jeremy-第3节

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place　in　the　ceremony；　spectators　now　and　eagerly　excited。

But　Mary　had　a　last　word。

〃You　do　like　mine；　don't　you？〃

〃Of　course；　like　anything。〃

She　wanted　to　say　〃Better　than　Helen's？〃　but　restrained　herself。

〃I　was　ever　so　long　doing　it；　I　thought　I　wouldn't　finish　it　in
time。〃

He　saw　with　terror　that　she　meditated　a　descent　upon　him；　a　kiss　was
in　the　air。　She　moved　forward；　then；　to　his　extreme　relief；　the　door
opened　and　the　elders　arriving　saved　him。

There　were　Father　and　Mother；　Uncle　Samuel　and　Aunt　Amy；　all　with
presents；　faces　of　birthday　tolerance　and　〃do…as…you…please…to…day；
dear〃　expressions。

The　Rev。　Herbert　Cole　was　forty　years　of　age；　rector　of　St。　James's；
Polchester；　during　the　last　ten　years；　and　marked　out　for　greater
preferment　in　the　near　future。　To　be　a　rector　at　thirty　is　unusual；
but　he　had　great　religious　gifts；　preached　an　admirable　〃as…man…to…
man〃　sermon；　and　did　not　believe　in　thinking　about　more　than　he
could　see。　He　was　an　excellent　father　in　the　abstract　sense；　but　the
parish　absorbed　too　much　of　his　time　to　allow　of　intimacies　with
anyone。

Mrs。　Cole　was　the　most　placid　lady　in　Europe。　She　had　a　comfortable
figure；　but　was　not　stout；　here　a　dimple　and　there　a　dimple。　Nothing
could　disturb　her。　Children；　servants；　her　husband's　sermons；
district　visiting；　her　Tuesday　〃at　homes；〃　the　butcher；　the　dean's
wife；　the　wives　of　the　canons；　the　Polchester　climate；　bills；
clothes；　other　women's　clothesover　all　these　rocks　of　peril　in　the
sea　of　daily　life　her　barque　happily　floated。　Some　ill…natured
people　thought　her　stupid；　but　in　her　younger　days　she　had　liked
Trollope's　novels　in　the　Cornhill；　disapproved　placidly　of　〃Jane
Eyre；〃　and　admired　Tennyson；　so　that　she　could　not　be　considered
unliterary。

She　was　economical；　warm…hearted；　loved　her　children；　talked　only
the　gentlest　scandal；　and　was　a　completely　happy　womanall　this　in
the　placidest　way　in　the　world。　Miss　Amy　Trefusis；　her　sister；　was
very　different；　being　thin　both　in　her　figure　and　her　emotions。　She
skirted　tempestuously　over　the　surface　of　things；　was　the　most
sentimental　of　human　beings；　was　often　in　tears　over　reminiscences
of　books　or　the　weather；　was　deeply　religious　in　a　superficial　way；
and　reallyalthough　she　would　have　been　entirely　astonished　had　you
told　her　socared　for　no　one　in　the　world　but　herself。　She　was
dressed　always　in　dark　colours；　with　the　high　shoulders　of　the　day；
elegant　bonnets　and　little　chains　that　jingled　as　she　moved。　In　her
soul　she　feared　and　distrusted　children；　but　she　did　not　know　this。
She　did　know；　however；　that　she　feared　and　distrusted　her　brother
Samuel。

