the unbearable bassington-第7节

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hurriedly　conceived　project。　　Anyhow；　the　dinner　promised　to　be　

more　interesting　than　she　had　originally　anticipated。



Lady　Caroline　was　a　professed　Socialist　in　politics；　chiefly；　it　

was　believed；　because　she　was　thus　enabled　to　disagree　with　most　of　

the　Liberals　and　Conservatives；　and　all　the　Socialists　of　the　day。　　

She　did　not　permit　her　Socialism；　however；　to　penetrate　below　

stairs；　her　cook　and　butler　had　every　encouragement　to　be　

Individualists。　　Francesca；　who　was　a　keen　and　intelligent　food　

critic；　harboured　no　misgivings　as　to　her　hostess's　kitchen　and　

cellar　departments；　some　of　the　human　side…dishes　at　the　feast　gave　

her　more　ground　for　uneasiness。　　Courtenay　Youghal；　for　instance；　

would　probably　be　brilliantly　silent；　her　brother　Henry　would　

almost　certainly　be　the　reverse。



The　dinner　party　was　a　large　one　and　Francesca　arrived　late　with　

little　time　to　take　preliminary　stock　of　the　guests；　a　card　with　

the　name；　〃Miss　de　Frey；〃　immediately　opposite　her　own　place　at　the　

other　side　of　the　table；　indicated；　however；　the　whereabouts　of　the　

heiress。　　It　was　characteristic　of　Francesca　that　she　first　

carefully　read　the　menu　from　end　to　end；　and　then　indulged　in　an　

equally　careful　though　less　open　scrutiny　of　the　girl　who　sat　

opposite　her；　the　girl　who　was　nobody　in　particular；　but　whose　

income　was　everything　that　could　be　desired。　　She　was　pretty　in　a　

restrained　nut…brown　fashion；　and　had　a　look　of　grave　reflective　

calm　that　probably　masked　a　speculative　unsettled　temperament。　　Her　

pose；　if　one　wished　to　be　critical；　was　just　a　little　too　

elaborately　careless。　　She　wore　some　excellently　set　rubies　with　

that　indefinable　air　of　having　more　at　home　that　is　so　difficult　to　

improvise。　　Francesca　was　distinctly　pleased　with　her　survey。



〃You　seem　interested　in　your　VIS…A…VIS；〃　said　Courtenay　Youghal。



〃I　almost　think　I've　seen　her　before；〃　said　Francesca；　〃her　face　

seems　familiar　to　me。〃



〃The　narrow　gallery　at　the　Louvre；　attributed　to　Leonardo　da　

Vinci；〃　said　Youghal。



〃Of　course；〃　said　Francesca；　her　feelings　divided　between　

satisfaction　at　capturing　an　elusive　impression　and　annoyance　that　

Youghal　should　have　been　her　helper。　　A　stronger　tinge　of　annoyance　

possessed　her　when　she　heard　the　voice　of　Henry　Greech　raised　in　

painful　prominence　at　Lady　Caroline's　end　of　the　table。



〃I　called　on　the　Trudhams　yesterday；〃　he　announced；　〃it　was　their　

Silver　Wedding；　you　know；　at　least　the　day　before　was。　　Such　lots　

of　silver　presents；　quite　a　show。　　Of　course　there　were　a　great　

many　duplicates；　but　still；　very　nice　to　have。　　I　think　they　were　

very　pleased　to　get　so　many。〃



〃We　must　not　grudge　them　their　show　of　presents　after　their　twenty…

five　years　of　married　life；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　gently；　〃it　is　the　

