the author of beltraffio-第7节

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note。　　I　shall　attempt　here　no　record　of　where　we　went　or　of　what　we
saw。　　We　kept　to　the　fields　and　copses　and　commons；　and　breathed　the
same　sweet　air　as　the　nibbling　donkeys　and　the　browsing　sheep；　whose
woolliness　seemed　to　me；　in　those　early　days　of　acquaintance　with
English　objects；　but　part　of　the　general　texture　of　the　small　dense
landscape；　which　looked　as　if　the　harvest　were　gathered　by　the　shears
and　with　all　nature　bleating　and　braying　for　the　violence。
Everything　was　full　of　expression　for　Mark　Ambient's　visitorfrom
the　big　bandy…legged　geese　whose　whiteness　was　a　〃note〃　amid　all　the
tones　of　green　as　they　wandered　beside　a　neat　little　oval　pool；　the
foreground　of　a　thatched　and　whitewashed　inn；　with　a　grassy　approach
and　a　pictorial　signfrom　these　humble　wayside　animals　to　the　crests
of　high　woods　which　let　a　gable　or　a　pinnacle　peep　here　and　there　and
looked　even　at　a　distance　like　trees　of　good　company；　conscious　of　an
individual　profile。　　I　admired　the　hedge…rows；　I　plucked　the　faint…
hued　heather；　and　I　was　for　ever　stopping　to　say　how　charming　I
thought　the　thread…like　footpaths　across　the　fields；　which　wandered
in　a　diagonal　of　finer　grain　from　one　smooth　stile　to　another。　　Mark
Ambient　was　abundantly　good…natured　and　was　as　much　struck；　dear　man；
with　some　of　my　observations　as　I　was　with　the　literary　allusions　of
the　landscape。　　We　sat　and　smoked　on　stiles；　broaching　paradoxes　in
the　decent　English　air；　we　took　short　cuts　across　a　park　or　two　where
the　bracken　was　deep　and　my　companion　nodded　to　the　old　woman　at　the
gate；　we　skirted　rank　coverts　which　rustled　here　and　there　as　we
passed；　and　we　stretched　ourselves　at　last　on　a　heathery　hillside
where　if　the　sun　wasn't　too　hot　neither　was　the　earth　too　cold；　and
where　the　country　lay　beneath　us　in　a　rich　blue　mist。　　Of　course　I
had　already　told　him　what　I　thought　of　his　new　novel；　having　the
previous　night　read　every　word　of　the　opening　chapters　before　I　went
to　bed。

