the virgin of the sun-第2节

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although　it　had　been　refronted　with　a　horrible　stucco　to　suit　modern
tastes。　The　oak　staircase　was　good　though　narrow；　and　led　to　numerous
small　rooms　upon　two　floors　above；　some　of　which　rooms　were　panelled
and　had　oak　beams；　now　whitewashed　like　the　panellingat　least　they
had　once　been　whitewashed；　probably　in　the　last　generation。

These　rooms　were　literally　crammed　with　every　sort　of　old　furniture；
most　of　it　decrepit；　though　for　many　of　the　articles　dealers　would
have　given　a　good　price。　But　at　dealers　Mr。　Potts　drew　the　line；　not
one　of　them　had　ever　set　a　foot　upon　that　oaken　stair。　To　the　attics
the　place　was　filled　with　this　furniture　and　other　articles　such　as
books；　china；　samplers　with　the　glass　broken；　and　I　know　not　what
besides；　piled　in　heaps　upon　the　floor。　Indeed　where　Mr。　Potts　slept
was　a　mystery；　either　it　must　have　been　under　the　counter　in　his　shop；
or　perhaps　at　nights　he　inhabited　a　worm…eaten　Jacobean　bedstead　which
stood　in　an　attic；　for　I　observed　a　kind　of　pathway　to　it　running
through　a　number　of　legless　chairs；　also　some　dirty　blankets　between
the　moth…riddled　curtains。

Not　far　from　this　bedstead；　propped　in　an　intoxicated　way　against　the
sloping　wall　of　the　old　house；　stood　the　clock　which　I　desired。　It　was
one　of　the　first　〃regulator〃　clocks　with　a　wooden　pendulum；　used　by
the　maker　himself　to　check　the　time…keeping　of　all　his　other　clocks；
and　enclosed　in　a　chaste　and　perfect　mahogany　case　of　the　very　best
style　of　its　period。　So　beautiful　was　it；　indeed；　that　it　had　been　an
instance　of　〃love　at　first　sight〃　between　us；　and　although　there　was
an　estrangement　on　the　matter　of　settlements；　or　in　other　words　over
the　question　of　price；　now　I　felt　that　never　more　could　that　clock　and
I　be　parted。

So　I　agreed　to　give　old　Potts　the　？0　or；　to　be　accurate；　？8　14s。
which　he　asked　on　the　10　per　cent。　rise　principle；　thankful　in　my
heart　that　he　had　not　made　it　more；　and　prepared　to　go。　As　I　turned；
however；　my　eye　fell　upon　a　large　chest　of　the　almost　indestructible
yellow　cypress　wood　of　which　were　made；　it　is　said；　the　doors　of　St。
Peter's　at　Rome　that　stood　for　eight　hundred　years　and；　for　aught　I
know；　are　still　standing；　as　good　as　on　the　day　when　they　were　put　up。

〃Marriage　coffer；〃　said　Potts；　answering　my　unspoken　question。

〃Italian；　about　1600？〃　I　suggested。

〃May　be　so；　or　perhaps　Dutch　made　by　Italian　artists；　but　older　than
that；　for　somebody　has　burnt　1597　on　the　lid　with　a　hot　iron。　Not　for
sale；　not　for　sale　at　all；　much　too　good　to　sell。　Just　you　look　inside
it；　the　old　key　is　tied　to　the　spring　lock。　Never　saw　such　poker…work
in　my　life。　Gods　and　goddesses　and　I　don't　know　what；　and　Venus
sitting　in　the　middle　in　a　wreath　of　flowers　with　nothing　on；　and
holding　two　hearts　in　her　hands；　which　shows　that　it　was　a　marriage
chest。　Once　it　was　full　of　some　bride's　outfit；　sheets　and　linen　and
clothes；　and　God　knows　what。　I　wonder　where　she　has　got　to　to…day。
Some　place　where　the　moth　don't　eat　clothes；　I　hope。　Bought　it　at　the
break…up　of　an　ancient　family　who　fled　to　Norfolk　on　the　revocation　of
the　Edict　of　NantesHuguenot；　of　course。　Years　ago；　years　ago！
Haven't　looked　into　it　for　many　years；　indeed；　but　think　there's
nothing　there　but　rubbish　now。〃

