the diary of a man of fifty-第2节

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The　landlord　looked　down　at　his　boots；　then　slowly　raised　his　

shoulders；　with　a　melancholy　smile。　　〃I　have　many　regrets；　dear　sir

〃



〃You　don't　know　the　name？〃



〃I　know　the　name；　assuredly。　　But　I　don't　know　the　gentleman。〃



I　saw　that　my　question　had　attracted　the　attention　of　the　young　

Englishman；　who　looked　at　me　with　a　good　deal　of　earnestness。　　He　was　

apparently　satisfied　with　what　he　saw；　for　he　presently　decided　to　

speak。



〃The　Count　Scarabelli　is　dead；〃　he　said；　very　gravely。



I　looked　at　him　a　moment；　he　was　a　pleasing　young　fellow。　　〃And　his　

widow　lives；〃　I　observed；　〃in　Via　Ghibellina？〃



〃I　daresay　that　is　the　name　of　the　street。〃　　He　was　a　handsome　young　

Englishman；　but　he　was　also　an　awkward　one；　he　wondered　who　I　was　and　

what　I　wanted；　and　he　did　me　the　honour　to　perceive　that；　as　regards　

these　points；　my　appearance　was　reassuring。　　But　he　hesitated；　very　

properly；　to　talk　with　a　perfect　stranger　about　a　lady　whom　he　knew；　

and　he　had　not　the　art　to　conceal　his　hesitation。　　I　instantly　felt　

it　to　be　singular　that　though　he　regarded　me　as　a　perfect　stranger；　I　

had　not　the　same　feeling　about　him。　　Whether　it　was　that　I　had　seen　

him　before；　or　simply　that　I　was　struck　with　his　agreeable　young　

faceat　any　rate；　I　felt　myself；　as　they　say　here；　in　sympathy　with　

him。　　If　I　have　seen　him　before　I　don't　remember　the　occasion；　and　

neither；　apparently；　does　he；　I　suppose　it's　only　a　part　of　the　

feeling　I　have　had　the　last　three　days　about　everything。　　It　was　this　

feeling　that　made　me　suddenly　act　as　if　I　had　known　him　a　long　time。



〃Do　you　know　the　Countess　Salvi？〃　I　asked。



He　looked　at　me　a　little；　and　then；　without　resenting　the　freedom　of　

my　question〃The　Countess　Scarabelli；　you　mean；〃　he　said。



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃she's　the　daughter。〃



〃The　daughter　is　a　little　girl。〃



〃She　must　be　grown　up　now。　　She　must　belet　me　seeclose　upon　

thirty。〃



My　young　Englishman　began　to　smile。　　〃Of　whom　are　you　speaking？〃



〃I　was　speaking　of　the　daughter；〃　I　said；　understanding　his　smile。　　

〃But　I　was　thinking　of　the　mother。〃



〃Of　the　mother？〃



〃Of　a　person　I　knew　twenty…seven　years　agothe　most　charming　woman　I　

have　ever　known。　　She　was　the　Countess　Salvishe　lived　in　a　

wonderful　old　house　in　Via　Ghibellina。〃



〃A　wonderful　old　house！〃　my　young　Englishman　repeated。



〃She　had　a　little　girl；〃　I　went　on；　〃and　the　little　girl　was　very　

fair；　like　her　mother；　and　the　mother　and　daughter　had　the　same　name…

…Bianca。〃　　I　stopped　and　looked　at　my　companion；　and　he　blushed　a　

little。　　〃And　Bianca　Salvi；〃　I　continued；　〃was　the　most　charming　

woman　in　the　world。〃　　He　blushed　a　little　more；　and　I　laid　my　hand　on　

his　shoulder。　　〃Do　you　know　why　I　tell　you　this？　　Because　you　remind　

me　of　what　I　was　when　I　knew　herwhen　I　loved　her。〃　　My　poor　young　

Englishman　gazed　at　me　with　a　sort　of　embarrassed　and　fascinated　

stare；　and　still　I　went　on。　　〃I　say　that's　the　reason　I　told　you　

thisbut　you'll　think　it　a　strange　reason。　　You　remind　me　of　my　

younger　self。　　You　needn't　resent　thatI　was　a　charming　young　

fellow。　　The　Countess　Salvi　thought　so。　　Her　daughter　thinks　the　same　

of　you。〃



Instantly；　instinctively；　he　raised　his　hand　to　my　arm。　　〃Truly？〃



〃Ah；　you　are　wonderfully　like　me！〃　I　said；　laughing。　　〃That　was　just　

my　state　of　mind。　　I　wanted　tremendously　to　please　her。〃　　He　dropped　

his　hand　and　looked　away；　smiling；　but　with　an　air　of　ingenuous　

confusion　which　quickened　my　interest　in　him。　　〃You　don't　know　what　

to　make　of　me；〃　I　pursued。　　〃You　don't　know　why　a　stranger　should　

suddenly　address　you　in　this　way　and　pretend　to　read　your　thoughts。　　

Doubtless　you　think　me　a　little　cracked。　　Perhaps　I　am　eccentric；　but　

it's　not　so　bad　as　that。　　I　have　lived　about　the　world　a　great　deal；　

following　my　profession；　which　is　that　of　a　soldier。　　I　have　been　in　

India；　in　Africa；　in　Canada；　and　I　have　lived　a　good　deal　alone。　　

That　inclines　people；　I　think；　to　sudden　bursts　of　confidence。　　A　

week　ago　I　came　into　Italy；　where　I　spent　six　months　when　I　was　your　

age。　　I　came　straight　to　FlorenceI　was　eager　to　see　it　again；　on　

account　of　associations。　　They　have　been　crowding　upon　me　ever　so　

thickly。　　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　giving　you　a　hint　of　them。〃　　

