biographical study of a. w. kinglake-第17节

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ince　in　〃The　Sleeping　Beauty；〃　though　not　　by　the　same　process；　to　break　the　charm。　　He　gave　up　calling　at　a　　house　where　he　was　warmly　appreciated；　because　father；　mother；　　daughter；　bombarded　him　with　questions。　　〃I　never　came　away　without　　feeling　sure　that　I　had　in　some　way　perjured　myself。〃

On　his　shyness　waited　swiftly　ensuing　boredom；　if　his　neighbour　at　　table　were　garrulous　or　BANALE；　his　face　at　once　betrayed　　conversational　prostration；　a　lady　who　often　watched　him　used　to　　say　that　his　pulse　ought　to　be　felt　after　the　first　course；　and　　that　if　it　showed　languor　he　should　be　moved　to　the　side　of　some　　other　partner。　　〃He　had　great　charm；〃　writes　to　me　another　old　　friend；　〃in　a　quiet　winning　way；　but　was　'dark'　with　rough　and　　noisy　people。〃　　So　it　came　to　pass　that　his　manner　was　threefold；　　icy　and　repellent　with　those　who　set　his　nerves　on　edge；　good…　humoured；　receptive；　intermittently　responsive　in　general　and　　congenial　company；　while；　at　ease　with　friends　trusted　and　beloved；　　the　lines　of　the　face　became　gracious；　indulgent；　affectionate；　the　　SOURIRE　DES　YEUX　often　inexpressibly　winning　and　tender。　　　〃Kinglake；〃　says　Eliot　Warburton　in　his　unpublished　diary；　〃talked　　to　us　to…day　about　his　travels；　pessimistic　and　cynical　to　the　rest　　of　the　world；　he　is　always　gentle　and　kind　to　us。〃　　To　this　dear　　friend　he　was　ever　faithful；　wearing　to　the　day　of　his　death　an　　octagonal　gold　ring　engraved　〃Eliot。　Jan：　1852。〃　　He　would　never　　play　the　RACONTEUR　in　general　company；　for　he　had　a　great　horror　of　　repeating　himself；　and；　latterly；　of　being　looked　upon　as　a　bore　by　　younger　men；　but　he　loved　to　pour　out　reminiscences　of　the　past　to　　an　audience　of　one　or　two　at　most：　〃Let　an　old　man　gather　his　　recollections　and　glance　at　them　under　the　right　angle；　and　his　　life　is　full　of　pantomime　transformation　scenes。〃　　The　chief　　characteristic　of　his　wit　was　its　unexpectedness；　sometimes　acrid；　　sometimes　humorous；　his　sayings　came　forth；　like　Topham　Beauclerk's　　in　Dr。　Johnson's　day；　like　Talleyrand's　in　our　own；　poignant　　without　effort。　　His　calm；　gentle　voice；　contrasted　with　his　　startling　caustic　utterance；　reminded　people　of　Prosper　Merimee：　　terse　epigram；　felicitous　APROPOS；　whimsical　presentment　of　the　　topic　under　discussion；　emitted　in　a　low　tone；　and　without　the　　slightest　change　of　muscle：


〃All　the　charm　of　all　the　Muses　Often　flowering　in　a　lonely　word。〃　（25）


Questions　he　would　suavely　and　often　wittily　parry　or　repel：　to　an　　unhistorical　lady　asking　if　he　remembered　Madame　Du　Barry；　he　said；　　〃my　memory　is　very　imperfect　as　to　the　particulars　of　my　life　　during　the　reign　of　Lous　XV。　and　the　Regency；　but　I　know　a　lady　who　　has　a　teapot　which　belonged；　she　says；　to　Madame　Du　Barry。〃　　Madame　　Novikoff；　however；　records　his　discomfiture　at　the　query　of　a　　certain　Lady　E…；　who；　when　all　London　was　ringing　with　his　first　　Crimean　volumes；　asked　him　if　he　were　not　an　admirer　of　Louis　　Napoleon。　　〃LE　PAUVRE　KINGLAKE；　DECONTENANCE；　REPONDIT　TOUT　BAS　　INTIMIDE　COMME　UN　ENFANT　QU'ON　MET　DATES　LE　COIN：　OUI　…　NON　…　PAS　　PRECISEMENT。〃