〃I'm　not　without　hope　of　being　able　to　make　it　decent　enough；〃　he
said　as　I　went　back　to　the　subject　while　we　turned　up　our　heels　to
the　sky。　　〃At　least　the　people　who　dislike　my　stuffand　there　are
plenty　of　them；　I　believewill　dislike　this　thing　（if　it　does　turn
out　well）　most。〃　　This　was　the　first　time　I　had　heard　him　allude　to
the　people　who　couldn't　read　hima　class　so　generally　conceived　to
sit　heavy　on　the　consciousness　of　the　man　of　letters。　　A　being
organised　for　literature　as　Mark　Ambient　was　must　certainly　have　had
the　normal　proportion　of　sensitiveness；　of　irritability；　the　artistic
ego；　capable　in　some　cases　of　such　monstrous　development；　must　have
been　in　his　composition　sufficiently　erect　and　active。　　I　won't
therefore　go　so　far　as　to　say　that　he　never　thought　of　his　detractors
or　that　he　had　any　illusions　with　regard　to　the　number　of　his
admirershe　could　never　so　far　have　deceived　himself　as　to　believe
he　was　popular；　but　I　at　least　then　judged　（and　had　occasion　to　be
sure　later　on）　that　stupidity　ruffled　him　visibly　but　little；　that　he
had　an　air　of　thinking　it　quite　natural　he　should　leave　many　simple
folk；　tasting　of　him；　as　simple　as　ever　he　found　them；　and　that　he
very　seldom　talked　about　the　newspapers；　which；　by　the　way；　were
always　even　abnormally　vulgar　about　him。　　Of　course　he　may　have
thought　them　overthe　newspapersnight　and　day；　the　only　point　I
make　is　that　he　didn't　show　it　while　at　the　same　time　he　didn't
strike　one　as　a　man　actively　on　his　guard。　　I　may　add　that；　touching
his　hope　of　making　the　work　on　which　he　was　then　engaged　the　best　of
his　books；　it　was　only　partly　carried　out。　　That　place　belongs
incontestably　to　〃Beltraffio；〃　in　spite　of　the　beauty　of　certain
parts　of　its　successor。　　I　quite　believe；　however；　that　he　had　at　the
moment　of　which　I　speak　no　sense　of　having　declined；　he　was　in　love
with　his　idea；　which　was　indeed　magnificent；　and　though　for　him；　as　I
suppose　for　every　sane　artist；　the　act　of　execution　had　in　it　as　much
torment　as　joy；　he　saw　his　result　grow　like　the　crescent　of　the　young
moon　and　promise　to　fill　the　disk。　　〃I　want　to　be　truer　than　I've
ever　been；〃　he　said；　settling　himself　on　his　back　with　his　hands
clasped　behind　his　head；　〃I　want　to　give　the　impression　of　life
itself。　　No；　you　may　say　what　you　will；　I've　always　arranged　things
too　much；　always　smoothed　them　down　and　rounded　them　off　and　tucked
them　indone　everything　to　them　that　life　doesn't　do。　　I've　been　a
slave　to　the　old　superstitions。〃

〃You　a　slave；　my　dear　Mark　Ambient？　　You've　the　freest　imagination　of
our　day！〃

〃All　the　more　shame　to　me　to　have　done　some　of　the　things　I　have！
The　reconciliation　of　the　two　women　in　'Natalina；'　for　instance；
which　could　never　really　have　taken　place。　　That　sort　of　thing's
ignobleI　blush　when　I　think　of　it！　　This　new　affair　must　be　a
golden　vessel；　filled　with　the　purest　distillation　of　the　actual；　and
oh　how　it　worries　me；　the　shaping　of　the　vase；　the　hammering　of　the
metal！　　I　have　to　hammer　it　so　fine；　so　smooth；　I　don't　do　more　than
an　inch　or　two　a　day。　　And　all　the　while　I　have　to　be　so　careful　not
to　let　a　drop　of　the　liquor　escape！　　When　I　see　the　kind　of　things
Life　herself；　the　brazen　hussy；　does；　I　despair　of　ever　catching　her
peculiar　trick。　　She　has　an　impudence；　Life！　　If　one　risked　a
fiftieth　part　of　the　effects　she　risks！　　It　takes　ever　so　long　to
believe　it。　　You　don't　know　yet；　my　dear　youth。　　It　isn't　till　one
has　been　watching　her　some　forty　years　that　one　finds　out　half　of
what　she's　up　to！　　Therefore　one's　earlier　things　must　inevitably
contain　a　mass　of　rot。　　And　with　what　one　sees；　on　one　side；　with　its
tongue　in　its　cheek；　defying　one　to　be　real　enough；　and　on　the　other
the　bonnes　gens　rolling　up　their　eyes　at　one's　cynicism；　the
situation　has　elements　of　the　ludicrous　which　the　poor　reproducer
himself　is　doubtless　in　a　position　to　appreciate　better　than　any　one
else。　　Of　course　one　mustn't　worry　about　the　bonnes　gens；〃　Mark
Ambient　went　on　while　my　thoughts　reverted　to　his　ladylike　wife　as
interpreted　by　his　remarkable　sister。

〃To　sink　your　shaft　deep　and　polish　the　plate　through　which　people
look　into　itthat's　what　your　work　consists　of；〃　I　remember
ingeniously　observing。