The　young　man　inclined　himself　a　little；　in　silence；　as　if　he　had　

been　struck　with　a　sudden　respect。　　He　stood　and　looked　away　for　a　

moment　at　the　river　and　the　mountains。　　〃It's　very　beautiful；〃　I　

said。



〃Oh；　it's　enchanting；〃　he　murmured。



〃That's　the　way　I　used　to　talk。　　But　that's　nothing　to　you。〃



He　glanced　at　me　again。　　〃On　the　contrary；　I　like　to　hear。〃



〃Well；　then；　let　us　take　a　walk。　　If　you　too　are　staying　at　this　inn；　

we　are　fellow…travellers。　　We　will　walk　down　the　Arno　to　the　Cascine。　　

There　are　several　things　I　should　like　to　ask　of　you。〃



My　young　Englishman　assented　with　an　air　of　almost　filial　confidence；　

and　we　strolled　for　an　hour　beside　the　river　and　through　the　shady　

alleys　of　that　lovely　wilderness。　　We　had　a　great　deal　of　talk：　　it's　

not　only　myself；　it's　my　whole　situation　over　again。



〃Are　you　very　fond　of　Italy？〃　I　asked。



He　hesitated　a　moment。　　〃One　can't　express　that。〃



〃Just　so；　I　couldn't　express　it。　　I　used　to　tryI　used　to　write　

verses。　　On　the　subject　of　Italy　I　was　very　ridiculous。〃



〃So　am　I　ridiculous；〃　said　my　companion。



〃No；　my　dear　boy；〃　I　answered；　〃we　are　not　ridiculous；　we　are　two　

very　reasonable；　superior　people。〃



〃The　first　time　one　comesas　I　have　doneit's　a　revelation。〃



〃Oh；　I　remember　well；　one　never　forgets　it。　　It's　an　introduction　to　

beauty。〃



〃And　it　must　be　a　great　pleasure；〃　said　my　young　friend；　〃to　come　

back。〃



〃Yes；　fortunately　the　beauty　is　always　here。　　What　form　of　it；〃　I　

asked；　〃do　you　prefer？〃



My　companion　looked　a　little　mystified；　and　at　last　he　said；　〃I　am　

very　fond　of　the　pictures。〃



〃So　was　I。　　And　among　the　pictures；　which　do　you　like　best？〃



〃Oh；　a　great　many。〃



〃So　did　I；　but　I　had　certain　favourites。〃



Again　the　young　man　hesitated　a　little；　and　then　he　confessed　that　

the　group　of　painters　he　preferred；　on　the　whole；　to　all　others；　was　

that　of　the　early　Florentines。



I　was　so　struck　with　this　that　I　stopped　short。　　〃That　was　exactly　my　

taste！〃　　And　then　I　passed　my　hand　into　his　arm　and　we　went　our　way　

again。



We　sat　down　on　an　old　stone　bench　in　the　Cascine；　and　a　solemn　blank…

eyed　Hermes；　with　wrinkles　accentuated　by　the　dust　of　ages；　stood　

above　us　and　listened　to　our　talk。



〃The　Countess　Salvi　died　ten　years　ago；〃　I　said。