Thus　he　mumbled　on　while　he　found　and　untied　the　old　key。　The　spring
lock　had　grown　stiff　from　disuse　and　want　of　oil；　but　at　length　it
turned　and　reopened　the　chest　revealing　the　poker…work　glories　on　the
inner　side　of　the　lid　and　elsewhere。　Glories　they　were　indeed；　never
had　I　seen　such　artistry　of　the　sort。

〃Can't　see　it　properly；〃　muttered　Potts；　〃windows　want　washing；
haven't　been　done　since　my　wife　died；　and　that's　twenty　years　ago。
Miss　her　very　much；　of　course；　but　thank　God　there's　no　spring…
cleaning　now。　The　things　I've　seen　broken　in　spring…cleaning！　yes；　and
lost；　too。　It　was　after　one　of　them　that　I　told　my　wife　that　now　I
understood　why　the　Mahomedans　declare　that　women　have　no　souls。　When
she　came　to　understand　what　I　meant；　which　it　took　her　a　long　time　to
do；　we　had　a　row；　a　regular　row；　and　she　threw　a　Dresden　figure　at　my
head。　Luckily　I　caught　it；　having　been　a　cricketer　when　young。　Well；
she's　gone　now；　and　no　doubt　heaven's　a　tidier　place　than　it　used　to
bethat　is；　if　they　will　stand　her　rummagings　there；　which　I　doubt。
Look　at　that　Venus；　ain't　she　a　beauty？　Might　have　been　done　by　Titian
when　his　paints　ran　out；　and　he　had　to　take　to　a　hot　iron　to　express
his　art。　What；　you　can't　see　her　well？　Wait　a　bit　and　I'll　get　a
lantern。　Can't　have　a　naked　candle　herethings　too　valuable；　no　money
could　buy　them　again。　My　wife　and　I　had　another　row　about　naked
candles；　or　it　may　have　been　a　paraffin　lamp。　You　sit　in　that　old
prayer…stool　and　look　at　the　work。〃

Off　he　went　crawling　down　the　dusky　stairs　and　leaving　me　wondering
what　Mrs。　Potts；　of　whom　now　I　heard　for　the　first　time；　could　have
been　like。　An　aggravating　woman；　I　felt　sure；　for　upon　whatever　points
men　differ；　as　to　〃spring…cleaning〃　they　are　all　of　one　mind。　No　doubt
he　was　better　without　her；　for　what　did　that　dried…up　old　artist　want
with　a　wife？

Dismissing　Mrs。　Potts　from　my　mind；　which；　to　tell　the　truth；　seemed
to　have　no　room　for　her　shadowy　and　hypothetical　entity；　I　fell　to
examining　the　chest。　Oh！　it　was　lovely。　In　two　minutes　the　clock　was
deposed　and　that　chest　became　the　sultana　in　my　seraglio　of　beauteous
things。　The　clock　had　only　been　the　light　love　of　an　hour。　Here　was
the　eternal　queen；　that　is；　unless　there　existed　a　still　better　chest
somewhere　else；　and　I　should　happen　to　find　it。　Meanwhile；　whatever
price　that　old　slave…dealer　Potts　wanted　for　it；　must　be　paid　to　him
even　if　I　had　to　overdraw　my　somewhat　slender　account。　Seraglios；　of
whatever　sort；　it　must　be　remembered；　are　expensive　luxuries　of　the
rich　indeed；　though；　if　of　antiques；　they　can　be　sold　again；　which
cannot　be　said　of　the　human　kind　for　who　wants　to　buy　a　lot　of　antique
frumps？

