death of the lion-第2节

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in　the　face　and　accept　it。　　I　knew　where　I　had　failed；　but　it　was　
exactly　where　I　couldn't　have　succeeded。　　I　had　been　sent　down　to　
be　personal　and　then　in　point　of　fact　hadn't　been　personal　at　all：　　
what　I　had　dispatched　to　London　was　just　a　little　finicking　
feverish　study　of　my　author's　talent。　　Anything　less　relevant　to　
Mr。　Pinhorn's　purpose　couldn't　well　be　imagined；　and　he　was　visibly　
angry　at　my　having　（at　his　expense；　with　a　second…class　ticket）　
approached　the　subject　of　our　enterprise　only　to　stand　off　so　
helplessly。　　For　myself；　I　knew　but　too　well　what　had　happened；　and　
how　a　miracle　…　as　pretty　as　some　old　miracle　of　legend　…　had　been　
wrought　on　the　spot　to　save　me。　　There　had　been　a　big　brush　of　
wings；　the　flash　of　an　opaline　robe；　and　then；　with　a　great　cool　
stir　of　the　air；　the　sense　of　an　angel's　having　swooped　down　and　
caught　me　to　his　bosom。　　He　held　me　only　till　the　danger　was　over；　
and　it　all　took　place　in　a　minute。　　With　my　manuscript　back　on　my　
hands　I　understood　the　phenomenon　better；　and　the　reflexions　I　made　
on　it　are　what　I　meant；　at　the　beginning　of　this　anecdote；　by　my　
change　of　heart。　　Mr。　Pinhorn's　note　was　not　only　a　rebuke　
decidedly　stern；　but　an　invitation　immediately　to　send　him　…　it　was　
the　case　to　say　so　…　the　genuine　article；　the　revealing　and　
reverberating　sketch　to　the　promise　of　which；　and　of　which　alone；　I　
owed　my　squandered　privilege。　　A　week　or　two　later　I　recast　my　
peccant　paper　and；　giving　it　a　particular　application　to　Mr。　
Paraday's　new　book；　obtained　for　it　the　hospitality　of　another　
journal；　where；　I　must　admit；　Mr。　Pinhorn　was　so　far　vindicated　as　
that　it　attracted　not　the　least　attention。



CHAPTER　III。



I　WAS　frankly；　at　the　end　of　three　days；　a　very　prejudiced　critic；　
so　that　one　morning　when；　in　the　garden；　my　great　man　had　offered　
to　read　me　something　I　quite　held　my　breath　as　I　listened。　　It　was　
the　written　scheme　of　another　book　…　something　put　aside　long　ago；　
before　his　illness；　but　that　he　had　lately　taken　out　again　to　
reconsider。　　He　had　been　turning　it　round　when　I　came　down　on　him；　
and　it　had　grown　magnificently　under　this　second　hand。　　Loose　
liberal　confident；　it　might　have　passed　for　a　great　gossiping　
eloquent　letter　…　the　overflow　into　talk　of　an　artist's　amorous　
plan。　　The　theme　I　thought　singularly　rich；　quite　the　strongest　he　
had　yet　treated；　and　this　familiar　statement　of　it；　full　too　of　
fine　maturities；　was　really；　in　summarised　splendour；　a　mine　of　
gold；　a　precious　independent　work。　　I　remember　rather　profanely　
wondering　whether　the　ultimate　production　could　possibly　keep　at　
the　pitch。　　His　reading　of　the　fond　epistle；　at　any　rate；　made　me　
feel　as　if　I　were；　for　the　advantage　of　posterity；　in　close　
correspondence　with　him　…　were　the　distinguished　person　to　whom　it　
had　been　affectionately　addressed。　　It　was　a　high　distinction　
simply　to　be　told　such　things。　　The　idea　he　now　communicated　had　
all　the　freshness；　the　flushed　fairness；　of　the　conception　
untouched　and　untried：　　it　was　Venus　rising　from　the　sea　and　before　
the　airs　had　blown　upon　her。　　I　had　never　been　so　throbbingly　
present　at　such　an　unveiling。　　But　when　he　had　tossed　the　last　
bright　word　after　the　others；　as　I　had　seen　cashiers　in　banks；　
weighing　mounds　of　coin；　drop　a　final　sovereign　into　the　tray；　I　
knew　a　sudden　prudent　alarm。

