brideshead+revisited-第13节

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hen　he　dined　at　home　…　and　he　seldom　dined　elsewhere　…　he　wore　a　frogged　velvet　smoking　suit　of　the　kind　which　had　been　fashionable　many　years　before　and　was　to　be　so　again；　but；　at　that　time；　was　a　deliberate　archaism。
　　　　'My　dear　boy；　I　they　never　told　me　you　were　here。'　Did　you　have　a　very　exhausting　journey？　They　gave　you　tea？　You　are　well？　I　have　just　made　a　somewhat　audacious　I　purchase　from　Sonerscheins　…　a　terra…cotta　bull　of　the　fifth　century。　I　was　examining　it　and　forgot　your　arrival。　Was　the　carriage　very　full？　　You　had　a　corner　seat？　（He　travelled　so　rarely　himself　that　to　hear　of　others　doing　so　always　excited　his　solicitude。）　'Hayter　brought　you　the　evening　paper？　There　is　no　news；　of　course　…　such　a　lot　of　nonsense。'
　　　　Dinner　was　announced。　My　father　from　long　habit　took　a　book　with　him　to　the　table　and　then；　remembering　my　presence；　furtively　dropped　it　under　his　chair。　'What　do　you　like　to　drink？　Hayter；　what　have　we　for　Mr　Charles　to　drink？'
　　　　'There's　some　whisky。'
　　　　'There's　whisky。　Perhaps　you　like　something；　else？　What　else　have　we？'
　　　　'There　isn't　anything　else　in　the　house；　sir。'
　　　　'There's　nothing　else。　You　must　tell　Hayter　what　you　would　like　and　he　will　get　it　in。　I　never　keep　any　wine　now。　I　am　forbidden　it　and　no　one　es　to　see　me。　But　while　you　are　here；　you　must　have　what　you　like。　You　are　here　for　long。？'
　　　　'I'm　not　quite　sure；　father。'
　　　　'It's　a　very　long　vacation；'　he　said　wistfully。　'In　my　day　we　used　to　go　on　what　were　called　reading　parties；　always　in　mountainous　areas。　Why？。　Why；'　he　repeated　petulantly；　'should　alpine　scenery　be　thought　conducive　to　study？'
　　　　'I　thought　of　putting　in　some　time　at　an　art　school　…　in　the　life　class。'
　　　　'My　dear　boy；　you'll　find　them　all　shut。　The　students　go　to　Barbizon　or　such　places　and　paint　in　the　open　air。　There　was　an　institution　in　my　day　called　a　〃sketching　club〃'　…　mixed　sexes'　（snuffle）；　'bicycles'　（snuffle）；　'pepper…and…salt　knickerbockers；　holland　umbrellas；　and；　it　was　popularly　thought；　free　love'　（snuffle）；　such　a　lot　of　nonsense。　I　expect　they　still　go　on。　You　might　try　that。'
　　　　'One　of　the　problems　of　the　vacation　is　money；　father。'
　　　　'Oh；　I　shouldn't　worry　about　a　thing　like　that　at　your　age。'
　　　　'You　see；　I've　run　rather　short。'
　　　　'Yes？'　said　my　father　without　any　sound　of　interest。
　　　　'In　fact　I　don't　quite　know　how　I'm　going　to　get　through　the　next　two　months。'
　　　　'Well；　I'm　the　worst　person　to　e　to　for　advice。　I've　never　been　〃short〃　as　you　so　painfully　call　it。　And　yet　what　else　could　you　say？　Hard　up？　Penurious？　Distressed？　Embarrassed？　Stonybroke？'　（snuffle）。　'On　the　rocks？　In　Queer　Street？　Let　us　say　you　are　in　Queer　Street　and　leave　it　at　that。　Your　grandfather　once　said　to　me；　〃Live　within　your　means；　but　if　you　do　get　into　difficulties；　e　to　me。　Don't　go　to　the　Jews。〃　Such　a　lot　of　nonsense。　You　try。　Go　to　those　gentlemen　in　Jermyn　Street　who　offer　advances　on　note　of　hand　only。　My　dear　boy；　they　won't　give　you　a　sovereign。'
　　　　'Then　what　do　you　suggest　my　doing？'
