death of the lion-第6节

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for　you　women　bring　it　out　with　murderous　effect。　　When　you　meet　
with　a　genius　as　fine　as　this　idol　of　ours　let　him　off　the　dreary　
duty　of　being　a　personality　as　well。　　Know　him　only　by　what's　best　
in　him　and　spare　him　for　the　same　sweet　sake。〃

My　young　lady　continued　to　look　at　me　in　confusion　and　mistrust；　
and　the　result　of　her　reflexion　on　what　I　had　just　said　was　to　make　
her　suddenly　break　out：　　〃Look　here；　sir　…　what's　the　matter　with　
him？〃

〃The　matter　with　him　is　that　if　he　doesn't　look　out　people　will　eat　
a　great　hole　in　his　life。〃

She　turned　it　over。　　〃He　hasn't　any　disfigurement？〃

〃Nothing　to　speak　of！〃

〃Do　you　mean　that　social　engagements　interfere　with　his　
occupations？〃

〃That　but　feebly　expresses　it。〃

〃So　that　he　can't　give　himself　up　to　his　beautiful　imagination？〃

〃He's　beset；　badgered；　bothered　…　he's　pulled　to　pieces　on　the　
pretext　of　being　applauded。　　People　expect　him　to　give　them　his　
time；　his　golden　time；　who　wouldn't　themselves　give　five　shillings　
for　one　of　his　books。〃

〃Five？　　I'd　give　five　thousand！〃

〃Give　your　sympathy　…　give　your　forbearance。　　Two…thirds　of　those　
who　approach　him　only　do　it　to　advertise　themselves。〃

〃Why　it's　too　bad！〃　the　girl　exclaimed　with　the　face　of　an　angel。　　
〃It's　the　first　time　I　was　ever　called　crude！〃　she　laughed。

I　followed　up　my　advantage。　　〃There's　a　lady　with　him　now　who's　a　
terrible　complication；　and　who　yet　hasn't　read；　I'm　sure；　ten　pages　
he　ever　wrote。〃

My　visitor's　wide　eyes　grew　tenderer。　　〃Then　how　does　she　talk　…　？〃

〃Without　ceasing。　　I　only　mention　her　as　a　single　case。　　Do　you　
want　to　know　how　to　show　a　superlative　consideration？　　Simply　avoid　
him。〃

〃Avoid　him？〃　she　despairingly　breathed。

〃Don't　force　him　to　have　to　take　account　of　you；　admire　him　in　
silence；　cultivate　him　at　a　distance　and　secretly　appropriate　his　
message。　　Do　you　want　to　know；〃　I　continued；　warming　to　my　idea；　
〃how　to　perform　an　act　of　homage　really　sublime？〃　　Then　as　she　hung　
on　my　words：　　〃Succeed　in　never　seeing　him　at　all！〃

〃Never　at　all？〃　…　she　suppressed　a　shriek　for　it。

〃The　more　you　get　into　his　writings　the　less　you'll　want　to；　and　
you'll　be　immensely　sustained　by　the　thought　of　the　good　you're　
doing　him。〃

She　looked　at　me　without　resentment　or　spite；　and　at　the　truth　I　
had　put　before　her　with　candour；　credulity；　pity。　　I　was　afterwards　
happy　to　remember　that　she　must　have　gathered　from　my　face　the　
liveliness　of　my　interest　in　herself。　　〃I　think　I　see　what　you　
mean。〃

〃Oh　I　express　it　badly；　but　I　should　be　delighted　if　you'd　let　me　
come　to　see　you　…　to　explain　it　better。〃

She　made　no　response　to　this；　and　her　thoughtful　eyes　fell　on　the　
big　album；　on　which　she　presently　laid　her　hands　as　if　to　take　it　
away。　　〃I　did　use　to　say　out　West　that　they　might　write　a　little　
less　for　autographs　…　to　all　the　great　poets；　you　know　…　and　study　
the　thoughts　and　style　a　little　more。〃