〃My　dear　master；　how；　after　all；　are　you　going　to　do　it？　　It's　
infinitely　noble；　but　what　time　it　will　take；　what　patience　and　
independence；　what　assured；　what　perfect　conditions！　　Oh　for　a　lone　
isle　in　a　tepid　sea！〃

〃Isn't　this　practically　a　lone　isle；　and　aren't　you；　as　an　
encircling　medium；　tepid　enough？〃　he　asked；　alluding　with　a　laugh　
to　the　wonder　of　my　young　admiration　and　the　narrow　limits　of　his　
little　provincial　home。　　〃Time　isn't　what　I've　lacked　hitherto：　　
the　question　hasn't　been　to　find　it；　but　to　use　it。　　Of　course　my　
illness　made；　while　it　lasted；　a　great　hole　…　but　I　dare　say　there　
would　have　been　a　hole　at　any　rate。　　The　earth　we　tread　has　more　
pockets　than　a　billiard…table。　　The　great　thing　is　now　to　keep　on　
my　feet。〃

〃That's　exactly　what　I　mean。〃

Neil　Paraday　looked　at　me　with　eyes　…　such　pleasant　eyes　as　he　had　
…　in　which；　as　I　now　recall　their　expression；　I　seem　to　have　seen　a　
dim　imagination　of　his　fate。　　He　was　fifty　years　old；　and　his　
illness　had　been　cruel；　his　convalescence　slow。　　〃It　isn't　as　if　I　
weren't　all　right。〃

〃Oh　if　you　weren't　all　right　I　wouldn't　look　at　you！〃　I　tenderly　
said。

We　had　both　got　up；　quickened　as　by　this　clearer　air；　and　he　had　
lighted　a　cigarette。　　I　had　taken　a　fresh　one；　which　with　an　
intenser　smile；　by　way　of　answer　to　my　exclamation；　he　applied　to　
the　flame　of　his　match。　　〃If　I　weren't　better　I　shouldn't　have　
thought　of　THAT！〃　　He　flourished　his　script　in　his　hand。

〃I　don't　want　to　be　discouraging；　but　that's　not　true；〃　I　returned。　　
〃I'm　sure　that　during　the　months　you　lay　here　in　pain　you　had　
visitations　sublime。　　You　thought　of　a　thousand　things。　　You　think　
of　more　and　more　all　the　while。　　That's　what　makes　you；　if　you'll　
pardon　my　familiarity；　so　respectable。　　At　a　time　when　so　many　
people　are　spent　you　come　into　your　second　wind。　　But；　thank　God；　
all　the　same；　you're　better！　　Thank　God；　too；　you're　not；　as　you　
were　telling　me　yesterday；　'successful。'　　If　YOU　weren't　a　failure　
what　would　be　the　use　of　trying？　　That's　my　one　reserve　on　the　
subject　of　your　recovery　…　that　it　makes　you　'score；'　as　the　
newspapers　say。　　It　looks　well　in　the　newspapers；　and　almost　
anything　that　does　that's　horrible。　　'We　are　happy　to　announce　that　
Mr。　Paraday；　the　celebrated　author；　is　again　in　the　enjoyment　of　
excellent　health。'　　Somehow　I　shouldn't　like　to　see　it。〃

〃You　won't　see　it；　I'm　not　in　the　least　celebrated　…　my　obscurity　
protects　me。　　But　couldn't　you　bear　even　to　see　I　was　dying　or　
dead？〃　my　host　enquired。

〃Dead　…　passe　encore；　there's　nothing　so　safe。　　One　never　knows　
what　a　living　artist　may　do　…　one　has　mourned　so　many。　　However；　
one　must　make　the　worst　of　it。　　You　must　be　as　dead　as　you　can。〃