He　had　no　knowledge　of　or　liking　for　music。　　Present　once　by　some　　mischance　at　a　MATINEE　MUSICALE；　he　was　asked　by　the　hostess　what　　kind　of　music　he　preferred。　　His　preference；　he　owned；　was　for　the　　drum。　　One　thinks　of　the　〃Bourgeois　Gentilhomme；〃　〃LA　TROMPETTE　　MARINE　EST　UN　INSTRUMENT　QUI　ME　PLAIT；　EL　QUI　EST　HARMONIEUX〃；　we　　are　reminded；　too；　of　Dean　Stanley；　who；　absolutely　tone…deaf；　and　　hurrying　away　whenever　music　was　performed；　once　from　an　adjoining　　room　in　his　father's　house　heard　Jenny　Lind　sing　〃I　know　that　my　　Redeemer　liveth。〃　　He　went　to　her　shyly；　and　told　her　that　she　had　　given　him　an　idea　of　what　people　mean　by　music。　　Once　before；　he　　said　in　all　seriousness；　the　same　feeling　had　come　over　him；　when　　before　the　palace　at　Vienna　he　had　heard　a　tattoo　rendered　by　four　　hundred　drummers。


Kinglake　used　to　regret　the　disuse　of　duelling；　as　having　impaired　　the　higher　tone　of　good　breeding　current　in　his　younger　days；　and　　even　blamed　the　Duke　of　Wellington　for　proscribing　it　in　the　army。　　　He　had　himself　on　one　occasion　sent　a　cartel；　and　stood　waiting　for　　his　adversary；　like　Sir　Richard　Strachan　at　Walcheren；　eight　days　　on　the　French　coast；　but　the　adversary　never　came。　　Hayward　once　　referred　to　him；　as　a　counsellor；　and　if　necessary　a　second；　a　　quarrel　with　Lord　R…。　　Lord　R…'s　friend　called　on　him；　a　Norfolk　　squire；　〃broad…faced　and　breathing　port　wine；〃　after　the　fashion　of　　uncle　Phillips　in　〃Pride　and　Prejudice；〃　who　began　in　a　boisterous　　voice；　〃I　am　one　of　those；　Mr。　Kinglake；　who　believe　R…　to　be　a　　gentleman。〃　　In　his　iciest　tones　and　stoniest　manner　Kinglake　　answered：　〃That；　Sir；　I　am　quite　willing　to　assume。〃　　The　effect；　　he　used　to　say；　as　he　told　and　acted　the　scene；　was　magical；　〃I　had　　frozen　him　sober；　and　we　settled　everything　without　a　fight。〃　　Of　　all　his　friends　Hayward　was　probably　the　closest；　an　association　of　　discrepancies　in　character；　manner；　temperament；　not　complementary；　　but　opposed　and　hostile；　irreconcilable；　one　would　say；　but　for　the　　knowledge　that　in　love　and　friendship　paradox　reigns　supreme。　　　Hayward　was　arrogant；　overbearing；　loud；　insistent；　full　of　strange　　oaths　and　often　unpardonably　coarse；　〃our　dominant　friend；〃　　Kinglake　called　him；　〃odious〃　is　the　epithet　I　have　heard　commonly　　bestowed　upon　him　by　less　affectionate　acquaintances。　　Kinglake　was　　reserved；　shy；　reticent；　with　the　high　breeding；　grand　manner；　　quiet　urbanity；　GRATA　PROTERVITAS；　of　a　waning　epoch；　restraint；　　concentration；　tact　of　omission；　dictating　alike　his　silence　and　　his　speech；　his　well…weighed　words　〃crystallizing　into　epigrams　as　　they　touched　the　air。〃　（26）　　When　Hayward's　last　illness　came　upon　　him　in　1884；　Kinglake　nursed　him　tenderly；　spending　the　morning　in　　his　friend's　lodgings　at　8；　St。　James's　Street；　the　house　which　　Byron　occupied　in　his　early　London　days；　and　bringing　on　the　latest　　bulletin　to　the　club。　　The　patient　rambled　towards　the　end；　〃we　　ought　to　be　getting　ready　to　catch　the　train　that　we　may　go　to　my　　sister's　at　Lyme。〃　Kinglake　quieted　his　sick　friend　by　an　assurance　　that　the　servants；　whom　he　would　not　wish　to　hurry；　were　packing。　　　〃On　no　account　hurry　the　servants；　but　still　let　us　be　off。〃　　The　　last　thought　which　he　articulated　while　dying　was；　〃I　don't　exactly　　know　what　it　is；　but　I　feel　it　is　something　grand。〃　　〃Hayward　is　　dead；〃　Kinglake　wrote　to　a　common　friend；　〃the　devotion　shown　to　　him　by　all　sorts　and　conditions　of　men；　and；　what　is　better；　of　　women；　was　unbounded。　　Gladstone　found　time　to　be　with　him；　and　to　　engage　him　in　a　conversation　of　singular　interest；　of　which　he　has　　made　a　memorandum。〃

