confidence-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Longueville　was　at　last　nettled。　　The　young　lady's　perversity　was　perhaps　not　exactly　malignant；　but　it　was　certainly　ungracious。　She　seemed　to　desire　to　present　herself　as　a　beautiful　tormentress。

〃How　does　it　make　it　worse？〃　he　asked；　with　a　frown。

He　believed　she　was　clever；　and　she　was　certainly　ready。　Now；　however；　she　reflected　a　moment　before　answering。

〃That　you　should　give　us　your　sketch；〃　she　said　at　last。

〃It　was　to　your　mother　I　offered　it；〃　Longueville　observed。

But　this　observation；　the　fruit　of　his　irritation；　appeared　to　have　no　effect　upon　the　young　girl。

〃Is　n't　it　what　painters　call　a　study？〃　she　went　on。　〃A　study　is　of　use　to　the　painter　himself。　　Your　justification　would　be　that　you　should　keep　your　sketch；　and　that　it　might　be　of　use　to　you。〃

〃My　daughter　is　a　study；　sir；　you　will　say；〃　said　the　elder　lady　in　a　little；　light；　conciliating　voice；　and　graciously　accepting　the　drawing　again。

〃I　will　admit；〃　said　Longueville；　〃that　I　am　very　inconsistent。　Set　it　down　to　my　esteem；　madam；〃　he　added；　looking　at　the　mother。

〃That　's　for　you；　mamma；〃　said　his　model；　disengaging　her　arm　from　her　mother's　hand　and　turning　away。

The　mamma　stood　looking　at　the　sketch　with　a　smile　which　seemed　to　express　a　tender　desire　to　reconcile　all　accidents。

〃It　's　extremely　beautiful；〃　she　murmured；　〃and　if　you　insist　on　my　taking　it〃

〃I　shall　regard　it　as　a　great　honor。〃

〃Very　well；　then；　with　many　thanks；　I　will　keep　it。〃　　She　looked　at　the　young　man　a　moment；　while　her　daughter　walked　away。　Longueville　thought　her　a　delightful　little　person；　she　struck　him　as　a　sort　of　transfigured　Quakeressa　mystic　with　a　practical　side。　　〃I　am　sure　you　think　she　's　a　strange　girl；〃　she　said。

〃She　is　extremely　pretty。〃

〃She　is　very　clever；〃　said　the　mother。

〃She　is　wonderfully　graceful。〃

〃Ah；　but　she　's　good！〃　cried　the　old　lady。

〃I　am　sure　she　comes　honestly　by　that；〃　said　Longueville；　expressively；　while　his　companion；　returning　his　salutation　with　a　certain　scrupulous　grace　of　her　own；　hurried　after　her　daughter。

Longueville　remained　there　staring　at　the　view　but　not　especially　seeing　it。　He　felt　as　if　he　had　at　once　enjoyed　and　lost　an　opportunity。　After　a　while　he　tried　to　make　a　sketch　of　the　old　beggar…woman　who　sat　there　in　a　sort　of　palsied　immobility；　like　a　rickety　statue　at　a　church…door。　But　his　attempt　to　reproduce　her　features　was　not　gratifying；　and　he　suddenly　laid　down　his　brush。　　She　was　not　pretty　enough　she　had　a　bad　profile。







CHAPTER　II

Two　months　later　Bernard　Longueville　was　at　Venice；　still　under　the　impression　that　he　was　leaving　Italy。　He　was　not　a　man　who　made　plans　and　held　to　them。　He　made　them；　indeedfew　men　made　morebut　he　made　them　as　a　basis　for　variation。　　He　had　gone　to　Venice　to　spend　a　fortnight；　and　his　fortnight　had　taken　the　form　of　eight　enchanting　weeks。　He　had　still　a　sort　of　conviction　that　he　was　carrying　out　his　plans；　for　it　must　be　confessed　that　where　his　pleasure　was　concerned　he　had　considerable　skill　in　accommodating　his　theory　to　his　practice。　　His　enjoyment　of　Venice　was　extreme；　but　he　was　roused　from　it　by　a　summons　he　was　indisposed　to　resist。　This　consisted　of　a　letter　from　an　intimate　friend　who　was　living　in　Germanya　friend　whose　name　was　Gordon　Wright。　He　had　been　spending　the　winter　in　Dresden；　but　his　letter　bore　the　date　of　Baden…Baden。　As　it　was　not　long；　I　may　give　it　entire。

〃I　wish　very　much　that　you　would　come　to　this　place。　　I　think　you　have　been　here　before；　so　that　you　know　how　pretty　it　is；　and　how　amusing。　　I　shall　probably　be　here　the　rest　of　the　summer。　There　are　some　people　I　know　and　whom　I　want　you　to　know。　Be　so　good　as　to　arrive。　　Then　I　will　thank　you　properly　for　your　various　Italian　rhapsodies。　　I　can't　reply　on　the　same　scale　I　have　n't　the　time。　　Do　you　know　what　I　am　doing？　I　am　making　love。　　I　find　it　a　most　absorbing　occupation。　That　is　literally　why　I　have　not　written　to　you　before。　I　have　been　making　love　ever　since　the　last　of　May。　It　takes　an　immense　amount　of　time；　and　everything　else　has　got　terribly　behindhand。　　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　the　experiment　itself　has　gone　on　very　fast；　but　I　am　trying　to　push　it　forward。　　I　have　n't　yet　had　time　to　test　its　success；　but　in　this　I　want　your　help。　　You　know　we　great　physicists　never　make　an　experiment　without　an　'assistant'a　humble　individual　who　burns　his　fingers　and　stains　his　clothes　in　the　cause　of　science；　but　whose　interest　in　the　problem　is　only　indirect。　　I　want　you　to　be　my　assistant；　and　I　will　guarantee　that　your　burns　and　stains　shall　not　be　dangerous。　She　is　an　extremely　interesting　girl；　and　I　really　want　you　to　see　herI　want　to　know　what　you　think　of　her。　　She　wants　to　know　you；　too；　for　I　have　talked　a　good　deal　about　you。　There　you　have　it；　if　gratified　vanity　will　help　you　on　the　way。　Seriously；　this　is　a　real　request。　　I　want　your　opinion；　your　impression。　　I　want　to　see　how　she　will　affect　you。　I　don't　say　I　ask　for　your　advice；　that；　of　course；　you　will　not　undertake　to　give。　　But　I　desire　a　definition；　a　characterization；　you　know　you　toss　off　those　things。　I　don't　see　why　I　should　n't　tell　you　all　thisI　have　always　told　you　everything。　　I　have　never　pretended　to　know　anything　about　women；　but　I　have　always　supposed　that　you　knew　everything。　You　certainly　have　always　had　the　tone　of　that　sort　of　omniscience。　　So　come　here　as　soon　as　possible　and　let　me　see　that　you　are　not　a　humbug。　　She　's　a　very　handsome　girl。〃

