the hand of ethelberta-第12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！



'She　is　as　true　to　nature　as　fashion　is　false；'　said　the　painter；　in
his　warmth　becoming　scarcely　complimentary；　as　sometimes　happens
with　young　persons。　　'I　don't　think　that　she　has　written　a　word　more
than　what　every　woman　would　deny　feeling　in　a　society　where　no　woman
says　what　she　means　or　does　what　she　says。　　And　can　any　praise　be
greater　than　that？'

'Ha…ha！　　Capital！'

'All　her　verses　seem　to　me；'　said　a　rather　stupid　person；　'to　be
simply

　　　　　〃Tral'…la…la…lal'…la…la…la'；
　　　　　　Tral'…la…la…lal'…la…la…lu'；
　　　　　　Tral'…la…la…lal'…la…la…lalla'；
　　　　　　Tral'…la…la…lu'。〃

When　you　take　away　the　music　there　is　nothing　left。　　Yet　she　is
plainly　a　woman　of　great　culture。'

'Have　you　seen　what　the　London　Light　says　about　themone　of　the
finest　things　I　have　ever　read　in　the　way　of　admiration？'　continued
Ladywell；　paying　no　attention　to　the　previous　speaker。　　He　lingered
for　a　reply；　and　then　impulsively　quoted　several　lines　from　the
periodical　he　had　named；　without　aid　or　hesitation。　　'Good；　is　it
not？'　added　Ladywell。

They　assented；　but　in　such　an　unqualified　manner　that　half　as　much
readiness　would　have　meant　more。　　But　Ladywell；　though　not
experienced　enough　to　be　quite　free　from　enthusiasm；　was　too
experienced　to　mind　indifference　for　more　than　a　minute　or　two。
When　the　ladies　had　withdrawn；　the　young　man　went　on

'Colonel　Staff　said　a　funny　thing　to　me　yesterday　about　these　very
poems。　　He　asked　me　if　I　knew　her；　and'

'Her？　　Why；　he　knows　that　it　is　a　lady　all　the　time；　and　we　were
only　just　now　doubting　whether　the　sex　of　the　writer　could　be　really
what　it　seems。　　Shame；　Ladywell！'　said　his　friend　Neigh。

'Ah；　Mr。　Ladywell；'　said　another；　'now　we　have　found　you　out。　　You
know　her！'

'NowI　sayha…ha！'　continued　the　painter；　with　a　face　expressing
that　he　had　not　at　all　tried　to　be　found　out　as　the　man　possessing
incomparably　superior　knowledge　of　the　poetess。　　'I　beg　pardon
really；　but　don't　press　me　on　the　matter。　　Upon　my　word　the　secret
is　not　my　own。　　As　I　was　saying；　the　Colonel　said；　〃Do　you　know
her？〃but　you　don't　care　to　hear？'

'We　shall　be　delighted！'

'So　the　Colonel　said；　〃Do　you　know　her？〃　adding；　in　a　most　comic
way；　〃Between　U。　and　E。；　Ladywell；　I　believe　there　is　a　close
affinity〃meaning　me；　you　know；　by　U。　　Just　like　the　Colonelha…
ha…ha！'

The　older　men　did　not　oblige　Ladywell　a　second　time　with　any　attempt
at　appreciation；　but　a　weird　silence　ensued；　during　which　the　smile
upon　Ladywell's　face　became　frozen　to　painful　permanence。

'Meaning　by　E。；　you　know；　the　〃E〃　of　the　poemsheh…heh！'　he　added。

'It　was　a　very　humorous　incident　certainly；'　said　his　friend　Neigh；
at　which　there　was　a　laughnot　from　anything　connected　with　what　he
said；　but　simply　because　it　was　the　right　thing　to　laugh　when　Neigh
meant　you　to　do　so。

