a laodicean-第1节

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A　Laodicean

A　STORY　OF　TO…DAY


by　Thomas　Hardy







CONTENTS。

PREFACE　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTERS
BOOK　THE　FIRST。　　　GEORGE　SOMERSET。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　…　XV。
BOOK　THE　SECOND。　　DARE　AND　HAVILL。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　…　VII。
BOOK　THE　THIRD。　　　DE　STANCY。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　…　XI。
BOOK　THE　FOURTH。　　SOMERSET；　DARE；　AND　DE　STANCY。　I　…　V。
BOOK　THE　FIFTH。　　　DE　STANCY　AND　PAULA。　　　　　　　　　　　I　…　XIV。
BOOK　THE　SIXTH。　　　PAULA。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　…　V。






PREFACE


The　changing　of　the　old　order　in　country　manors　and　mansions
may　be　slow　or　sudden；　may　have　many　issues　romantic　or
otherwise；　its　romantic　issues　being　not　necessarily
restricted　to　a　change　back　to　the　original　order；　though　this
admissible　instance　appears　to　have　been　the　only　romance
formerly　recognized　by　novelists　as　possible　in　the　case。
Whether　the　following　production　be　a　picture　of　other
possibilities　or　not；　its　incidents　may　be　taken　to　be　fairly
well　supported　by　evidence　every　day　forthcoming　in　most
counties。

The　writing　of　the　tale　was　rendered　memorable　to　two　persons；
at　least；　by　a　tedious　illness　of　five　months　that　laid　hold
of　the　author　soon　after　the　story　was　begun　in　a　well…known
magazine；　during　which　period　the　narrative　had　to　be
strenuously　continued　by　dictation　to　a　predetermined　cheerful
ending。

As　some　of　these　novels　of　Wessex　life　address　themselves　more
especially　to　readers　into　whose　souls　the　iron　has　entered；
and　whose　years　have　less　pleasure　in　them　now　than
heretofore；　so　〃A　Laodicean〃　may　perhaps　help　to　while　away　an
idle　afternoon　of　the　comfortable　ones　whose　lines　have　fallen
to　them　in　pleasant　places；　above　all；　of　that　large　and　happy
section　of　the　reading　public　which　has　not　yet　reached
ripeness　of　years；　those　to　whom　marriage　is　the　pilgrim's
Eternal　City；　and　not　a　milestone　on　the　way。


T。H。

January　1896。







BOOK　THE　FIRST。　　GEORGE　SOMERSET。

I。

The　sun　blazed　down　and　down；　till　it　was　within　half…an…hour
of　its　setting；　but　the　sketcher　still　lingered　at　his
occupation　of　measuring　and　copying　the　chevroned　doorwaya
bold　and　quaint　example　of　a　transitional　style　of
architecture；　which　formed　the　tower　entrance　to　an　English
village　church。　　The　graveyard　being　quite　open　on　its　western
side；　the　tweed…clad　figure　of　the　young　draughtsman；　and　the
tall　mass　of　antique　masonry　which　rose　above　him　to　a
battlemented　parapet；　were　fired　to　a　great　brightness　by　the
solar　rays；　that　crossed　the　neighbouring　mead　like　a　warp　of
gold　threads；　in　whose　mazes　groups　of　equally　lustrous　gnats
danced　and　wailed　incessantly。

He　was　so　absorbed　in　his　pursuit　that　he　did　not　mark　the
brilliant　chromatic　effect　of　which　he　composed　the　central
feature；　till　it　was　brought　home　to　his　intelligence　by　the
warmth　of　the　moulded　stonework　under　his　touch　when
measuring；　which　led　him　at　length　to　turn　his　head　and　gaze
on　its　cause。

There　are　few　in　whom　the　sight　of　a　sunset　does　not　beget　as
much　meditative　melancholy　as　contemplative　pleasure；　the
human　decline　and　death　that　it　illustrates　being　too　obvious
to　escape　the　notice　of　the　simplest　observer。　　The　sketcher；
as　if　he　had　been　brought　to　this　reflection　many　hundreds　of
times　before　by　the　same　spectacle；　showed　that　he　did　not
wish　to　pursue　it　just　now；　by　turning　away　his　face　after　a
few　moments；　to　resume　his　architectural　studies。

He　took　his　measurements　carefully；　and　as　if　he　reverenced
the　old　workers　whose　trick　he　was　endeavouring　to　acquire　six
hundred　years　after　the　original　performance　had　ceased　and
the　performers　passed　into　the　unseen。　　By　means　of　a　strip　of
lead　called　a　leaden　tape；　which　he　pressed　around　and　into
the　fillets　and　hollows　with　his　finger　and　thumb；　he
transferred　the　exact　contour　of　each　moulding　to　his　drawing；
that　lay　on　a　sketching…stool　a　few　feet　distant；　where　were
also　a　sketching…block；　a　small　T…square；　a　bow…pencil；　and
other　mathematical　instruments。　　When　he　had　marked　down　the
line　thus　fixed；　he　returned　to　the　doorway　to　copy　another　as
before。