Longueville　was　so　much　amused　with　this　appeal　that　he　very　soon　started　for　Germany。　　In　the　reader；　Gordon　Wright's　letter　will；　perhaps；　excite　surprise　rather　than　hilarity；　but　Longueville　thought　it　highly　characteristic　of　his　friend。　What　it　especially　pointed　to　was　Gordon's　want　of　imagination　a　deficiency　which　was　a　matter　of　common　jocular　allusion　between　the　two　young　men；　each　of　whom　kept　a　collection　of　acknowledged　oddities　as　a　playground　for　the　other's　wit。　Bernard　had　often　spoken　of　his　comrade's　want　of　imagination　as　a　bottomless　pit；　into　which　Gordon　was　perpetually　inviting　him　to　lower　himself。　　〃My　dear　fellow；〃　Bernard　said；　〃you　must　really　excuse　me；　I　cannot　take　these　subterranean　excursions。　I　should　lose　my　breath　down　there；　I　should　never　come　up　alive。　You　know　I　have　dropped　things　downlittle　jokes　and　metaphors；　little　fantasies　and　paradoxesand　I　have　never　heard　them　touch　bottom！〃　　This　was　an　epigram　on　the　part　of　a　young　man　who　had　a　lively　play　of　fancy；　but　it　was　none　the　less　true　that　Gordon　Wright　had　a　firmly…treading；　rather　than　a　winged；　intellect。　　Every　phrase　in　his　letter　seemed；　to　Bernard；　to　march　in　stout…soled　walking…boots；　and　nothing　could　better　express　his　attachment　to　the　process　of　reasoning　things　out　than　this　proposal　that　his　friend　should　come　and　make　a　chemical　analysisa　geometrical　surveyof　the　lady　of　his　love。　　〃That　I　shall　have　any　difficulty　in　forming　an　opinion；　and　any　difficulty　in　expressing　it　when　formed　of　this　he　has　as　little　idea　as　that　he　shall　have　any　difficulty　in　accepting　it　when　expressed。〃　　So　Bernard　reflected；　as　he　rolled　in　the　train　to　Munich。　　〃Gordon's　mind；〃　he　went　on；　〃has　no　atmosphere；　his　intellectual　process　goes　on　in　the　void。　There　are　no　currents　and　eddies　to　affect　it；　no　high　winds　nor　hot　suns；　no　changes　of　season　and　temperature。　His　premises　are　neatly　arranged；　and　his　conclusions　are　perfectly　calculable。〃

Yet　for　the　man　on　whose　character　he　so　freely　exercised　his　wit　Bernard　Longueville　had　a　strong　affection。　　It　is　nothing　against　the　validity　of　a　friendship　that　the　parties　to　it　have　not　a　mutual　resemblance。　　There　must　be　a　basis　of　agreement；　but　the　structure　reared　upon　it　may　contain　a　thousand　disparities。　These　two　young　men　had　formed　an　alliance　of　old；　in　college　days；　and　the　bond　between　them　had　been　strengthened　by　the　simple　fact　of　its　having　survived　the　sentimental　revolutions　of　early　life。　Its　strongest　link　was　a　sort　of　mutual　respect。　　Their　tastes；　their　pursuits　were　different；　but　each　of　them　had　a　high　esteem　for　the　other's　character。　　It　may　be　said　that　they　were　easily　pleased；　for　it　is　certain　that　neither　of　them　had　performed　any　very　conspicuous　action。　　They　were　highly　civilized　young　Americans；　born　to　an　easy　fortune　and　a　tranquil　destiny；　and　unfamiliar　with　the　glitter　of　golden　opportunities。　　If　I　did　not　shrink　from　disparaging　the　constitution　of　their　native　land　for　their　own　credit；　I　should　say　that　it　had　never　been　very　definitely　proposed　to　these　young　gentlemen　to　distinguish　themselves。　On　reaching　manhood；　they　had　each　come　into　property　sufficient　to　make　violent　exertion　superfluous。　　Gordon　Wright；　indeed；　had　inherited　a　large　estate。　　Their　wants　being　tolerably　modest；　they　had　not　been　tempted　to　strive　for　the　glory　of　building　up　commercial　fortunesthe　most　obvious　career　open　to　young　Americans。　They　had；　indeed；　embraced　no　career　at　all；　and　if　summoned　to　give　an　account　of　themselves　would；　perhaps；　have　found　it　hard　to　tell　any　very　impressive　story。　　Gordon　Wright　was　much　interested　in　physical　science；　and　had　ideas　of　his　own　on　what　is　called　the　endowment　of　research。　　His　i