〃What　do　they　care　for　the　thoughts　and　style？　　They　didn't　even　
understand　you。　　I'm　not　sure；〃　I　added；　〃that　I　do　myself；　and　I　
dare　say　that　you　by　no　means　make　me　out。〃

She　had　got　up　to　go；　and　though　I　wanted　her　to　succeed　in　not　
seeing　Neil　Paraday　I　wanted　her　also；　inconsequently；　to　remain　in　
the　house。　　I　was　at　any　rate　far　from　desiring　to　hustle　her　off。　　
As　Mrs。　Weeks　Wimbush；　upstairs；　was　still　saving　our　friend　in　her　
own　way；　I　asked　my　young　lady　to　let　me　briefly　relate；　in　
illustration　of　my　point；　the　little　incident　of　my　having　gone　
down　into　the　country　for　a　profane　purpose　and　been　converted　on　
the　spot　to　holiness。　　Sinking　again　into　her　chair　to　listen　she　
showed　a　deep　interest　in　the　anecdote。　　Then　thinking　it　over　
gravely　she　returned　with　her　odd　intonation：　　〃Yes；　but　you　do　see　
him！〃　I　had　to　admit　that　this　was　the　case；　and　I　wasn't　so　
prepared　with　an　effective　attenuation　as　I　could　have　wished。　　She　
eased　the　situation　off；　however；　by　the　charming　quaintness　with　
which　she　finally　said：　　〃Well；　I　wouldn't　want　him　to　be　lonely！〃　　
This　time　she　rose　in　earnest；　but　I　persuaded　her　to　let　me　keep　
the　album　to　show　Mr。　Paraday。　　I　assured　her　I'd　bring　it　back　to　
her　myself。　　〃Well；　you'll　find　my　address　somewhere　in　it　on　a　
paper！〃　she　sighed　all　resignedly　at　the　door。



CHAPTER　VIII。



I　BLUSH　to　confess　it；　but　I　invited　Mr。　Paraday　that　very　day　to　
transcribe　into　the　album　one　of　his　most　characteristic　passages。　　
I　told　him　how　I　had　got　rid　of　the　strange　girl　who　had　brought　it　
…　her　ominous　name　was　Miss　Hurter　and　she　lived　at　an　hotel；　quite　
agreeing　with　him　moreover　as　to　the　wisdom　of　getting　rid　with　
equal　promptitude　of　the　book　itself。　　This　was　why　I　carried　it　to　
Albemarle　Street　no　later　than　on　the　morrow。　　I　failed　to　find　her　
at　home；　but　she　wrote　to　me　and　I　went　again；　she　wanted　so　much　
to　hear　more　about　Neil　Paraday。　　I　returned　repeatedly；　I　may　
briefly　declare；　to　supply　her　with　this　information。　　She　had　been　
immensely　taken；　the　more　she　thought　of　it；　with　that　idea　of　mine　
about　the　act　of　homage：　　it　had　ended　by　filling　her　with　a　
generous　rapture。　　She　positively　desired　to　do　something　sublime　
for　him；　though　indeed　I　could　see　that；　as　this　particular　flight　
was　difficult；　she　appreciated　the　fact　that　my　visits　kept　her　up。　　
I　had　it　on　my　conscience　to　keep　her　up：　　I　neglected　nothing　that　
would　contribute　to　it；　and　her　conception　of　our　cherished　
author's　independence　became　at　last　as　fine　as　his　very　own。　　
〃Read　him；　read　him　…　THAT　will　be　an　education　in　decency；〃　I　
constantly　repeated；　while；　seeking　him　in　his　works　even　as　God　in　
nature；　she　represented　herself　as　convinced　that；　according　to　my　
assurance；　this　was　the　system　that　had；　as　she　expressed　it；　
weaned　her。　　We　read　him　together　when　I　could　find　time；　and　the　
generous　creature's　sacrifice　was　fed　by　our　communion。　　There　were　
twenty　selfish　women　about　whom　I　told　her　and　who　stirred　her　to　a　
beautiful　rage。　　Immediately　after　my　first　visit　her　sister；　Mrs。　
Milsom；　came　over　from　Paris；　and　the　two　ladies　began　to　present；　
as　they　called　it；　their　letters。　　I　thanked　our　stars　that　none　
had　been　presented　to　Mr。　Paraday。　　They　received　invitations　and　
dined　out；　and　some　of　these　occasions　enabled　Fanny　Hurter　to　
perform；　for　consistency's　sake；　touching　feats　of　submission。　　
Nothing　indeed　would　now　have　induced　her　even　to　look　at　the　
object　of　her　admiration。　　Once；　hearing　his　name　announced　at　a　
party；　she　instantly　left　the　room　by　another　door　and　then　
straightway　quitted　the　house。　　At　another　time　when　I　was　at　the　
opera　with　them　…　Mrs。　Milsom　had　invited　me　to　their　box　…　I　
attempted　to　point　Mr。　Paraday　out　to　her　in　the　stalls。　　On　this　
she　asked　her　sister　to　change　places　with　her　and；　while　that　lady　
devoured　the　great　man　through　a　powerful　glass；　presented；　all　the　
rest　of　the　evening；　her　inspired　back　to　the　house。　　To　torment　
her　tenderly　I　pressed　the　glass　upon　her；　telling　her　how　
wonderfully　near　it　brought　our　friend's　handsome　head。　　By　way　of　
answer　she　simply　looked　at　me　in　charged　silence；　letting　me　see　
that　tears　had　gathered　in　her　eyes。　　These　tears；　I　may　remark；　
produced　an　effect　on　me　of　which　the　end　is　not　yet。　　There　was　a　
moment　when　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　mention　them　to　Neil　Paraday；　but　
I　was　deterred　by　the　reflexion　that　there　were　questions　more　
relevant　to　his　happiness。