It　being　the　month　of　August；　when　the　pale　face　of　the
townsman　and　the　stranger　is　to　be　seen　among　the　brown　skins
of　remotest　uplanders；　not　only　in　England；　but　throughout　the
temperate　zone；　few　of　the　homeward…bound　labourers　paused　to
notice　him　further　than　by　a　momentary　turn　of　the　head。　　They
had　beheld　such　gentlemen　before；　not　exactly　measuring　the
church　so　accurately　as　this　one　seemed　to　be　doing；　but
painting　it　from　a　distance；　or　at　least　walking　round　the
mouldy　pile。　　At　the　same　time　the　present　visitor；　even
exteriorly；　was　not　altogether　commonplace。　　His　features　were
good；　his　eyes　of　the　dark　deep　sort　called　eloquent　by　the
sex　that　ought　to　know；　and　with　that　ray　of　light　in　them
which　announces　a　heart　susceptible　to　beauty　of　all　kinds；
in　woman；　in　art；　and　in　inanimate　nature。　　Though　he　would
have　been　broadly　characterized　as　a　young　man；　his　face　bore
contradictory　testimonies　to　his　precise　age。　　This　was
conceivably　owing　to　a　too　dominant　speculative　activity　in
him；　which；　while　it　had　preserved　the　emotional　side　of　his
constitution；　and　with　it　the　significant　flexuousness　of
mouth　and　chin；　had　played　upon　his　forehead　and　temples　till；
at　weary　moments；　they　exhibited　some　traces　of　being　over…
exercised。　　A　youthfulness　about　the　mobile　features；　a　mature
foreheadthough　not　exactly　what　the　world　has　been　familiar
with　in　past　agesis　now　growing　common；　and　with　the　advance
of　juvenile　introspection　it　probably　must　grow　commoner
still。　　Briefly；　he　had　more　of　the　beautyif　beauty　it　ought
to　be　calledof　the　future　human　type　than　of　the　past；　but
not　so　much　as　to　make　him　other　than　a　nice　young　man。

His　build　was　somewhat　slender　and　tall；　his　complexion；
though　a　little　browned　by　recent　exposure；　was　that　of　a　man
who　spent　much　of　his　time　indoors。　　Of　beard　he　had　but　small
show；　though　he　was　as　innocent　as　a　Nazarite　of　the　use　of
the　razor；　but　he　possessed　a　moustache　all…sufficient　to　hide
the　subtleties　of　his　mouth；　which　could　thus　be　tremulous　at
tender　moments　without　provoking　inconvenient　criticism。

Owing　to　his　situation　on　high　ground；　open　to　the　west；　he
remained　enveloped　in　the　lingering　aureate　haze　till　a　time
when　the　eastern　part　of　the　churchyard　was　in　obscurity；　and
damp　with　rising　dew。　　When　it　was　too　dark　to　sketch　further
he　packed　up　his　drawing；　and；　beckoning　to　a　lad　who　had　been
idling　by　the　gate；　directed　him　to　carry　the　stool　and
implements　to　a　roadside　inn　which　he　named；　lying　a　mile　or
two　ahead。　　The　draughtsman　leisurely　followed　the　lad　out　of
the　churchyard；　and　along　a　lane　in　the　direction　signified。



The　spectacle　of　a　summer　traveller　from　London　sketching
mediaeval　details　in　these　neo…Pagan　days；　when　a　lull　has
come　over　the　study　of　English　Gothic　architecture；　through　a
re…awakening　to　the　art…forms　of　times　that　more　nearly
neighbour　our　own；　is　accounted　for　by　the　fact　that　George
Somerset；　son　of　the　Academician　of　that　name；　was　a　man　of
independent　tastes　and　excursive　instincts；　who　unconsciously；
and　perhaps　unhappily；　took　greater　pleasure　in　floating　in
lonely　currents　of　thought　than　with　the　general　tide　of
opinion。　　When　quite　a　lad；　in　the　days　of　the　French　Gothic
mania　which　immediately　succeeded　to　the　great　English…pointed
revival　under　Britton；　Pugin；　Rickman；　Scott；　and　other
mediaevalists；　he　had　crept　away　from　the　fashion　to　admire
what　was　good　in　Palladian　and　Renaissance。　　As　soon　as
Jacobean；　Queen　Anne；　and　kindred　accretions　of　decayed　styles
began　to　be　popular；　he　purchased　such　old…school　works　as
Revett　and　Stuart；　Chambers；　and　the　rest；　and　worked
diligently　at　the　Five　Orders；　till　quite　bewildered　on　the
question　of　style；　he　concluded　that　all　styles　were　extinct；
and　with　them　all　architecture　as　a　living　art。　　Somerset　was
not　old　enough　at　that　time　to　know　that；　in　practice；　art　had
at　all　times　been　as　full　of　shifts　and　compromises　as　every
other　mundane　thing；　that　ideal　perfection　was　never　achieved
by　Greek；　Goth；　or　Hebrew　Jew；　and　never　would　be；　and　thus　he
was　thrown　into　a　mood　of　disgust　with　his　profession；　from
which　mood　he　was　only　delivered　by　recklessly　abandoning
these　studies　and　indulging　in　an　old　enthusiasm　for　poetical
literature。　　For　two　whole　years　he　did　nothing　but　write
verse　in　every　conceivable　metre；　and　on　every　conceivable
subject；　from　Wordsworthian　sonnets　on　the　singing　of　his　tea…
kettle　to　epic　fragments　on　the　Fall　of　Empires。　　His
discovery　at　the　age　of　five…and…twenty　that　these　inspired
works　were　not　jumped　at　by　the　publishers　with　all　the
eagerness　they　deserved；　coincided　in　point　of　time　with　a
severe　hint　from　his　father　that　unless　he　went　on　with　his
legitimate　profession　he　might　have　to　look　elsewhere　than　at
home　for　an　allowance。　　Mr。　Somerset　junior　then　awoke　to
realities；　became　intently　practical；　rushed　back　to　his　dusty
drawing…boards；　and　worked　up　the　styles　anew；　with　a　view　of
regularly　starting　in　practice　on　the　first　d