the author of beltraffio-第3节

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choose；〃　said　Mark　Ambient。　　〃My　dear　little　boy；　will　you　go　with　me
or　will　you　stay　with　your　mother？〃

〃Oh　it's　a　shame！〃　cried　the　vicar's　lady　with　increased　hilarity。

〃Papa；　I　don't　think　I　can　choose；〃　the　child　answered；　making　his
voice　very　low　and　confidential。　　〃But　I've　been　a　great　deal　with
mamma　to…day；〃　he　then　added。

〃And　very　little　with　papa！　　My　dear　fellow；　I　think　you　HAVE
chosen！〃　　On　which　Mark　Ambient　walked　off　with　his　son；　accompanied
by　re…echoing　but　inarticulate　comments　from　my　fellow…visitor。

His　wife　had　seated　herself　again；　and　her　fixed　eyes；　bent　on　the
ground；　expressed　for　a　few　moments　so　much　mute　agitation　that
anything　I　could　think　of　to　say　would　be　but　a　false　note。　　Yet　she
none　the　less　quickly　recovered　herself；　to　express　the　sufficiently
civil　hope　that　I　didn't　mind　having　had　to　walk　from　the　station。　　I
reassured　her　on　this　point；　and　she　went　on：　　〃We've　got　a　thing
that　might　have　gone　for　you；　but　my　husband　wouldn't　order　it。〃
After　which　and　another　longish　pause；　broken　only　by　my　plea　that
the　pleasure　of　a　walk　with　our　friend　would　have　been　quite　what　I
would　have　chosen；　she　found　for　reply：　　〃I　believe　the　Americans
walk　very　little。〃

〃Yes；　we　always　run；〃　I　laughingly　allowed。

She　looked　at　me　seriously；　yet　with　an　absence　in　her　pretty　eyes。
〃I　suppose　your　distances　are　so　great。〃

〃Yes；　but　we　break　our　marches！　　I　can't　tell　you　the　pleasure　to　me
of　finding　myself　here；〃　I　added。　　〃I've　the　greatest　admiration　for
Mr。　Ambient。〃

〃He'll　like　that。　　He　likes　being　admired。〃

〃He　must　have　a　very　happy　life；　then。　　He　has　many　worshippers。〃

〃Oh　yes；　I've　seen　some　of　them；〃　she　dropped；　looking　away；　very　far
from　me；　rather　as　if　such　a　vision　were　before　her　at　the　moment。
It　seemed　to　indicate；　her　tone；　that　the　sight　was　scarcely
edifying；　and　I　guessed　her　quickly　enough　to　be　in　no　great
intellectual　sympathy　with　the　author　of　〃Beltraffio。〃　　I　thought　the
fact　strange；　but　somehow；　in　the　glow　of　my　own　enthusiasm；　didn't
think　it　important　it　only　made　me　wish　rather　to　emphasise　that
homage。

〃For　me；　you　know；〃　I　returneddoubtless　with　a　due　suffisance
〃he's　quite　the　greatest　of　living　writers。〃

〃Of　course　I　can't　judge。　　Of　course　he's　very　clever；〃　she　said　with
a　patient　cheer。

〃He's　nothing　less　than　supreme；　Mrs。　Ambient！　　There　are　pages　in
each　of　his　books　of　a　perfection　classing　them　with　the　greatest
things。　　Accordingly　for　me　to　see　him　in　this　familiar　way；　in　his
habit　as　he　lives；　and　apparently　to　find　the　man　as　delightful　as
the　artistwell；　I　can't　tell　you　how　much　too　good　to　be　true　it
seems　and　how　great　a　privilege　I　think　it。〃　　I　knew　I　was　gushing；
but　I　couldn't　help　it；　and　what　I　said　was　a　good　deal　less　than
what　I　felt。　　I　was　by　no　means　sure　I　should　dare　to　say　even　so
much　as　this　to　the　master　himself；　and　there　was　a　kind　of　rapture
in　speaking　it　out　to　his　wife　which　was　not　affected　by　the　fact
that；　as　a　wife；　she　appeared　peculiar。　　She　listened　to　me　with　her
face　grave　again　and　her　lips　a　little　compressed；　listened　as　if　in
no　doubt；　of　course；　that　her　husband　was　remarkable；　but　as　if　at
the　same　time　she　had　heard　it　frequently　enough　and　couldn't　treat
it　as　stirring　news。　　There　was　even　in　her　manner　a　suggestion　that
I　was　so　young　as　to　expose　myself　to　being　called　forwardan
imputation　and　a　word　I　had　always　loathed；　as　well　as　a　hinted
reminder　that　people　usually　got　over　their　early　extravagance。　　〃I
assure　you　that　for　me　this　is　a　red…letter　day；〃　I　added。