There　were　plenty　of　things　in　the　chest；　such　as　some　odds　and　ends
of　tapestry　and　old　clothes　of　a　Queen　Anne　character；　put　here；　no
doubt；　for　preservation；　as　moth　does　not　like　this　cypress　wood。　Also
there　were　some　books　and　a　mysterious　bundle　tied　up　in　a　curious
shawl　with　stripes　of　colour　running　through　it。　That　bundle　excited
me；　and　I　drew　the　fringes　of　the　shawl　apart　and　looked　in。　So　far　as
I　could　see　it　contained　another　dress　of　rich　colours；　also　a　thick
packet　of　what　looked　like　parchment；　badly　prepared　and　much　rotted
upon　one　side　as　though　by　damp；　which　parchment　appeared　to　be
covered　with　faint　black…letter　writing；　done　by　some　careless　scribe
with　poor　ink　that　had　faded　very　much。　There　were　other　things；　too；
within　the　shawl；　such　as　a　box　made　of　some　red　foreign　wood；　but　I
had　not　time　to　investigate　further　for　just　then　I　heard　old　Potts's
foot　upon　the　stair；　and　thought　it　best　to　replace　the　bundle。　He
arrived　with　the　lantern　and　by　its　light　we　examined　the　chest　and
the　poker　work。

〃Very　nice；〃　I　said；　〃very　nice；　though　a　good　deal　knocked　about。〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　he　replied　with　sarcasm；　〃I　suppose　you'd　like　to　see　it
neat　and　new　after　four　hundred　years　of　wear；　and　if　so；　I　think　I
can　tell　you　where　you　can　get　one　to　your　liking。　I　made　the　designs
for　it　myself　five　years　ago　for　a　fellow　who　wanted　to　learn　how　to
manufacture　antiques。　He's　in　quod　now　and　his　antiques　are　for　sale
cheap。　I　helped　to　put　him　there　to　get　him　out　of　the　way　as　a　danger
to　Society。〃

〃What's　the　price？〃　I　asked　with　airy　detachment。

〃Haven't　I　told　you　it　ain't　for　sale。　Wait　till　I'm　dead　and　come　and
buy　it　at　my　auction。　No；　you　won't；　though；　for　it's　going　somewhere
else。〃

I　made　no　answer　but　continued　my　examination　while　Potts　took　his
seat　on　the　prayer…stool　and　seemed　to　go　off　into　one　of　his　fits　of
abstraction。

〃Well；〃　I　said　at　length　when　decency　told　me　that　I　could　remain　no
longer；　〃if　you　won't　sell　it's　no　use　my　looking。　No　doubt　you　want
to　keep　it　for　a　richer　man；　and　of　course　you　are　quite　right。　Will
you　arrange　with　the　carrier　about　sending　the　clock；　Mr。　Potts；　and　I
will　let　you　have　a　cheque。　Now　I　must　be　off；　as　I've　ten　miles　to
ride　and　it　will　be　dark　in　an　hour。〃

〃Stop　where　you　are；〃　said　Potts　in　a　hollow　voice。　〃What's　a　ride　in
the　dark　compared　with　a　matter　like　this；　even　if　you　haven't　a　lamp
and　get　hauled　before　your　own　bench？　Stop　where　you　are；　I'm
listening　to　something。〃

So　I　stopped　and　began　to　fill　my　pipe。

〃Put　that　pipe　away；〃　said　Potts；　coming　out　of　his　reverie；　〃pipes
mean　matches；　no　matches　here。〃

I　obeyed；　and　he　went　on　thinking　till　at　last　what　between　the　chest
and　the　worm…eaten　Jacobean　bed　and　old　Potts　on　the　prayer…stool；　I
began　to　feel　as　if　I　were　being　mesmerized。　At　length　he　rose　and
said　in　the　same　hollow　voice：

〃Young　man；　you　may　have　that　chest；　and　the　price　is　？0。　Now　for
heaven's　sake　don't　offer　me　？0；　or　it　will　be　？00　before　you　leave
this　room。〃

〃With　the　contents？〃　I　said　casually。

〃Yes；　with　the　contents。　It's　the　contents　I'm　told　you　are　to　have。〃

〃Look　here；　Potts；〃　I　said；　exasperated；　〃what　th