　　　　'Your　cousin　Melchior　was　imprudent　with　his　investments　and　got　into　a　very　queer　street。　He　went　to　Australia。'　I　had　not　seen　my　father　so　gleeful　since　he　found　two　pages　of　second…century　papyrus　between　the　leaves　of　a　Lombardic　breviary。
　　　　'Hayter；　I've　dropped　my　book。'
　　　　It　was　recovered　for　him　from　under　his　feet　and　propped　　against　the　閜ergne。　For　the　rest　of　dinner　he　was　silent　save　for　an　occasional　snuffle　of　merriment　which　could　not；　I　thought　be　provoked　by　the　work　he　read。
　　　　Presently　we　left　the　table　and　sat　in　I　the　garden…room；　and　there；　plainly；　he　put　me　out　of　his　mind；　his　thoughts；　I　knew；　were　far　away；　in　those　distant　ages　where　he　moved　at　ease；　where　time　passed　in　centuries　and　all　the　figures　were　defaced　and　the　names　of　his　panions　were　corrupt　readings　of　words　of　quite　other　meaning。　He　sat　in　an　attitude　which　to　anyone　else　would　have　been　one　of　extreme　disfort；　askew　in　his　upright　armchair；　with　his　book　held　high　and　obliquely　to　the　light。　Now　and　then　he　took　a　gold　pencil…case　from　his　watchchain　and　made　an　entry　in　the　margin。　The　windows　were　open　to　the　summer　night；　the　ticking　of　the　clocks；　the　distant　murmur　of　traffic　on　the　Bayswater　Road；　and　my…father's　regular　turning　of　the　pages　were　the　only　sounds。　I　had　thought　it　impolitic　to　smoke　a　cigar　while　pleading　poverty；　now　in　desperation　I　went　to　my　room　and　fetched　one。　My　father　did　not　look　up。　I　pierced　it；　lit　it；　and　with　renewed　confidence　said；　'Father；　you　surely　don't　want　me　to　spend　the　whole　vacation　here　with　you？'
　　　　'Eh？'
　　　　'Won't　you　find　it　rather　a　bore　having　me　at　home　for　so　long？'
　　　　'I　trust　I　should　not　betray　such　an　emotion　even　if　I　felt　it；　said　my　father　mildly　and　turned　back　to　his　book。
　　　　The　evening　passed。　Eventually　all　over　the　room　clocks　of　diverse　pattern　musically　chimed　eleven。　My；　father　closed　his　book　and　removed　his　spectacles。　'You　are　very　wele；　my　dear　boy；'　he　said。　'Stay　as　long　as　you　find　it　convenient。'　At　the　door　he　paused　and　turned　back。　'Your　cousin　Melchior　worked　his　passage　to　Australia　before　the　mast。'　　（Snuffle。）　'What；　I　wonder；　is　〃before　the　mast〃？'

　　　　During　the　sultry　week　that　followed；　my　relations　with　my　father　deteriorated　sharply。　I　saw　little　of　him　during　the　day；　he　spent　hours　on　end　in　the　library；　now　and　then　he　emerged　and　I　would　hear　him　calling　over　the　banisters：　'Hayter；　get　me　a　cab。'　Then　he　would　be　away；　sometimes　for　half　an　hour　or　less；　sometimes　a　whole　day；　his　errands　were　never　explained。　Often　I　saw　trays　going　up　to　him　at　odd　hours；　laden　with　meagre　nursery　snacks　…　rusks；　glasses　of　milk；　bananas；　and　so　forth。　If　we　met　in　a　passage　or　on　the　stairs　he　would　look　at　me　vacantly　and　say　'Ah…ha；'　or　'Very　warm；'　or　'Splendid；　splendid；'　but　in　the　evening；　when　he　came　to　the　garden…room　in　his　velvet　smoking　suit；　he　always　greeted　me　formally。
　　　　The　dinner　table　was　our　battlefield。