Her　brother　Samuel　was　all　that　the　Trefusis　family；　as　a
conservative　body　who　believed　in　tradition；　had　least　reason　for
understanding。　He　had　been　a　failure　from　the　first　moment　of　his
entry　into　the　Grammar　School　in　Polchester　thirty…five　years　before
this　story。　He　had　continued　a　failure　at　Winchester　and　at　Christ
Church；　Oxford。　He　had　desired　to　be　a　painter；　he　had　broken　from
the　family　and　gone　to　study　Art　in　Paris。　He　had　starved　and
starved；　was　at　death's　door；　was　dragged　home；　and　there　suddenly
had　relapsed　into　Polchester；　lived　first　on　his　father；　then　on　his
brother…in…law；　painted　about　the　town；　painted；　made　cynical
remarks　about　the　Polcastrians；　painted；　made　blasphemous　remarks
about　the　bishop；　the　dean　and　all　the　canons；　painted；　and　refused
to　leave　his　brother…in…law's　house。　He　was　a　scandal；　of　course；　he
was　fat；　untidy；　wore　a　blue　tam…o'…shanter　when　he　was　〃out；〃　and
sometimes　went　down　Orange　Street　in　carpet　slippers。

He　was　a　scandal；　but　what　are　you　to　do　if　a　relative　is　obstinate
and　refuses　to　go？　At　least　make　him　shave；　say　the　wives　of　the
canons。　But　no　one　had　ever　made　Samuel　Trefusis　do　anything　that　he
did　not　want　to　do。　He　was　sometimes　not　shaved　for　three　whole　days
and　nights。　At　any　rate；　there　he　is。　It　is　of　no　use　saying　that　he
does　not　exist；　as　many　of　the　Close　ladies　try　to　do。　And　at　least
he　does　not　paint　strange　women；　he　prefers　flowers　and　cows　and　the
Polchester　woods；　although　anything　less　like　cows；　flowers　and
woods；　Mrs。　Sampson；　wife　of　the　Dean；　who　once　had　a　water…colour
in　the　Academy；　says　she　has　never　seen。　Samuel　Trefusis　is　a
failure；　and；　what　is　truly　awful；　he　does　not　mind；　nobody　buys　his
pictures　and　he　does　not　care；　and；　worst　taste　of　all；　he　laughs　at
his　relations；　although　he　lives　on　them。　Nothing　further　need　be
said。

To　Helen；　Mary　and　Jeremy　he　had　always　been　a　fascinating　object；
although　they　realised；　with　that　sharp　worldly　wisdom　to　be　found
in　all　infants　of　tender　years；　that　he　was　a　failure；　a　dirty　man；
and　disliked　children。　He　very　rarely　spoke　to　them；　was　once　quite
wildly　enraged　when　Mary　was　discovered　licking　his　paints。　（It　was
the　paints　he　seemed　anxious　about；　not　in　the　least　the　poor　little
thing's　health；　as　his　sister　Amy　said）；　and　had　publicly　been　heard
to　say　that　his　brother…in…law　had　only　got　the　children　he
deserved。

Nevertheless　Jeremy　had　always　been　interested　in　him。　He　liked　his
fat　round　shape；　his　rough；　untidy　grey　hair；　his　scarlet　slippers；
his　blue　tam…o'…shanter；　the　smudges　of　paint　sometimes　to　be
discovered　on　his　cheeks；　and　the　jingling　noises　he　made　in　his
pocket　with　his　money。　He　was　certainly　more　fun　than　Aunt　Amy。

There；　then；　they　all　were　with　their　presents　and　their　birthday
faces。

〃Shall　I　undo　them　for　you；　darling？〃　of　course　said　Aunt　Amy。
Jeremy　shook　his　head　（he　did　not　say　what　he　thought　of　her）　and
continued　to　tug　at　the　string。　He　was　given　a　large　pair　of
scissors。　He　received　（from　Father）　a　silver　watch；　（from　Mother）　a
paint…box；　a　dark　blue　and　gold　prayer　book　with　a　thick　squashy
leather　cover　（from　Aunt　Amy）。

He　was　in　an　ecstasy。　How　he　had　longed　for　a　watch；　just　such　a
turnip…shaped　one；　and　a　paint…box。　What　colours　he　could　make！　Even
Aunt　Amy's　prayer　book　was　something；　with　its　squashy　cover　and
silk　marker　（only　why　did　Aunt　Amy　never　give　him　anything
sensible？）。　He　stood　there；　his　face　flushed；　his　eyes　sparkling；
the　watch　in　one　hand　and　the　paint…box　in　the　other。　Remarks　were
heard　like：　〃You　mustn't　poke　it　with；　your　finger；　Jerry　darling；
or　you'll　break　the　hands　off〃；　and　〃I　thought　he'd；　better　have　the
square　sort；　and　not　the　tubes。　They're　so　squashy〃；　and　〃You'll　be
able　to　learn　your　Collect　so　easily　with　that　big　print；　Jerry
dear。　Very　kind　of　you；　Amy。〃