'Now　don't；　Neighyou　are　too　hard　upon　me。　　But；　seriously；　two　or
three　fellows　were　there　when　I　said　it；　and　they　all　began
laughingbut；　then；　the　Colonel　said　it　in　such　a　queer　way；　you
know。　　But　you　were　asking　me　about　her？　　Well；　the　fact　is；　between
ourselves；　I　do　know　that　she　is　a　lady；　and　I　don't　mind　telling　a
word'

'But　we　would　not　for　the　world　be　the　means　of　making　you　betray
her　confidencewould　we；　Jones？'

'No；　indeed；　we　would　not。'

'No；　no；　it　is　not　that　at　allthis　is　really　too　bad！you　must
listen　just　for　a　moment'

'Ladywell；　don't　betray　anybody　on　our　account。'

'Whoever　the　illustrious　young　lady　may　be　she　has　seen　a　great　deal
of　the　world；'　said　Mr。　Doncastle　blandly；　'and　puts　her　experience
of　the　comedy　of　its　emotions；　and　of　its　method　of　showing　them；　in
a　very　vivid　light。'

'I　heard　a　man　say　that　the　novelty　with　which　the　ideas　are
presented　is　more　noticeable　than　the　originality　of　the　ideas
themselves；'　observed　Neigh。　　'The　woman　has　made　a　great　talk　about
herself；　and　I　am　quite　weary　of　people　asking　of　her　condition；
place　of　abode；　has　she　a　father；　has　she　a　mother；　or　dearer　one
yet　than　all　other。'

'I　would　have　burlesque　quotation　put　down　by　Act　of　Parliament；　and
all　who　dabble　in　it　placed　with　him　who　can　cite　Scripture　for　his
purposes；'　said　Ladywell；　in　retaliation。

After　a　pause　Neigh　remarked　half…privately　to　their　host；　who　was
his　uncle：　　'Your　butler　Chickerel　is　a　very　intelligent　man；　as　I
have　heard。'

'Yes；　he　does　very　well；'　said　Mr。　Doncastle。

'But　is　he　not　avery　extraordinary　man？'

'Not　to　my　knowledge；'　said　Doncastle；　looking　up　surprised。　　'Why
do　you　think　that；　Alfred？'

'Well；　perhaps　it　was　not　a　matter　to　mention。　　He　reads　a　great
deal；　I　dare　say？'

'I　don't　think　so。'

'I　noticed　how　wonderfully　his　face　kindled　when　we　began　talking
about　the　poems　during　dinner。　　Perhaps　he　is　a　poet　himself　in
disguise。　　Did　you　observe　it？'

'No。　　To　the　best　of　my　belief　he　is　a　very　trustworthy　and
honourable　man。　　He　has　been　with　uslet　me　see；　how　long？five
months；　I　think；　and　he　was　fifteen　years　in　his　last　place。　　It
certainly　is　a　new　side　to　his　character　if　he　publicly　showed　any
interest　in　the　conversation；　whatever　he　might　have　felt。'

'Since　the　matter　has　been　mentioned；'　said　Mr。　Jones；　'I　may　say
that　I　too　noticed　the　singularity　of　it。'

'If　you　had　not　said　otherwise；'　replied　Doncastle　somewhat　warmly；
'I　should　have　asserted　him　to　be　the　last　man…servant　in　London　to
infringe　such　an　elementary　rule。　　If　he　did　so　this　evening；　it　is
certainly　for　the　first　time；　and　I　sincerely　hope　that　no　annoyance
was　caused'

'O　no；　nonot　at　allit　might　have　been　a　mistake　of　mine；'　said
Jones。　　'I　should　quite　have　forgotten　the　circumstance　if　Mr。
Neigh's　words　had　not　brought　it　to　my　mind。　　It　was　really　nothing
to　notice；　and　I　beg　that　you　will　not　say　a　word　to　him　about　it　on
my　account。'

'He　has　a　taste　that　way；　my　dear　uncle；　nothing　more；　depend　upon
it；'　said　Neigh。　　'If　I　had　such　a　man　belonging　to　me　I　should　only
be　too　proud。　　Certainly　do　not　mention　it。'