My　companion　admitted　that　he　had　heard　her　daughter　say　so。



〃After　I　knew　her　she　married　again；〃　I　added。　　〃The　Count　Salvi　died　

before　I　knew　hera　couple　of　years　after　their　marriage。〃



〃Yes；　I　have　heard　that。〃



〃And　what　else　have　you　heard？〃



My　companion　stared　at　me；　he　had　evidently　heard　nothing。



〃She　was　a　very　interesting　womanthere　are　a　great　many　things　to　

be　said　about　her。　　Later；　perhaps；　I　will　tell　you。　　Has　the　

daughter　the　same　charm？〃



〃You　forget；〃　said　my　young　man；　smiling；　〃that　I　have　never　seen　the　

mother。〃



〃Very　true。　　I　keep　confounding。　　But　the　daughterhow　long　have　you　

known　her？〃



〃Only　since　I　have　been　here。　　A　very　short　time。〃



〃A　week？〃



For　a　moment　he　said　nothing。　　〃A　month。〃



〃That's　just　the　answer　I　should　have　made。　　A　week；　a　monthit　was　

all　the　same　to　me。〃



〃I　think　it　is　more　than　a　month；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃It's　probably　six。　　How　did　you　make　her　acquaintance？〃



〃By　a　letteran　introduction　given　me　by　a　friend　in　England。〃



〃The　analogy　is　complete；〃　I　said。　　〃But　the　friend　who　gave　me　my　

letter　to　Madame　de　Salvi　died　many　years　ago。　　He；　too；　admired　her　

greatly。　　I　don't　know　why　it　never　came　into　my　mind　that　her　

daughter　might　be　living　in　Florence。　　Somehow　I　took　for　granted　it　

was　all　over。　　I　never　thought　of　the　little　girl；　I　never　heard　what　

had　become　of　her。　　I　walked　past　the　palace　yesterday　and　saw　that　

it　was　occupied；　but　I　took　for　granted　it　had　changed　hands。〃



〃The　Countess　Scarabelli；〃　said　my　friend；　〃brought　it　to　her　husband　

as　her　marriage…portion。〃



〃I　hope　he　appreciated　it！　　There　is　a　fountain　in　the　court；　and　

there　is　a　charming　old　garden　beyond　it。　　The　Countess's　sitting…

room　looks　into　that　garden。　　The　staircase　is　of　white　marble；　and　

there　is　a　medallion　by　Luca　della　Robbia　set　into　the　wall　at　the　

place　where　it　makes　a　bend。　　Before　you　come　into　the　drawing…room　

you　stand　a　moment　in　a　great　vaulted　place　hung　round　with　faded　

tapestry；　paved　with　bare　tiles；　and　furnished　only　with　three　

chairs。　　In　the　drawing…room；　above　the　fireplace；　is　a　superb　Andrea　

del　Sarto。　　The　furniture　is　covered　with　pale　sea…green。〃



My　compan