道林格雷的画像_奥斯卡·王尔德-第9节

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〃we　are　talking　about　poor　dartmoor；　lord　henry；〃　cried　the　duchess；　nodding　pleasantly　to　him　across　the　table。　〃do　you　think　he　will　really　marry　this　fascinating　young　person？〃

〃i　believe　she　has　made　up　her　mind　to　propose　to　him；　duchess。〃

〃how　dreadful！〃　exclaimed　lady　agatha。　〃really；　some　one　should　interfere。〃

〃i　am　told；　on　excellent　authority；　that　her　father　keeps　an　american　dry…goods　store；〃　said　sir　thomas　burdon；　looking　supercilious。

〃my　uncle　has　already　suggested　pork…packing　sir　thomas。〃

〃dry…goods！　what　are　american　dry…goods？〃　asked　the　duchess；　raising　her　large　hands　in　wonder　and　accentuating　the　verb。

〃american　novels；〃　answered　lord　henry；　helping　himself　to　some　quail。

the　duchess　looked　puzzled。

〃dont　mind　him；　my　dear；〃　whispered　lady　agatha。　〃he　never　means　anything　that　he　says。〃

〃when　america　was　discovered；〃　said　the　radical　member　and　he　began　to　give　some　wearisome　facts。　like　all　people　who　try　to　exhaust　a　subject；　he　exhausted　his　listeners。　the　duchess　sighed　and　exercised　her　privilege　of　interruption。　〃i　wish　to　goodness　it　never　had　been　discovered　at　all！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃really；　our　girls　have　no　chance　nowadays。　it　is　most　unfair。〃

〃perhaps；　after　all；　america　never　has　been　discovered；〃　said　mr。　erskine；　〃i　myself　would　say　that　it　had　merely　been　detected。〃

〃oh！　but　i　have　seen　specimens　of　the　inhabitants；〃　answered　the　duchess　vaguely。　〃i　must　confess　that　most　of　them　are　extremely　pretty。　and　they　dress　well；　too。　they　get　all　their　dresses　in　paris。　i　wish　i　could　afford　to　do　the　same。〃

〃they　say　that　when　good　americans　die　they　go　to　paris；〃　chuckled　sir　thomas；　who　had　a　large　wardrobe　of　humours　cast…off　clothes。

〃really！　and　where　do　bad　americans　go　to　when　they　die？〃　inquired　the　duchess。

〃they　go　to　america；〃　murmured　lord　henry。

sir　thomas　frowned。　〃i　am　afraid　that　your　nephew　is　prejudiced　against　that　great　country；〃　he　said　to　lady　agatha。　〃i　have　travelled　all　over　it　in　cars　provided　by　the　directors；　who；　in　such　matters；　are　extremely　civil。　i　assure　you　that　it　is　an　education　to　visit　it。〃

〃but　must　we　really　see　chicago　in　order　to　be　educated？〃　asked　mr。　erskine　plaintively。　〃i　dont　feel　up　to　the　journey。〃

sir　thomas　waved　his　hand。　〃mr。　erskine　of　treadley　has　the　world　on　his　shelves。　we　practical　men　like　to　see　things；　not　to　read　about　them。　the　americans　are　an　extremely　interesting　people。　they　are　absolutely　reasonable。　i　think　that　is　their　distinguishing　characteristic。　yes；　mr。　erskine；　an　absolutely　reasonable　people。　i　assure　you　there　is　no　nonsense　about　the　americans。〃

〃how　dreadful！〃　cried　lord　henry。　〃i　can　stand　brute　force；　but　brute　reason　is　quite　unbearable。　there　is　something　unfair　about　its　use。　it　is　hitting　below　the　intellect。〃

〃i　do　not　understand　you；〃　said　sir　thomas；　growing　rather　red。

〃i　do；　lord　henry；〃　murmured　mr。　erskine；　with　a　smile。

〃paradoxes　are　all　very　well　in　their　way。。。　。〃　rejoined　the　baronet。

〃was　that　a　paradox？〃　asked　mr。　erskine。　〃i　did　not　think　so。　perhaps　it　was。　well；　the　way　of　paradoxes　is　the　way　of　truth。　to　test　reality　we　must　see　it　on　the　tight　rope。　when　the　verities　bee　acrobats；　we　can　judge　them。〃