'Of　course　Chickerel　is　Chickerel；'　Mr。　Doncastle　rejoined。　　'We　all
know　what　that　means。　　And　really；　on　reflecting；　I　do　remember　that
he　is　of　a　literary　turn　of　mindnot　further　by　an　inch　than　is
commendable；　you　know。　　I　am　quite　aware　as　I　glance　down　the　papers
and　prints　any　morning　that　Chickerel's　eyes　have　been　over　the
ground　before　mine；　and　that　he　generally　forestalls　the　rest　of　us
by　a　chapter　or　so　in　the　last　new　book　sent　home；　but　in　these
vicious　days　that　particular　weakness　is　really　virtue；　just　because
it　is　not　quite　a　vice。'

'Yes；'　said　Mr。　Jones；　the　reflective　man　in　spectacles；　'positive
virtues　are　getting　moved　off　the　stage：　　negative　ones　are　moved　on
to　the　place　of　positives；　we　thank　bare　justice　as　we　used　only　to
thank　generosity；　call　a　man　honest　who　steals　only　by　law；　and
consider　him　a　benefactor　if　he　does　not　steal　at　all。'

'Hear；　hear！'　said　Neigh。　　'We　will　decide　that　Chickerel　is　even　a
better　trained　fellow　than　if　he　had　shown　no　interest　at　all　in　his
face。'

'The　action　being　like　those　trifling　irregularities　in　art　at　its
vigorous　periods；　which　seemed　designed　to　hide　the　unpleasant
monotony　of　absolute　symmetry；'　said　Ladywell。

'On　the　other　hand；　an　affected　want　of　training　of　that　sort　would
be　even　a　better　disguise　for　an　artful　man　than　a　perfectly
impassible　demeanour。　　He　is　two　removes　from　discovery　in　a　hidden
scheme；　whilst　a　neutral　face　is　only　one。'

'You　quite　alarm　me　by　these　subtle　theories；'　said　Mr。　Doncastle；
laughing；　and　the　subject　then　became　compounded　with　other　matters；
till　the　speakers　rose　to　rejoin　the　charming　flock　upstairs。



In　the　basement　story　at　this　hour　Mr。　Chickerel　the　butler；　who　had
formed　the　subject　of　discussion　on　the　floor　above；　was　busily
engaged　in　looking　after　his　two　subordinates　as　they　bustled　about
in　the　operations　of　clearing　away。　　He　was　a　man　of　whom；　if　the
shape　of　certain　bones　and　muscles　of　the　face　is　ever　to　be　taken
as　a　guide　to　the　character；　one　might　safely　have　predicated
conscientiousness　in　the　performance　of　duties；　a　thorough　knowledge
of　all　that　appertained　to　them；　a　general　desire　to　live　on　without
troubling　his　mind　about　anything　which　did　not　concern　him。　　Any
person　interested　in　the　matter　would　have　assumed　without
hesitation　that　the　estimate　his　employer　had　given　of　Chickerel　was
a　true　onemore；　that　not　only　would　the　butler　under　all　ordinary
circumstances　resolutely　prevent　his　face　from　showing　curiosity　in
an　unbecoming　way；　but　that；　with　the　soul　of　a　true　gentleman；　he
would；　if　necessary；　equivocate　as　readily　as　the　noblest　of　his
betters　to　remove　any　stain　upon　his　honour　in　such　trifles。　　Hence
it　is　apparent　that　if　Chickerel's　countenance　really　appeared；　as
Neigh　had　asserted；　full　of　curiosity　with　regard　to　the　gossip　that
was　going　on；　the　feelings　which　led　to　the　exhibition　must　have
been　of　a　very　unusual　and　irrepressible　kind。

His　hair　was　of　that　peculiar　bluish…white　which　is　to　be　observed
when　the　oncoming　years；　instead　of　singling　out　special　locks　of　a
man's　head　for　operating　against；　advance　uniformly　over　the　whole
field；　and　enfeeble　the　col