Another　of　Kinglake's　life…long　familiars　was　Charles　Skirrow；　　Taxing　Master　in　Chancery；　with　his　accomplished　wife；　from　whose　　memorable　fish　dinners　at　Greenwich　he　was　seldom　absent；　adapting　　himself　no　less　readily　to　their　theatrical　friends　…　the　　Bancrofts；　Burnand；　Toole；　Irving　…　than　to　the　literary　set　with　　which　he　was　more　habitually　at　home。　　He　was　religiously　loyal　to　　his　friends；　speaking　of　them　with　generous　admiration；　eagerly　　defending　them　when　attacked。　　He　lauded　Butler　Johnstone　as　the　　most　gifted　of　the　young　men　in　the　House　of　Commons；　would　not　　allow　Bernal　Osborne　to　be　called　untrue；　〃he　offends　people　if　you　　like；　but　he　is　never　false　or　hollow。〃　　A　clever　SOBRIQUET　　fathered　on　him；　burlesquing　the　monosyllabic　names　of　a　well…known　　diarist　and　official；　he　repelled　indignantly。　　〃He　is　my　friend；　　and　had　I　been　guilty　of　the　JEU；　I　should　have　broken　two　of　my　　commandments；　that　which　forbids　my　joking　at　a　friend's　expense；　　and　that　which　forbids　my　fashioning　a　play　upon　words。〃　　He　　entreated　Madame　Novikoff　to　visit　and　cheer　Charles　Lever；　dying　　at　Trieste；　deeply　lamented　Sir　H。　Bulwer's　death：　〃I　used　to　think　　his　a　beautiful　intellect；　and　he　was　wonderfully　SIMPATICO　to　me。〃　　　But　he　was　shy　of　condoling　with　bereaved　mourners；　believing　words　　used　on　such　occasions　to　be　utterly　untrue。　　He　loved　to　include　　husband　and　wife　in　the　same　meed　of　admiration；　as　in　the　case　of　

Dean　Stanley　and　Lady　Augusta；　or　of　Sir　Robert　and　Lady　Emily　　Peel。　　Peel；　he　said；　has　the　RADIANT　quality　not　easy　to　describe；　　Lady　Emily　is　always　beauteous；　bright；　attractive。　　Lord　Stanhope　　he　praised　as　a　historian；　paying　him　the　equivocal　compliment　that　　his　books　were　much　better　than　his　conversation。　　So；　too；　he　　qualified　his　admiration　of　Lady　Ashburton；　dwelling　on　her　beauty；　　silver　voice；　ready　enthusiasm　apt　to　disperse　itself　by　flying　at　　too　many　objects。

He　was　wont　to　speak　admiringly　of　Lord　Acton；　relating　how；　a　　Roman　Catholic；　yet　respecting　enlightenment　and　devoted　to　books；　　he　once　set　up　and　edited　a　〃Quarterly　Review；〃　with　a　notion　of　　reconciling　the　Light　and　the　Dark　as　well　as　he　could；　but　the　　〃Prince　of　Darkness；　the　Pope；〃　interposed；　and　ordered　him　to　stop　　the　〃Review。〃　　He　was　compelled　to　obey；　not；　he　told　people；　on　　any　religious　ground；　but　because　relations　and　others　would　have　　made　his　life　a　bore　to　him　if　he　had　been　contumacious　against　the　　Holy　Father。

Kinglake　was　strongly　attract