〃Don't　I　meet　that　condition　in　having　just　published　a　book？〃

〃Adequately；　let　us　hope；　for　the　book's　verily　a　masterpiece。〃

At　this　moment　the　parlour…maid　appeared　in　the　door　that　opened　
from　the　garden：　　Paraday　lived　at　no　great　cost；　and　the　frisk　of　
petticoats；　with　a　timorous　〃Sherry；　sir？〃　was　about　his　modest　
mahogany。　　He　allowed　half　his　income　to　his　wife；　from　whom　he　had　
succeeded　in　separating　without　redundancy　of　legend。　　I　had　a　
general　faith　in　his　having　behaved　well；　and　I　had　once；　in　
London；　taken　Mrs。　Paraday　down　to　dinner。　　He　now　turned　to　speak　
to　the　maid；　who　offered　him；　on　a　tray；　some　card　or　note；　while；　
agitated；　excited；　I　wandered　to　the　end　of　the　precinct。　　The　idea　
of　his　security　became　supremely　dear　to　me；　and　I　asked　myself　if　
I　were　the　same　young　man　who　had　come　down　a　few　days　before　to　
scatter　him　to　the　four　winds。　　When　I　retraced　my　steps　he　had　
gone　into　the　house；　and　the　woman　…　the　second　London　post　had　
come　in　…　had　placed　my　letters　and　a　newspaper　on　a　bench。　　I　sat　
down　there　to　the　letters；　which　were　a　brief　business；　and　then；　
without　heeding　the　address；　took　the　paper　from　its　envelope。　　It　
was　the　journal　of　highest　renown；　THE　EMPIRE　of　that　morning。　　It　
regularly　came　to　Paraday；　but　I　remembered　that　neither　of　us　had　
yet　looked　at　the　copy　already　delivered。　　This　one　had　a　great　
mark　on　the　〃editorial〃　page；　and；　uncrumpling　the　wrapper；　I　saw　
it　to　be　directed　to　my　host　and　stamped　with　the　name　of　his　
publishers。　　I　instantly　divined　that　THE　EMPIRE　had　spoken　of　him；　
and　I've　not　forgotten　the　odd　little　shock　of　the　circumstance。　　
It　checked　all　eagerness　and　made　me　drop　the　paper　a　moment。　　As　I　
sat　there　conscious　of　a　palpitation　I　think　I　had　a　vision　of　what　
was　to　be。　　I　had　also　a　vision　of　the　letter　I　would　presently　
address　to　Mr。　Pinhorn；　breaking；　as　it　were；　with　Mr。　Pinhorn。　　Of　
course；　however；　the　next　minute　the　voice　of　THE　EMPIRE　was　in　my　
ears。

The　article　wasn't；　I　thanked　heaven；　a　review；　it　was　a　〃leader；〃　
the　last　of　three；　presenting　Neil　Paraday　to　the　human　race。　　His　
new　book；　the　fifth　from　his　hand；　had　been　but　a　day　or　two　out；　
and　THE　EMPIRE；　already　aware　of　it；　fired；　as　if　on　the　birth　of　a　
prince；　a　salute　of　a　whole　column。　　The　guns　had　been　booming　
these　three　hours　in　the　house　without　our　suspecting　them。　　The　
big　blundering　newspaper　had　discovered　him；　and　now　he　was　
proclaimed　and　anointed　and　crowned。　　His　place　was　assigned　him　as　
publicly　as　if　a　fat　usher　with　a　wand　had　pointed　to　the　topmost　
chair；　he　was　to　pass　up　and　still　up；　higher　and　higher；　between　
the　watching　faces　and　the　envious　sounds　…　away　up　to　the　dais　and　
the　throne。　　The　article　was　〃epoch…making；〃　a　landmark　in　his　
life；　he　had　taken　rank　at　a　bound；　waked　up　a　national　glory。　　A　
national　glory　was　needed；　and　it　was　an　immense　convenience　he　was　
there。　　What　all　this　meant　rolled　over　me；　and　I　fear　I　grew　a　
little　faint　…　it　meant　so　much　m