the unbearable bassington-第18节

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Youghal　laughed。



〃There's　always　a　chastening　corrective　in　the　thought　that　some　of　

them　may　have　printed　your　portrait。　　When　once　you've　seen　your　

features　hurriedly　reproduced　in　the　MATIN；　for　instance；　you　feel　

you　would　like　to　be　a　veiled　Turkish　woman　for　the　rest　of　your　

life。〃



And　Youghal　gazed　long　and　lovingly　at　his　reflection　in　the　

nearest　mirror；　as　an　antidote　against　possible　incitements　to　

humility　in　the　portrait　gallery　of　fame。



Elaine　felt　a　certain　soothed　satisfaction　in　the　fact　that　this　

young　man；　whose　knowledge　of　the　Middle　East　was　an　embarrassment　

to　Ministers　at　question　time　and　in　debate；　was　showing　himself　

equally　well…informed　on　the　subject　of　her　culinary　likes　and　

dislikes。　　If　Suzette　could　have　been　forced　to　attend　as　a　witness　

at　a　neighbouring　table　she　would　have　felt　even　happier。



〃Did　the　head　waiter　ask　if　we　were　engaged？〃　asked　Elaine；　when　

Courtenay　had　settled　the　bill；　and　she　had　finished　collecting　her　

sunshade　and　gloves　and　other　impedimenta　from　the　hands　of　

obsequious　attendants。



〃Yes；〃　said　Youghal；　〃and　he　seemed　quite　crestfallen　when　I　had　to　

say　'no。'〃



〃It　would　be　horrid　to　disappoint　him　when　he's　looked　after　us　so　

charmingly；〃　said　Elaine；　〃tell　him　that　we　are。〃







CHAPTER　X







THE　Rutland　Galleries　were　crowded；　especially　in　the　neighbourhood　

of　the　tea…buffet；　by　a　fashionable　throng　of　art…patrons　which　had　

gathered　to　inspect　Mervyn　Quentock's　collection　of　Society　

portraits。　　Quentock　was　a　young　artist　whose　abilities　were　just　

receiving　due　recognition　from　the　critics；　that　the　recognition　

was　not　overdue　he　owed　largely　to　his　perception　of　the　fact　that　

if　one　hides　one's　talent　under　a　bushel　one　must　be　careful　to　

point　out　to　everyone　the　exact　bushel　under　which　it　is　hidden。　　

There　are　two　manners　of　receiving　recognition：　one　is　to　be　

discovered　so　long　after　one's　death　that　one's　grandchildren　have　

to　write　to　the　papers　to　establish　their　relationship；　the　other　

is　to　be　discovered；　like　the　infant　Moses；　at　the　very　outset　of　

one's　career。　　Mervyn　Quentock　had　chosen　the　latter　and　happier　

manner。　　In　an　age　when　many　aspiring　young　men　strive　to　advertise　

their　wares　by　imparting　to　them　a　freakish　imbecility；　Quentock　

turned　out　work　that　was　characterised　by　a　pleasing　delicate　

restraint；　but　he　contrived　to　herald　his　output　with　a　certain　

fanfare　of　personal　eccentricity；　thereby　compelling　an　attention　

which　might　otherwise　have　strayed　past　his　studio。　　In　appearance　

he　was　the　ordinary　cleanly　young　Englishman；　except；　perhaps；　that　

his　eyes　rather　suggested　a　library　edition　of　the　Arabian　Nights；　

his　clothes　matched　his　appearance　and　showed　no　taint　of　the　

sartorial　disorder　by　which　the　bourgeois　of　the　garden…city　and　

the　Latin　Quarter　anxiously　seeks　to　proclaim　his　kinship　with　art　

and　thought。　　His　eccentricity　took　the　form　of　flying　in　the　face　

of　some　of　the　prevailing　social　currents　of　the　day；　but　as　a　

reactionary；　never　as　a　reformer。　　He　produced　a　gasp　of　admiring　

astonishment　in　fashionable　circles　by　refusing　to　paint　actresses　

…　except；　of　course；　those　who　had　left　the　legitimate　drama　to　

appear　between　the　boards　of　Debrett。　　He　absolutely　declined　to　

execute　portraits　of　Americans　unless　they　hailed　from　certain　

favoured　States。　　His　〃water…colour…line；〃　as　a　New　York　paper　

phrased　it；　earned　for　him　a　crop　of　angry　criticisms　and　a　shoal　

of　Transatlantic　commissions；　and　criticism　and　commissions　were　

the　things　that　Quentock　most　wanted。



〃Of　course　he　is　perfectly　right；〃　said　Lady　Caroline　Benaresq；　

calmly　rescuing　a　piled…up　plate　of　caviare　sandwiches　from　the　

neighbourhood　of　a　trio　of　young　ladies　who　had　established　

themselves　hopefully　within　easy　reach　of　it。　　〃Art；〃　she　

continued；　addressing　herself　to　the　Rev。　Poltimore　Vardon；　〃has　

always　been　geographically　exclusive。　　London　may　be　more　important　

from　most　points　of　view　than　Venice；　but　the　art　of　portrait　

painting；　which　would　never　concern　itself　with　a　Lord　Mayor；　

simply　grovels　at　the　feet　of　the　Doges。　　As　a　Socialist　I'm　bound　

to　recognise　the　right　of　Ealing　to　compare　itself　with　Avignon；　

but　one　cannot　expect　the　Muses　to　put　the　two　on　a　level。〃



〃Exclusiveness；〃　said　the　Reverend　Poltimore；　〃has　been　the　

salvation　of　Art；　just　as　the　lack　of　it　is　proving　the　downfall　of　

