the hand of ethelberta-第11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！


and　women　do　who　are　courting？'

'No；　indeedwhat　an　absurd　child　you　are！'　said　Ethelberta。　　'I
knew　him　once；　and　he　is　interesting；　a　few　little　things　like　that
make　it　all　up。'

'The　love　is　all　on　one　side；　as　with　me。'

'O　no；　no：　　there　is　nothing　like　that。　　I　am　not　attached　to　any
one；　strictly　speakingthough；　more　strictly　speaking；　I　am　not
unattached。'

''Tis　a　delightful　middle　mind　to　be　in。　　I　know　it；　for　I　was　like
it　once；　but　I　had　scarcely　been　so　long　enough　to　know　where　I　was
before　I　was　gone　past。'

'You　should　have　commanded　yourself；　or　drawn　back　entirely；　for　let
me　tell　you　that　at　the　beginning　of　caring　for　a　manjust　when　you
are　suspended　between　thinking　and　feelingthere　is　a　hair's…
breadth　of　time　at　which　the　question　of　getting　into　love　or　not
getting　in　is　a　matter　of　willquite　a　thing　of　choice。　　At　the
same　time；　drawing　back　is　a　tame　dance；　and　the　best　of　all　is　to
stay　balanced　awhile。'

'You　do　that　well；　I'll　warrant。'

'Well；　no；　for　what　between　continually　wanting　to　love；　to　escape
the　blank　lives　of　those　who　do　not；　and　wanting　not　to　love；　to
keep　out　of　the　miseries　of　those　who　do；　I　get　foolishly　warm　and
foolishly　cold　by　turns。'

'Yesand　I　am　like　you　as　far　as　the　〃foolishly〃　goes。　　I　wish　we
poor　girls　could　contrive　to　bring　a　little　wisdom　into　our　love　by
way　of　a　change！'

'That's　the　very　thing　that　leading　minds　in　town　have　begun　to　do；
but　there　are　difficulties。　　It　is　easy　to　love　wisely；　but　the　rich
man　may　not　marry　you；　and　it　is　not　very　hard　to　reject　wisely；　but
the　poor　man　doesn't　care。　　Altogether　it　is　a　precious　problem。
But　shall　we　clamber　out　upon　those　shining　blocks　of　rock；　and　find
some　of　the　little　yellow　shells　that　are　in　the　crevices？　　I　have
ten　minutes　longer；　and　then　I　must　go。'



7。　THE　DINING…ROOM　OF　A　TOWN　HOUSE　…　THE　BUTLER'S　PANTRY

A　few　weeks　later　there　was　a　friendly　dinner…party　at　the　house　of
a　gentleman　called　Doncastle；　who　lived　in　a　moderately　fashionable
square　of　west　London。　　All　the　friends　and　relatives　present　were
nice　people；　who　exhibited　becoming　signs　of　pleasure　and　gaiety　at
being　there；　but　as　regards　the　vigour　with　which　these　emotions
were　expressed；　it　may　be　stated　that　a　slight　laugh　from　far　down
the　throat　and　a　slight　narrowing　of　the　eye　were　equivalent　as
indices　of　the　degree　of　mirth　felt　to　a　Ha…ha…ha！　and　a　shaking　of
the　shoulders　among　the　minor　traders　of　the　kingdom；　and　to　a　Ho…
ho…ho！　contorted　features；　purple　face；　and　stamping　foot　among　the
gentlemen　in　corduroy　and　fustian　who　adorn　the　remoter　provinces。