These　question　indeed；　by　the　end　of　the　season；　were　reduced　to　a　
single　one　…　the　question　of　reconstituting　so　far　as　might　be　
possible　the　conditions　under　which　he　had　produced　his　best　work。　　
Such　conditions　could　never　all　come　back；　for　there　was　a　new　one　
that　took　up　too　much　place；　but　some　perhaps　were　not　beyond　
recall。　　I　wanted　above　all　things　to　see　him　sit　down　to　the　
subject　he　had；　on　my　making　his　acquaintance；　read　me　that　
admirable　sketch　of。　　Something　told　me　there　was　no　security　but　
in　his　doing　so　before　the　new　factor；　as　we　used　to　say　at　Mr。　
Pinhorn's；　should　render　the　problem　incalculable。　　It　only　half…
reassured　me　that　the　sketch　itself　was　so　copious　and　so　eloquent　
that　even　at　the　worst　there　would　be　the　making　of　a　small　but　
complete　book；　a　tiny　volume　which；　for　the　faithful；　might　well　
become　an　object　of　adoration。　　There　would　even　not　be　wanting　
critics　to　declare；　I　foresaw；　that　the　plan　was　a　thing　to　be　more　
thankful　for　than　the　structure　to　have　been　reared　on　it。　　My　
impatience　for　the　structure；　none　the　less；　grew　and　grew　with　the　
interruptions。　　He　had　on　coming　up　to　town　begun　to　sit　for　his　
portrait　to　a　young　painter；　Mr。　Rumble；　whose　little　game；　as　we　
also　used　to　say　at　Mr。　Pinhorn's；　was　to　be　the　first　to　perch　on　
the　shoulders　of　renown。　　Mr。　Rumble's　studio　was　a　circus　in　which　
the　man　of　the　hour；　and　still　more　the　woman；　leaped　through　the　
hoops　of　his　showy　frames　almost　as　electrically　as　they　burst　into　
telegrams　and　〃specials。〃　　He　pranced　into　the　exhibitions　on　their　
back；　he　was　the　reporter　on　canvas；　the　Vandyke　up　to　date；　and　
there　was　one　roaring　year　in