silver　lining　to　their　cloud。〃



A　third　of　the　guests　present　were　related　to　the　Trudhams。



〃Lady　Caroline　is　beginning　well；〃　murmured　Courtenay　Youghal。



〃I　should　hardly　call　twenty…five　years　of　married　life　a　cloud；〃　

said　Henry　Greech；　lamely。



〃Don't　let's　talk　about　married　life；〃　said　a　tall　handsome　woman；　

who　looked　like　some　modern　painter's　conception　of　the　goddess　

Bellona；　〃it's　my　misfortune　to　write　eternally　about　husbands　and　

wives　and　their　variants。　　My　public　expects　it　of　me。　　I　do　so　

envy　journalists　who　can　write　about　plagues　and　strikes　and　

Anarchist　plots；　and　other　pleasing　things；　instead　of　being　tied　

down　to　one　stale　old　topic。〃



〃Who　is　that　woman　and　what　has　she　written？〃　Francesca　asked　

Youghal；　she　dimly　remembered　having　seen　her　at　one　of　Serena　

Golackly's　gatherings；　surrounded　by　a　little　Court　of　admirers。



〃I　forget　her　name；　she　has　a　villa　at　San　Remo　or　Mentone；　or　

somewhere　where　one　does　have　villas；　and　plays　an　extraordinary　

good　game　of　bridge。　　Also　she　has　the　reputation；　rather　rare　in　

your　sex；　of　being　a　wonderfully　sound　judge　of　wine。〃



〃But　what　has　she　written？〃



〃Oh；　several　novels　of　the　thinnish　ice　order。　　Her　last　one；　'The　

Woman　who　wished　it　was　Wednesday；'　has　been　banned　at　all　the　

libraries。　　I　expect　you've　read　it。〃



〃I　don't　see　why　you　should　think　so；〃　said　Francesca；　coldly。



〃Only　because　Comus　lent　me　your　copy　yesterday；〃　said　Youghal。　　He　

threw　back　his　handsome　head　and　gave　her　a　sidelong　glance　of　

quizzical　amusement。　　He　knew　that　she　hated　his　intimacy　with　

Comus；　and　he　was　secretly　rather　proud　of　his　influence　over　the　

boy；　shallow　and　negative　though　he　knew　it　to　be。　　It　had　been；　on　

his　part；　an　unsought　intimacy；　and　it　would　probably　fall　to　

pieces　the　moment　he　tried　seriously　to　take　up　the　ROLE　of　mentor。　　

The　fact　that　Comus's　mother　openly　disapproved　of　the　friendship　

gave　it　perhaps　its　chief　interest　in　the　young　politician's　eyes。



Francesca　turned　her　attention　to　her　brother's　end　of　the　table。　　

Henry　Greech　had　willingly　availed　himself　of　the　invitation　to　

leave　the　subject　of　married　life；　and　had　launched　forthwith　into　

the　equally　well…worn　theme　of　current　politics。　　He　was　not　a　

person　who　was　in　much　demand　for　public　meetings；　and　the　House　

showed　no　great　impatience　to　hear　his　views　on　the　topics　of　the　

moment；　its　impatience；　indeed；　was　manifested　rather　in　the　

opposite　direction。　　Hence　he　was　prone　to　unburden　himself　of　

accumulated　political　wisdom　as　occasion　presented　itself　…　

sometimes；　indeed；　to　assume　an　occasion　that　was　hardly　visible　to　

the　naked　intelligence。



〃Our　opponents　are　engaged　in　a　hopelessly　uphill　struggle；　and　

they　know　it；〃　he　chirruped；　defiantly；　〃they've　become　possessed；　

like　the　Gadarene　swine；　with　a　whole　legion　of　…　〃



〃Surely　the　Gadarene　swine　went　downhill；〃　put　in　Lady　Caroline　in　

a　gently　enquiring　voice。



Henry　Greech　hastily　abandoned　simile　and　fell　back　on　platitude　

and　the　safer　kinds　of　fact。



Francesca　did　not　regard　her　brother's　views　on　statecraft　either　

in　the　light　of　gospel　or　revelation；　as　Comus　once　remarked；　they　

more　usually　suggested　exodus。　　In　the　present　instance　she　found　

distraction　in　a　renewed　scrutiny　of　the　girl　opposite　her；　who　

seemed　to　be　only　moderately　interested　in　the　conversational　

efforts　of　the　diners　on　either　side　of　her。　　Comus　who　was　looking　

and　talking　his　best；　was　sitting　at　the　further　end　of　the　table；　

and　Francesca　was　quick　to　notice　in　which　direction　the　girl's　

glances　were　continually　straying。　　Once　or　twice　the　eyes　of　the　

young　people　met　and　a　swift　flush　of　pleasure　and　a　half…smile　

that　spoke　of　good　understanding　came　to　the　heiress's　face。　　It　

did　not　need　the　gift　of　the　traditional　intuition　of　her　sex　to　

enable　Francesca　to　guess　that　the　girl　with　the　desirable　banking　

account　was　already　considerably　attracted　by　the　lively　young　

Pagan　who　had；　when　he　cared　to　practise　it；　such　an　art　of　winning　

admiration。　　For　the　first　time　for　many；　many　months　Francesca　saw　

her　son's　prospects　in　a　rose…coloured　setting；　and　she　began；　

unconsciously；　to　wonder　exactly　how　much　wealth　was　summed　up　in　

the　expressive　label　〃almost　indecently　rich。〃　　A　wife　with　a　

really　large　fortune　and　a　correspondingly　big　dower　of　character　

and　ambition；　might；　perhaps；　succeed　in　turning　Comus's　latent　

energies　into　a　groove　which　would　provide　him；　if　not　with　a　

career；　at　least　with　an　occupation；　and　the　young　serious　face　

opposite　looked　as　if　its　owner　lacked　neither　character　or　

ambition。　　Francesca's　speculations　took　a　more　personal　turn。　　Out　

of　the　well…filled　coffers　with　which　her　imagination　was　toying；　

an　inconsiderable　sum　might　eventually　be　devoted　to　the　leasing；　

or　even　perhaps　the　purchase　of；　the　house　in　Blue　Street　when　the　

present　convenient　arrangement　should　have　come　to　an　end；　and　

Francesca　and　the　Van　der　Meulen　would　not　be　obliged　to　seek　fresh　

quarters。



A　woman's　voice；　talking　in　a　discreet　undertone　on　the　other　side　

of　Courtenay　Youghal；　broke　in　on　her　bridge…building。



〃Tons　of　money　and　really　very　presentable。　　Just　the　wife　for　a　

rising　young　politician。　　Go　in　and　win　her　before　she's　snapped　up　

by　some　fortune　hunter。〃



Youghal　and　his　instructress　in　worldly　wisdom　were　looking　

straight　across　the　table　at　the　Leonardo　da　Vinci　girl　with　the　

grave　reflective　eyes　and　the　over…emphasised　air　of　repose。　　

Francesca　felt　a　quick　throb　of　anger　against　her　match…making　

neighbour；　why；　she　asked　herself；　must　some　women；　with　no　end　or　

purpose　of　their　own　to　serve；　except　the　sheer　love　of　meddling　in　

the　affairs　of　others；　plunge　their　hands　into　plots　and　schemings　

of　this　sort；　in　which　the　happiness　of　more　than　one　person　was　

concerned？　　And　more　clearly　than　ever　she　realised　how　thoroughly　

she　detested　Courtenay　Youghal。　　She　had　disliked　him　as　an　evil　

influence；　setting　before　her　son　an　ex