〃dear　me！〃　said　lady　agatha；　〃how　you　men　argue！　i　am　sure　i　never　can　make　out　what　you　are　talking　about。　oh！　harry；　i　am　quite　vexed　with　you。　why　do　you　try　to　persuade　our　nice　mr。　dorian　gray　to　give　up　the　east　end？　i　assure　you　he　would　be　quite　invaluable。　they　would　love　his　playing。〃

〃i　want　him　to　play　to　me；〃　cried　lord　henry；　smiling；　and　he　looked　down　the　table　and　caught　a　bright　answering　glance。

〃but　they　are　so　unhappy　in　whitechapel；〃　continued　lady　agatha。

〃i　can　sympathize　with　everything　except　suffering；〃　said　lord　henry；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃i　cannot　sympathize　with　that。　it　is　too　ugly；　too　horrible；　too　distressing。　there　is　something　terribly　morbid　in　the　modern　sympathy　with　pain。　one　should　sympathize　with　the　colour；　the　beauty；　the　joy　of　life。　the　less　said　about　lifes　sores；　the　better。〃

〃still；　the　east　end　is　a　very　important　problem；〃　remarked　sir　thomas　with　a　grave　shake　of　the　head。

〃quite　so；〃　answered　the　young　lord。　〃it　is　the　problem　of　slavery；　and　we　try　to　solve　it　by　amusing　the　slaves。〃

the　politician　looked　at　him　keenly。　〃what　change　do　you　propose；　then？〃　he　asked。

lord　henry　laughed。　〃i　dont　desire　to　change　anything　in　england　except　the　weather；〃　he　answered。　〃i　am　quite　content　with　philosophic　contemplation。　but；　as　the　nineteenth　century　has　gone　bankrupt　through　an　over…expenditure　of　sympathy；　i　would　suggest　that　we　should　appeal　to　science　to　put　us　straight。　the　advantage　of　the　emotions　is　that　they　lead　us　astray；　and　the　advantage　of　science　is　that　it　is　not　emotional。〃

〃but　we　have　such　grave　responsibilities；〃　ventured　mrs。　vandeleur　timidly。

〃terribly　grave；〃　echoed　lady　agatha。

lord　henry　looked　over　at　mr。　erskine。　〃humanity　takes　itself　too　seriously。　it　is　the　worlds　original　sin。　if　the　caveman　had　known　how　to　laugh；　history　would　have　been　different。〃

〃you　are　really　very　forting；〃　warbled　the　duchess。　〃i　have　always　felt　rather　guilty　when　i　came　to　see　your　dear　aunt；　for　i　take　no　interest　at　all　in　the　east　end。　for　the　future　i　shall　be　able　to　look　her　in　the　face　without　a　blush。〃

〃a　blush　is　very　being；　duchess；〃　remarked　lord　henry。

〃only　when　one　is　young；〃　she　answered。　〃when　an　old　woman　like　myself　blushes；　it　is　a　very　bad　sign。　ah！　lord　henry；　i　wish　you　would　tell　me　how　to　bee　young　again。〃

he　thought　for　a　moment。　〃can　you　remember　any　great　error　that　you　mitted　in　your　early　days；　duchess？〃　he　asked；　looking　at　her　across　the　table。

〃a　great　many；　i　fear；〃　she　cried。

〃then　mit　them　over　again；〃　he　said　gravely。　〃to　get　back　ones　youth；　one　has　merely　to　repeat　ones　follies。〃

〃a　delightful　theory！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃i　must　put　it　into　practice。〃

〃a　dangerous　theory！〃　came　from　sir　thomass　tight　lips。　lady　agatha　shook　her　head；　but　could　not　help　being　amused。　mr。　erskine　listened。