religion。　　My　colleagues　of　the　cloth　go　about　zealously　

proclaiming　the　fact　that　Christianity；　in　some　form　or　other；　is　

attracting　shoals　of　converts　among　all　sorts　of　races　and　tribes；　

that　one　had　scarcely　ever　heard　of；　except　in　reviews　of　books　of　

travel　that　one　never　read。　　That　sort　of　thing　was　all　very　well　

when　the　world　was　more　sparsely　populated；　but　nowadays；　when　it　

simply　teems　with　human　beings；　no　one　is　particularly　impressed　by　

the　fact　that　a　few　million；　more　or　less；　of　converts；　of　a　low　

stage　of　mental　development；　have　accepted　the　teachings　of　some　

particular　religion。　　It　not　only　chills　one's　enthusiasm；　it　

positively　shakes　one's　convictions　when　one　hears　that　the　things　

one　has　been　brought　up　to　believe　as　true　are　being　very　

favourably　spoken　of　by　Buriats　and　Samoyeds　and　Kanakas。〃



The　Rev。　Poltimore　Vardon　had　once　seen　a　resemblance　in　himself　to　

Voltaire；　and　had　lived　alongside　the　comparison　ever　since。



〃No　modern　cult　or　fashion；〃　he　continued；　〃would　be　favourably　

influenced　by　considerations　based　on　statistics；　fancy　adopting　a　

certain　style　of　hat　or　cut　of　coat；　because　it　was　being　largely　

worn　in　Lancashire　and　the　Midlands；　fancy　favouring　a　certain　

brand　of　champagne　because　it　was　being　extensively　patronised　in　

German　summer　resorts。　　No　wonder　that　religion　is　falling　into　

disuse　in　this　country　under　such　ill…directed　methods。〃



〃You　can't　prevent　the　heathen　being　converted　if　they　choose　to　

be；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃this　is　an　age　of　toleration。〃



〃You　could　always　deny　it；〃　said　the　Rev。　Poltimore；　〃like　the　

Belgians　do　with　regrettable　occurrences　in　the　Congo。　　But　I　would　

go　further　than　that。　　I　would　stimulate　the　waning　enthusiasm　for　

Christianity　in　this　country　by　labelling　it　as　the　exclusive　

possession　of　a　privileged　few。　　If　one　could　induce　the　Duchess　of　

Pelm；　for　instance；　to　assert　that　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven；　as　far　as　

the　British　Isles　are　concerned；　is　strictly　limited　to　herself；　

two　of　the　under…gardeners　at　Pelmby；　and；　possibly；　but　not　

certainly；　the　Dean　of　Dunster；　there　would　be　an　instant　reshaping　

of　the　popular　attitude　towards　religious　convictions　and　

observances。　　Once　let　the　idea　get　about　that　the　Christian　Church　

is　rather　more　exclusive　than　the　Lawn　at　Ascot；　and　you　would　have　

a　quickening　of　religious　life　such　as　this　generation　has　never　

witnessed。　　But　as　long　as　the　clergy　and　the　religious　

organisations　advertise　their　creed　on　the　lines　of　'Everybody　

ought　to　believe　in　us：　millions　do；'　one　can　expect　nothing　but　

indifference　and　waning　faith。〃



〃Time　is　just　as　exclusive　in　its　way　as　Art；〃　said　Lady　Caroline。



〃In　what　way？〃　said　the　Reverend　Poltimore。



〃Your　pleasantries　about　religion　would　have　sounded　quite　clever　

and　advanced　in　the　early　'nineties。　　To…day　they　have　a　dreadfully　

warmed…up　flavour。　　That　is　the　great　delusion　of　you　would…be　

advanced　satirists；　you　imagine　you　can　sit　down　comfortably　for　a　

couple　of　decades　saying　daring　and　startling　things　about　the　age　

you　live　in；　which；　whatever　other　defects　it　may　have；　is　

certainly　not　standing　still。　　The　whole　of　the　Sherard　Blaw　school　

of　discursive　drama　suggests；　to　my　mind；　Early　Victorian　furniture　

in　a　travelling　circus。　　However；　you　will　always　have　relays　of　

people　from　the　suburbs　to　listen　to　the　Mocking　Bird　of　yesterday；　

and　sincerely　imagine　it　is　the　harbinger　of　something　new　and　

revolutionising。〃



〃WOULD　you　mind　passing　that　plate　of　sandwiches；〃　asked　one　of　the　

trio　of　young　ladies；　emboldened　by　famine。



〃With　pleasure；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　deftly　passing　her　a　nearly　

empty　plate　of　bread…and…butter。



〃I　meant　the　place　of　caviare　sandwiches。　　So　sorry　to　trouble　

you；〃　persisted　the　young　lady



Her　sorrow　was　misapplied；　Lady　Caroline　had　turned　her　attention　

to　a　newcomer。



〃A　very　interesting　exhibition；〃　Ada　Spelvexit　was　saying；　

〃faultless　technique；　as　far　as　I　am　a　judge　of　technique；　and　

quite　a　master…touch　in　the　way　of　poses。　　But　have　you　noticed　how　

very　animal　his　art　is？　　He　seems　to　shut　out　the　soul　from　his　

portraits。　　I　nearly　cried　when　I　saw　dear　Winifred　depicted　simply　

as　a　good…looking　healthy　blonde。〃



〃I　wish　you　had；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃the　spectacle　of　a　strong；　

brave　woman　weeping　at　a　private　view　in　the　Rutland　Galler