She　didn't　take　this　up；　but　after　a　pause；　looking　round　her；　said
abruptly　and　a　trifle　dryly：　　〃We're　very　much　afraid　about　the　fruit
this　year。〃

My　eyes　wandered　to　the　mossy　mottled　garden…walls；　where　plum…trees
and　pears；　flattened　and　fastened　upon　the　rusty　bricks；　looked　like
crucified　figures　with　many　arms。　　〃Doesn't　it　promise　well？〃

〃No；　the　trees　look　very　dull。　　We　had　such　late　frosts。〃

Then　there　was　another　pause。　　She　addressed　her　attention　to　the
opposite　end　of　the　grounds；　kept　it　for　her　husband's　return　with
the　child。　　〃Is　Mr。　Ambient　fond　of　gardening？〃　it　occurred　to　me　to
ask；　irresistibly　impelled　as　I　felt　myself；　moreover；　to　bring　the
conversation　constantly　back　to　him。

〃He's　very　fond　of　plums；〃　said　his　wife。

〃Ah　well；　then；　I　hope　your　crop　will　be　better　than　you　fear。　　It's
a　lovely　old　place；〃　I　continued。　　〃The　whole　impression's　that　of
certain　places　he　has　described。　　Your　house　is　like　one　of　his
pictures。〃

She　seemed　a　bit　frigidly　amused　at　my　glow。　　〃It's　a　pleasant　little
place。　　There　are　hundreds　like　it。〃

〃Oh　it　has　his　TONE；〃　I　laughed；　but　sounding　my　epithet　and
insisting　on　my　point　the　more　sharply　that　my　companion　appeared　to
see　in　my　appreciation　of　her　simple　establishment　a　mark　of　mean
experience。

It　was　clear　I　insisted　too　much。　　〃His　tone？〃　she　repeated　with　a
harder　look　at　me　and　a　slightly　heightened　colour。

〃Surely　he　has　a　tone；　Mrs。　Ambient。〃

〃Oh　yes；　he　has　indeed！　　But　I　don't　in　the　least　consider　that　I'm
living　in　one　of　his　books　at　all。　　I　shouldn't　care　for　that　in　the
least；〃　she　went　on　with　a　smile　that　had　in　some　degree　the　effect
of　converting　her　really　sharp　protest　into　an　insincere　joke。　　〃I'm
afraid　I'm　not　very　literary。　　And　I'm　not　artistic；〃　she　stated。

〃I'm　very　sure　you're　not　ignorant；　not　stupid；〃　I　ventured　to　reply；
with　the　accompaniment　of　feeling　immediately　afterwards　that　I　had
been　both　familiar　and　patronising。　　My　only　consolation　was　in　the
sense　that　she　had　begun　it；　had　fairly　dragged　me　into　it。　　She　had
thrust　forward　her　limitations。

〃Well；　whatever　I　am　I'm　very　different　from　my　husband。　　If　you　like
him　you　won't　like　me。　　You　needn't　say　anything。　　Your　liking　me
isn't　in　the　least　necessary！〃