〃yes；〃　he　continued；　〃that　is　one　of　the　great　secrets　of　life。　nowadays　most　people　die　of　a　sort　of　creeping　mon　sense；　and　discover　when　it　is　too　late　that　the　only　things　one　never　regrets　are　ones　mistakes。〃

a　laugh　ran　round　the　table。

he　played　with　the　idea　and　grew　wilful；　tossed　it　into　the　air　and　transformed　it；　let　it　escape　and　recaptured　it；　made　it　iridescent　with　fancy　and　winged　it　with　paradox。　the　praise　of　folly；　as　he　went　on；　soared　into　a　philosophy；　and　philosophy　herself　became　young；　and　catching　the　mad　music　of　pleasure；　wearing；　one　might　fancy；　her　wine…stained　robe　and　wreath　of　ivy；　danced　like　a　bacchante　over　the　hills　of　life；　and　mocked　the　slow　silenus　for　being　sober。　facts　fled　before　her　like　frightened　forest　things。　her　white　feet　trod　the　huge　press　at　which　wise　omar　sits；　till　the　seething　grape…juice　rose　round　her　bare　limbs　in　waves　of　purple　bubbles；　or　crawled　in　red　foam　over　the　vats　black；　dripping；　sloping　sides。　it　was　an　extraordinary　improvisation。　he　felt　that　the　eyes　of　dorian　gray　were　fixed　on　him；　and　the　consciousness　that　amongst　his　audience　there　was　one　whose　temperament　he　wished　to　fascinate　seemed　to　give　his　wit　keenness　and　to　lend　colour　to　his　imagination。　he　was　brilliant；　fantastic；　irresponsible。　he　charmed　his　listeners　out　of　themselves；　and　they　followed　his　pipe；　laughing。　dorian　gray　never　took　his　gaze　off　him；　but　sat　like　one　under　a　spell；　smiles　chasing　each　other　over　his　lips　and　wonder　growing　grave　in　his　darkening　eyes。

at　last；　liveried　in　the　costume　of　the　age；　reality　entered　the　room　in　the　shape　of　a　servant　to　tell　the　duchess　that　her　carriage　was　waiting。　she　wrung　her　hands　in　mock　despair。　〃how　annoying！〃　she　cried。　〃i　must　go。　i　have　to　call　for　my　husband　at　the　club；　to　take　him　to　some　absurd　meeting　at　williss　rooms；　where　he　is　going　to　be　in　the　chair。　if　i　am　late　he　is　sure　to　be　furious；　and　i　couldnt　have　a　scene　in　this　bonnet。　it　is　far　too　fragile。　a　harsh　word　would　ruin　it。　no；　i　must　go；　dear　agatha。　good…bye；　lord　henry；　you　are　quite　delightful　and　dreadfully　demoralizing。　i　am　sure　i　dont　know　what　to　say　about　your　views。　you　must　e　and　dine　with　us　some　night。　tuesday？　are　you　disengaged　tuesday？〃

〃for　you　i　would　throw　over　anybody；　duchess；〃　said　lord　henry　with　a　bow。

〃ah！　that　is　very　nice；　and　very　wrong　of　you；〃　she　cried；　〃so　mind　you　e〃；　and　she　swept　out　of　the　room；　followed　by　lady　agatha　and　the　other　ladies。

when　lord　henry　had　sat　down　again；　mr。　erskine　moved　round；　and　taking　a　chair　close　to　him；　placed　his　hand　upon　his　arm。

〃you　talk　books　away；〃　he　said；　〃why　dont　you　write　one？〃

〃i　am　too　fond　of　reading　books　to　care　to　write　them；　mr。　erskine。　i　should　like　to　write　a　novel　certainly；　a　novel　that　would　be　as　lovely　as　a　persian　carpet　and　as　unreal。　but　there　is　no　literary　public　in　england　for　anything　except　newspapers；　primers；　and　encyclopaedias。　of　all　people　in　the　world　the　english　have　the　least　sense　of　the　beauty　of　literature。〃

〃i　fear　you　are　right；〃　answered　mr。　erskine。　〃i　myself　used　to　have　literary　ambition