Meanwhile　he　was　aware　that　Uncle　Samuel　had　given　him　nothing。
There　was　a　little　thick　catch　of　disappointment　in　his　throat；　not
because　he　wanted　a　present；　but　because　he　liked　Uncle　Samuel。
Suddenly；　from　somewhere　behind　him　his　uncle　said：　〃Shut　your　eyes；
Jerry。　Don't　open　them　until　I　tell　you〃then　rather　crossly；　〃No；
Amy；　leave　me　alone。　I　know　what　I'm　about；　thank　you。〃

Jeremy　shut　his　eyes　tight。　He　closed　them　so　that　the　eyelids
seemed　to　turn　right　inwards　and　red　lights　flashed。　He　stood　there
for　at　least　a　century；　all　in　darkness；　no　one　saying　anything　save
that　once　Mary　cried　〃Oh！〃　and　clapped　her　hands；　which　same　cry
excited　him　to　such　a　pitch　that　he　would　have　dug　his　nails　into
his　hands　had　he　not　so　consistently　in　the　past　bitten　them　that
there　were　no　nails　with　which　to　dig。　He　waited。　He　waited。　He
waited。　He　was　not　eight；　he　was　eighty　when　at　last　Uncle　Samuel
said；　〃Now　you　may　look。〃

He　opened　his　eyes　and　turned；　for　a　moment　the　nursery；　too；　rocked
in　the　unfamiliar　light。　Then　he　saw。　On　the　middle　of　the　nursery
carpet　was　a　village；　a　real　village；　six　houses　with　red　roofs；
green　windows　and　white　porches；　a　church　with　a　tower　and　a　tiny
bell；　an　orchard　with　flowers　on　the　fruit　trees；　a　green　lawn；　a
street　with　a　butcher's　shop；　a　post　office；　and　a　grocer's。
Villager　Noah；　Mrs。　Noah　and　the　little　Noahs；　a　field　with　cows；
horses；　dogs；　a　farm　with　chickens　and　even　two　pigs。　。　。

He　stood；　he　stared；　he　drew　a　deep　breath。

〃It　comes　all　the　way　from　Germany；〃　said　Aunt　Amy；　who　always　made
things　uninteresting　if　she　possibly　could。

There　was　much　delighted　talk。　Jeremy　said　nothing。　But　Uncle　Samuel
understood。

〃Glad　you　like　it；〃　he　said；　and　left　the　room。

〃Aren't　you　pleased　？〃　said　Helen。

Jeremy　still　said　nothing。

〃Sausages。　Sausages！〃　cried　Mary；　as　Gladys；　grinning；　entered　with
a　dish　of　a　lovely　and　pleasant　smell。　But　Jeremy　did　not　turn。　He
simply　stood　therestaring。




III


It　is　of　the　essence　of　birthdays　that　they　cannot　maintain
throughout　a　long　day　the　glorious　character　of　their　early　dawning。
In　Polchester　thirty　years　ago　there　were　no　cinematographs；　no
theatre　save　for　an　occasional　amateur　performance　at　the　Assembly
Rooms　and；　once　and　again；　a　magic…lantern　show。　On　this　particular
day；　moreover；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Cole　were　immensely　busied　with
preparations　for　some　parochial　tea。　Miss　Trefusis　had　calls　to
make；　and；　of　course；　Uncle　Samuel　was　invisible。　The　Birthday　then
suddenly　became　no　longer　a　birthday　but　an　ordinary　daywith　an
extraordinary　standard。　This　is　why　so　many　birthdays　end　in　tears。