　a　friend　of　mine　and　of　Mrs。

Stormer's　who　was　staying　there　happened　to　mention　to　me　later　that

he　had　seen　the　young　apprentice　to　fiction　driving；　in　a　dogcart；　a

young　lady　with　a　very　pink　face。　　When　I　suggested　that　she　was

perhaps　a　woman　of　title　with　whom　he　was　conscientiously　flirting　my

informant　replied：　　〃She　is　indeed；　but　do　you　know　what　her　title

is？〃　　He　pronounced　itit　was　familiar　and　descriptivebut　I　won't

reproduce　it　here。　　I　don't　know　whether　Leolin　mentioned　it　to　his

mother：　　she　would　have　needed　all　the　purity　of　the　artist　to

forgive　him。　　I　hated　so　to　come　across　him　that　in　the　very　last

years　I　went　rarely　to　see　her；　though　I　knew　that　she　had　come

pretty　well　to　the　end　of　her　rope。　　I　didn't　want　her　to　tell　me

that　she　had　fairly　to　give　her　books　awayI　didn't　want　to　see　her

cry。　　She　kept　it　up　amazingly；　and　every　few　months；　at　my　club；　I

saw　three　new　volumes；　in　green；　in　crimson；　in　blue；　on　the　book…

table　that　groaned　with　light　literature。　　Once　I　met　her　at　the

Academy　soiree；　where　you　meet　people　you　thought　were　dead；　and　she

vouchsafed　the　information；　as　if　she　owed　it　to　me　in　candour；　that

Leolin　had　been　obliged　to　recognise　insuperable　difficulties　in　the

question　of　FORM；　he　was　so　fastidious；　so　that　she　had　now　arrived

at　a　definite　understanding　with　him　（it　was　such　a　comfort）　that　SHE

would　do　the　form　if　he　would　bring　home　the　substance。　　That　was　now

his　positionhe　foraged　for　her　in　the　great　world　at　a　salary。

〃He's　my　'devil；'　don't　you　see？　as　if　I　were　a　great　lawyer：　　he

gets　up　the　case　and　I　argue　it。〃　　She　mentioned　further　that　in

addition　to　his　salary　he　was　paid　by　the　piece：　　he　got　so　much　for

a　striking　character；　so　much　for　a　pretty　name；　so　much　for　a　plot；

so　much　for　an　incident；　and　had　so　much　promised　him　if　he　would

invent　a　new　crime。



〃He　HAS　invented　one；〃　I　said；　〃and　he's　paid　every　day　of　his　life。〃



〃What　is　it？〃　she　asked；　looking　hard　at　the　picture　of　the　year；

〃Baby's　Tub；〃　near　which　we　happened　to　be　standing。



I　hesitated　a　moment。　　〃I　myself　will　write　a　little　story　about　it；

and　then　you'll　see。〃



But　she　never　saw；　she　had　never　seen　anything；　and　she　passed　away

with　her　fine　blindness　unimpaired。　　Her　son　published　every　scrap　of

scribbled　paper　that　could　be　extracted　from　her　table…drawers；　and

his　sister　quarrelled　with　him　mortally　about　the　proceeds；　which

showed　that　she　only　wanted　a　pretext；　for　they　cannot　have　been

great。　　I　don't　know　what　Leolin　lives　upon；　unless　it　be　on　a　queer

lady　many　years　older　than　himself；　whom　he　lately　married。　　The　last

time　I　met　him　he　said　to　me　with　his　infuriating　smile：　　〃Don't　you

think　we　can　go　a　little　further　stilljust　a　little？〃　　HE　really

goes　too　far。











End