The　conversation　was　chiefly　about　a　volume　of　musical；　tender；　and
humorous　rhapsodies　lately　issued　to　the　world　in　the　guise　of
verse；　which　had　been　reviewed　and　talked　about　everywhere。　　This
topic；　beginning　as　a　private　dialogue　between　a　young　painter　named
Ladywell　and　the　lady　on　his　right　hand；　had　enlarged　its　ground　by
degrees；　as　a　subject　will　extend　on　those　rare　occasions　when　it
happens　to　be　one　about　which　each　person　has　thought　something
beforehand；　instead　of；　as　in　the　natural　order　of　things；　one　to
which　the　oblivious　listener　replies　mechanically；　with　earnest
features；　but　with　thoughts　far　away。　　And　so　the　whole　table　made
the　matter　a　thing　to　inquire　or　reply　upon　at　once；　and　isolated
rills　of　other　chat　died　out　like　a　river　in　the　sands。

'Witty　things；　and　occasionally　Anacreontic：　　and　they　have　the
originality　which　such　a　style　must　naturally　possess　when　carried
out　by　a　feminine　hand；'　said　Ladywell。

'If　it　is　a　feminine　hand；'　said　a　man　near。

Ladywell　looked　as　if　he　sometimes　knew　secrets；　though　he　did　not
wish　to　boast。

'Written；　I　presume　you　mean；　in　the　Anacreontic　measure　of　three
feet　and　a　halfspondees　and　iambics？'　said　a　gentleman　in
spectacles；　glancing　round；　and　giving　emphasis　to　his　inquiry　by
causing　bland　glares　of　a　circular　shape　to　proceed　from　his　glasses
towards　the　person　interrogated。

The　company　appeared　willing　to　give　consideration　to　the　words　of　a
man　who　knew　such　things　as　that；　and　hung　forward　to　listen。　　But
Ladywell　stopped　the　whole　current　of　affairs　in　that　direction　by
saying

'O　no；　I　was　speaking　rather　of　the　matter　and　tone。　　In　fact；　the
Seven　Days'　Review　said　they　were　Anacreontic；　you　know；　and　so　they
areany　one　may　feel　they　are。'

The　general　look　then　implied　a　false　encouragement；　and　the　man　in
spectacles　looked　down　again；　being　a　nervous　person；　who　never　had
time　to　show　his　merits　because　he　was　so　much　occupied　in　hiding
his　faults。

'Do　you　know　the　authoress；　Mr。　Neigh？'　continued　Ladywell。

'Can't　say　that　I　do；'　he　replied。

Neigh　was　a　man　who　never　disturbed　the　flesh　upon　his　face　except
when　he　was　obliged　to　do　so；　and　paused　ten　seconds　where　other
people　only　paused　one；　as　he　moved　his　chin　in　speaking；　motes　of
light　from　under　the　candle…shade　caught；　lost；　and　caught　again　the
outlying　threads　of　his　burnished　beard。

'She　will　be　famous　some　day；　and　you　ought　at　any　rate　to　read　her
book。'

'Yes；　I　ought；　I　know。　　In　fact；　some　years　ago　I　should　have　done
it　immediately；　because　I　had　a　reason　for　pushing　on　that　way　just
then。'

'Ah；　what　was　that？'

'Well；　I　thought　of　going　in　for　Westminster　Abbey　myself　at　that
time；　but　a　fellow　has　so　much　to　do；　and'

'What　a　pity　that　you　didn't　follow　it　up。　　A　man　of　your　powers；
Mr。　Neigh'

'Afterwards　I　found　I　was　too　steady　for　it；　and　had　too　much　of　the
respectable　householder　in　me。　　Besides；　so　many　other　men　are　on
the　same　tack；　and　then　I　didn't　care　about　it；　somehow。'

'I　don't　understand　high　art；　and　am　utterly　in　the　dark　on　what　are
the　true　laws　of　criticism；'　a　plain　married　lady；　who　wore
archaeological　jewellery；　was　saying　at　this　time。　　'But　I　know　that
I　have　derived　an　unusual　amount　of　amusement　from　those　verses；　and
I　am　heartily　thankful　to　〃E。〃　for　them。'

'I　am　afraid；'　said　a　gentleman　who　was　suffering　from　a　bad　shirt…
front；　'that　an　estimate　which　depends　upon　feeling　in　that　way　is
not　to　be　trusted　as　permanent　opinion。'