〃Ah　polishing　one's　platethat's　the　torment　of　execution！〃　he
exclaimed；　jerking　himself　up　and　sitting　forward。　　〃The　effort　to
arrive　at　a　surface；　if　you　think　anything　of　that　decent　sort
necessarysome　people　don't；　happily　for　them！　　My　dear　fellow；　if
you　could　see　the　surface　I　dream　of　as　compared　with　the　one　with
which　I've　to　content　myself。　　Life's　really　too　short　for　artone
hasn't　time　to　make　one's　shell　ideally　hard。　　Firm　and　bright；　firm
and　bright　is　very　well　to　saythe　devilish　thing　has　a　way
sometimes　of　being　bright；　and　even　of　being　hard；　as　mere　tough
frozen　pudding　is　hard；　without　being　firm。　　When　I　rap　it　with　my
knuckles　it　doesn't　give　the　right　sound。　　There　are　horrible　sandy
stretches　where　I've　taken　the　wrong　turn　because　I　couldn't　for　the
life　of　me　find　the　right。　　If　you　knew　what　a　dunce　I　am　sometimes！
Such　things　figure　to　me　now　base　pimples　and　ulcers　on　the　brow　of
beauty！〃

〃They're　very　bad；　very　bad；〃　I　said　as　gravely　as　I　could。

〃Very　bad？　　They're　the　highest　social　offence　I　know；　it　oughtit
absolutely　ought；　I'm　quite　seriousto　be　capital。　　If　I　knew　I
should　be　publicly　thrashed　else　I'd　manage　to　find　the　true　word。
The　people　who　can'tsome　of　them　don't　so　much　as　know　it　when　they
see　itwould　shut　their　inkstands；　and　we　shouldn't　be　deluged　by
this　flood　of　rubbish！〃

I　shall　not　attempt　to　repeat　everything　that　passed　between　us；　nor
to　explain　just　how　it　was　that；　every　moment　I　spent　in　his　company；
Mark　Ambient　revealed　to　me　more　and　more　the　consistency　of　his
creative　spirit；　the　spirit　in　him　that　felt　all　life　as　plastic
material。　　I　could　but　envy　him　the　force　of　that　passion；　and　it　was
at　any　rate　through　the　receipt　of　this　impression　that　by　the　time
we　returned　I　had　gained　the　sense　of　intimacy　with　him　that　I　have
noted。　　Before　we　got　up　for　the　homeward　stretch　he　alluded　to　his
wife's　having　onceor　perhaps　more　than　onceasked　him　whether　he
should　like　Dolcino　to　read　〃Beltraffio。〃　　He　must　have　been　unaware
at　the　moment　of　all　that　this　conveyed　to　meas　well　doubtless　of
my　extreme　curiosity　to　hear　what　he　had　replied。　　He　had　said　how
much　he　hoped　Dolcino　would　read　ALL　his　workswhen　he　was　twenty；
he　should　like　him　to　know　what　his　father　had　done。　　Before　twenty
it　would　be　useless；　he　wouldn't　understand　them。

〃And　meanwhile　do　you　propose　to　hide　themto　lock　them　up　in　a
drawer？〃　Mrs。　Ambient　had　proceeded。

〃Oh　nowe　must　simply　tell　him　they're　not　intended　for　small　boys。
If　you　bring　him　up　properly　after　that　he　won't　touch　them。〃

To　this　Mrs。　Ambient　had　made　answer　that　it　might　be　very　awkward
when　he　was　about　fifteen；　say；　and　I　asked　her　husband　if　it　were
his　opinion　in　general；　then；　that　young　people　shouldn't　read
novels。

〃Good　onescertainly　not！〃　said　my　companion。　　I　suppose　I　had　had
other　views；　for　I　remember　saying　that　for　myself　I　wasn't　sure　it
was　bad　for　them　if　the　novels　were　〃