　　　　On　the　second　evening　I　took　my　book　with　me　to　the　dining…room。　His　mind　and　wandering　eye　fastened　on　it　with　sudden　attention；　and　as　we　passed　through　the　hall　he　surreptitiously　left　his　own　on　a　side　table。　When　we　sat　down；　he　said　plaintively：　'I　do　think；　Charles；　you　might　talk　to　me。　I've　had　a　very　exhausting　day。　I　was　looking　forward　to　a　little　conversation。'
　　　　'Of　course；　father。　What　shall　we　talk　about？'
　　　　'Cheer　me　up。　Take　me　out　of　myself；'　petulantly；　'tell　me　about　the　new　plays。'
　　　　'But　I　haven't　been　to　any。'
　　　　'You　should；　you　know　you　really　should。　It's　not　natural　in　a　young　man　to　spend　all　his　evenings　at　home。'
　　　　'Well；　father；'　as　I　told　you；　I　haven't　much　money　to　spare　for　theatre…going。'
　　　　'My　dear　boy；　you　must　not　let　money　bee　your　master　in　this　way。　Why；　at　your　age；　your　cousin　Melchior　was　part…owner　of　a　musical　piece。　It　was　one　of　his　few　happy　ventures。　You　should　go　to　the　play　as　part　of　your　education。　If　you　read　the　lives　of　eminent　men　you　will　find　that　quite　half　of　them　made　their　first　acquaintance　with　drama　from　the　gallery。　I　am　told　there　is　no　pleasure　like　it。　It　is　there　that　you　find　the　real　critics　and　devotees。　It　is　called　〃sitting；　with　the　gods〃。　The　expense　is　nugatory；　and　even　while　you　wait　for　admission　in　the　street　you　are　diverted　by　〃buskers〃。　We　will　sit　with　the　gods　together　one　night。　How　do　you　find　Mrs。Abel's　cooking。？'
　　　　'Unchanged。'
　　　　'It　was　inspired　by　your　Aunt　Philippa。　She　gave　Mrs　Abel　ten　menus；　and　they　have　never　been　varied。　When　I　am　alone　I　do　not　notice　what　I　eat；　but　now　that　you　are　here；　we　must　have　a　change。　What　would　you　like？　What　is　in　season？　Are　you　fond　of　lobsters？　Hayter；　tell　Mrs　Abel　to　give　us　lobsters　tomorrow　night。'
　　　　Dinner　that。　evening　consisted　of　a　white；　tasteless　soup；　overfried　fillets　of　sole　with　a　pink　sauce；　lamb　cutlets　propped　against　a　cone　of　mashed　potato；　stewed　pears　in　jelly　standing　on　a　kind　of　sponge　cake。
　　　　'It　is　purely　out　of　respect　for　your　Aunt　Philippa　that　I　dine　at　this　length。　She　laid　it　down　that　a　three…course　dinner　was　middle…class。　〃If　you　once　let　the　servants　get　their　way；〃　she　said；　〃you　will　find　yourself　dining　nightly　off　a　single　chop。〃　There　is　nothing　I　should　like　more。　In　fact；　that　is　exactly　what　I　do　when　I　go　to　my　club　on　Mrs　Abel's　evening　out。　But　your　aunt　ordained　that　at　home　I　must　have　soup　and　three　courses；　some　nights　it　is　fish；　meat；　and　savoury；　on　others　it　is　meat；　sweet；　savoury　…　there　are　a　number　of　possible　permutations。
　　　　It　is　remarkable　how　some　people　are　able　to　put　their　opinions　in　lapidary　form；　your　aunt　had　that　gift。
　　　　'It　is　odd　to　think　that　she　and　I　once　dined　together　nightly　just　as　you　and　I　do；　my　boy。　Now　she　made　unremitting　efforts　to　take　me　out　of　myself。　She　used　to　tell　me　about　her　reading。　It　was　in　her　mind　to　make　a　home　with　me；　you　know。　She　thought　I　should　get　into　funny　ways　if　I　was　left　on　my　own。　Perhaps　I　have　got　into　funny　ways。　Have　I？　But　it　didn't　do。　I　got　her　out　in　the　end。'
　　　　There　was　an　unmistakable　note　of　menace　in　his　voice　as　he　said　this。
　　　　It　was　largely　by　reason　of　my　Aunt　Philippa　that　I　now　found　myself　so