The　subject　now　flitted　to　the　other　end。

'Somebody　has　it　that　when　the　heart　flies　out　before　the
understanding；　it　saves　the　judgment　a　world　of　pains；'　came　from　a
voice　in　that　quarter。

'I；　for　my　part；　like　something　merry；'　said　an　elderly　woman；　whose
face　was　bisected　by　the　edge　of　a　shadow；　which　toned　her　forehead
and　eyelids　to　a　livid　neutral　tint；　and　left　her　cheeks　and　mouth
like　metal　at　a　white　heat　in　the　uninterrupted　light。　　'I　think　the
liveliness　of　those　ballads　as　great　a　recommendation　as　any。　　After
all；　enough　misery　is　known　to　us　by　our　experiences　and　those　of
our　friends；　and　what　we　see　in　the　newspapers；　for　all　purposes　of
chastening；　without　having　gratuitous　grief　inflicted　upon　us。'

'But　you　would　not　have　wished　that　〃Romeo　and　Juliet〃　should　have
ended　happily；　or　that　Othello　should　have　discovered　the　perfidy　of
his　Ancient　in　time　to　prevent　all　fatal　consequences？'

'I　am　not　afraid　to　go　so　far　as　that；'　said　the　old　lady。
'Shakespeare　is　not　everybody；　and　I　am　sure　that　thousands　of
people　who　have　seen　those　plays　would　have　driven　home　more
cheerfully　afterwards　if　by　some　contrivance　the　characters　could
all　have　been　joined　together　respectively。　　I　uphold　our　anonymous
author　on　the　general　ground　of　her　levity。'

'Well；　it　is　an　old　and　worn　argumentthat　about　the　inexpedience
of　tragedyand　much　may　be　said　on　both　sides。　　It　is　not　to　be
denied　that　the　anonymous　Sappho's　versesfor　it　seems　that　she　is
really　a　womanare　clever。'

'Clever！'　said　Ladywellthe　young　man　who　had　been　one　of　the
shooting…party　at　Sandbourne'they　are　marvellously　brilliant。'

'She　is　rather　warm　in　her　assumed　character。'

'That's　a　sign　of　her　actual　coldness；　she　lets　off　her　feeling　in
theoretic　grooves；　and　there　is　sure　to　be　none　left　for　practical
ones。　　Whatever　seems　to　be　the　most　prominent　vice；　or　the　most
prominent　virtue　in　anybody's　writing　is　the　one　thing　you　are
safest　from　in　personal　dealings　with　the　writer。'

'O；　I　don't　mean　to　call　her　warmth　of　feeling　a　vice　or　virtue
exactly'

'I　agree　with　you；'　said　Neigh　to　the　last　speaker　but　one；　in　tones
as　emphatic　as　they　possibly　could　be　without　losing　their　proper
character　of　indifference　to　the　whole　matter。　　'Warm　sentiment　of
any　sort；　whenever　we　have　it；　disturbs　us　too　much　to　leave　us
repose　enough　for　writing　it　down。'

'I　am　sure；　when　I　was　at　the　ardent　age；'　said　the　mistress　of　the
house；　in　a　tone　of　pleasantly　agreeing　with　every　one；　particularly
those　who　were　diametrically　opposed　to　each　other；　'I　could　no　more
have　printed　such　emotions　and　made　them　public　than　Icould　have
helped　privately　feeling　them。'

'I　wonder　if　she　has　gone　through　half　she　says？　　If　so；　what　an
experience！'

'O　nonot　at　all　likely；'　said　Mr。　Neigh。　　'It　is　as　risky　to
calculate　people's　ways　of　living　from　their　writings　as　their
incomes　from　their　way　of　living。'

'She　is　as　true　to　nature　as　fashion　is　false；'　said　the　painter；　in
his　warmth　becoming　scarce