〃Don't　defy　me！〃　I　could　but　honourably　make　answer。

She　looked　as　if　she　hadn't　heard　me；　which　was　the　best　thing　she
could　do；　and　we　sat　some　time　without　further　speech。　　Mrs。　Ambient
had　evidently　the　enviable　English　quality　of　being　able　to　be　mute
without　unrest。　　But　at　last　she　spokeshe　asked　me　if　there　seemed
many　people　in　town。　　I　gave　her　what　satisfaction　I　could　on　this
point；　and　we　talked　a　little　of　London　and　of　some　of　its
characteristics　at　that　time　of　the　year。　　At　the　end　of　this　I　came
back　irrepressibly　to　Mark。

〃Doesn't　he　like　to　be　there　now？　　I　suppose　he　doesn't　find　the
proper　quiet　for　his　work。　　I　should　think　his　things　had　been
written　for　the　most　part　in　a　very　still　place。　　They　suggest　a
great　stillness　following　on　a　kind　of　tumult。　　Don't　you　think　so？〃
I　laboured　on。　　〃I　suppose　London's　a　tremendous　place　to　collect
impressions；　but　a　refuge　like　this；　in　the　country；　must　be　better
for　working　them　up。　　Does　he　get　many　of　his　impressions　in　London；
should　you　say？〃　　I　proceeded　from　point　to　point　in　this　malign
inquiry　simply　because　my　hostess；　who　probably　thought　me　an　odious
chattering　person；　gave　me　time；　for　when　I　pausedI've　not
represented　my　pausesshe　simply　continued　to　let　her　eyes　wander
while　her　long　fair　fingers　played　with　the　medallion　on　her　neck。
When　I　stopped　altogether；　however；　she　was　obliged　to　say　something；
and　what　she　said　was　that　she　hadn't　the　least　idea　where　her
husband　got　his　impressions。　　This　made　me　think　her；　for　a　moment；
positively　disagreeable；　delicate　and　proper　and　rather
aristocratically　fine　as　she　sat　there。　　But　I　must　either　have　lost
that　view　a　moment　later　or　been　goaded　by　it　to　further　aggression；
for　I　remember　asking　her　if　our　great　man　were　in　a　good　vein　of
work　and　when　we　might　look　for　the　appearance　of　the　book　on　which
he　was　engaged。　　I've　every　reason　now　to　know　that　she　found　me
insufferable。

She　gave　a　strange　small　laugh　as　she　said：　　〃I'm　afraid　you　think　I
know　much　more　about　my　husband's　work　than　I　do。　　I　haven't　the
least　idea　what　he's　doing；〃　she　then　added　in　a　slightly　different；
that　is　a　more　explanatory；　tone　and　as　if　from　a　glimpse　of　the
enormity　of　her　confession。　　〃I　don't　read　what　he　writes。〃

She　didn't　succeed；　and　wouldn't　even　had　she　tried　much　harder；　in
making　this　seem　to　me　anything　less　than　monstrous。　　I　stared　at　her
and　I　think　I　blushed。　　〃Don't　you　admire　his　genius？　　Don't　you
admire　'Beltraffio'？〃

She　waited；　and　I　wondered　what　she　could　possibly　say。　　She　didn't
speak；　I　could　see；　the　first　words　that　rose　to　her　lips；　she
repeated　what　she　had　said　a　few　minutes　before。　　〃Oh　of　course　he's
very　clever！〃　　And　with　this　she　got　up；　our　two　absentees　had
reappeared。



CHAPTER　II



Mrs。　Ambient　left　me　and　went　to　meet　them；　she　stopped　and　had　a　few
words　with　her　husband　that　I　didn't　hear　and　that　ended　in　her
taking　the　child　by　the　hand　and　returning　with　him　to　the　house。
Her　husband　joined　me　in　a　moment；　looking；　I　thought；　the　least　bit
conscious　and　constrained；　and　said　that　if　I　would　come　in　with　him
he　would　show　me　my　room。　　In　looking　back　upon　these　first　moments
of　my　visit　I　find　it　important　to　avoid　the　error　of　appearing　to
have　at　all　full