mrs. general talboys-第3节

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〃They　have　escaped　long　ago　from　all　such　trammels　as　that　of　landed
property；〃　said　Mackinnon。

〃Ay；　and　from　all　terrestrial　bonds；〃　she　continued；　not　exactly
remarking　the　pith　of　his　last　observation；　〃from　bonds　quasi…
terrestrial　and　quasi…celestial。　　The　full…formed　limbs　of　the
present　age；　running　with　quick　streams　of　generous　blood；　will　no
longer　bear　the　ligatures　which　past　times　have　woven　for　the
decrepit。　　Look　down　upon　that　multitude；　Mackinnon；　they　shall　all
be　free。〃　　And　then；　still　clutching　him　by　the　arm；　and　still
standing　at　the　top　of　those　stairs；　she　gave　forth　her　prophecy
with　the　fury　of　a　Sybil。

〃They　shall　all　be　free。　　Oh；　Rome；　thou　eternal　one！　thou　who　hast
bowed　thy　neck　to　imperial　pride　and　priestly　craft；　thou　who　hast
suffered　sorely；　even　to　this　hour；　from　Nero　down　to　Pio　Nono；the
days　of　thine　oppression　are　over。　　Gone　from　thy　enfranchised　ways
for　ever　is　the　clang　of　the　Praetorian　cohorts　and　the　more　odious
drone　of　meddling　monks！〃　　And　yet；　as　Mackinnon　observed；　there
still　stood　the　dirty　friars　and　the　small　French　soldiers；　and
there　still　toiled　the　slow　priests；　wending　their　tedious　way　up　to
the　church　of　the　Ara　Coeli。　　But　that　was　the　mundane　view　of　the
matter；a　view　not　regarded　by　Mrs。　Talboys　in　her　ecstasy。　　〃O
Italia；〃　she　continued；　〃O　Italia　una；　one　and　indivisible　in　thy
rights；　and　indivisible　also　in　thy　wrongs！　to　us　is　it　given　to　see
the　accomplishment　of　thy　glory。　　A　people　shall　arise　around　thine
altars　greater　in　the　annals　of　the　world　than　thy　Scipios；　thy
Gracchi；　or　thy　Caesars。　　Not　in　torrents　of　blood；　or　with　screams
of　bereaved　mothers；　shall　thy　new　triumphs　be　stained。　　But　mind
shall　dominate　over　matter；　and　doomed；　together　with　Popes　and
Bourbons；　with　cardinals；　diplomatists；　and　police　spies；　ignorance
and　prejudice　shall　be　driven　from　thy　smiling　terraces。　　And　then
Rome　shall　again　become　the　fair　capital　of　the　fairest　region　of
Europe。　　Hither　shall　flock　the　artisans　of　the　world；　crowding　into
thy　marts　all　that　God　and　man　can　give。　　Wealth；　beauty；　and
innocence　shall　meet　in　thy　streets〃

〃There　will　be　a　considerable　change　before　that　takes　place；〃　said
Mackinnon。

〃There　shall　be　a　considerable　change；〃　she　answered。　　〃Mackinnon；
to　thee　it　is　given　to　read　the　signs　of　the　time；　and　hast　thou　not
read？　　Why　have　the　fields　of　Magenta　and　Solferino　been　piled　with
the　corpses　of　dying　heroes？　　Why　have　the　waters　of　the　Mincio　ran
red　with　the　blood　of　martyrs？　　That　Italy　might　be　united　and　Rome
immortal。　　Here；　standing　on　the　Capitolium　of　the　ancient　city；　I
say　that　it　shall　be　so；　and　thou；　Mackinnon；　who　hearest　me；
knowest　that　my　words　are　true。〃

There　was　not　then　in　Rome；I　may　almost　say　there　was　not　in
Italy；　an　Englishman　or　an　American　who　did　not　wish　well　to　the
cause　for　which　Italy　was　and　is　still　contending；　as　also　there　is
hardly　one　who　does　not　now　regard　that　cause　as　well…nigh
triumphant；　but；　nevertheless；　it　was　almost　impossible　to
sympathise　with　Mrs。　Talboys。　　As　Mackinnon　said；　she　flew　so　high
that　there　was　no　comfort　in　flying　with　her。

〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃Brown　and　the　rest　of　them　are　down　below。　　Shall
we　go　and　join　them？〃

〃Poor　Brown！　　How　was　it　that；　in　speaking　of　his　troubles；　we　were
led　on　to　this　heart…stirring　theme？　　Yes；　I　have　seen　them；　the
sweet　angels；　and　I　tell　you　also　that　I　have　seen　their　mother。　　I
insisted　on　going　to　her　when　I　heard　her　history　from　him。〃

〃And　what　is　she　like；　Mrs。　Talboys？〃

〃Well；　education　has　done　more　for　some　of　us　than　for　others；　and
there　are　those　from　whose　morals　and　sentiments　we　might　thankfully
draw　a　lesson；　whose　manners　and　outward　gestures　are　not　such　as
custom　has　made　agreeable　to　us。　　You；　I　know；　can　understand　that。
I　have　seen　her；　and　feel　sure　that　she　is　pure　in　heart　and　high　in
principle。　　Has　she　not　sacrificed　herself；　and　is　not　self…
sacrifice　the　surest　guarantee　for　true　nobility　of　character？
Would　Mrs。　Mackinnon　object　to　my　bringing　them　together？〃

Mackinnon　was　obliged　to　declare　that　he　thought　his　wife　would
object；　and　from　that　time　forth　he　and　Mrs。　Talboys　ceased　to　be
very　close　in　their　friendship。　　She　still　came　to　the　house　every
Sunday　evening；　still　refreshed　herself　at　the　fountains　of　his
literary　rills；　but　her　special　prophecies　from　henceforth　were
poured　into　other　ears。　　And　it　so　happened　that　O'Brien　now　became
her　chief　ally。　　I　do　not　remember　that　she　troubled　herself　much
further　with　the　cherub　angels　or　with　their　mother；　and　I　am
inclined　to　think　that；　taking　up　warmly；　as　she　did；　the　story　of
O'Brien's　matrimonial　wrongs；　she　forgot　the　little　history　of　the
Browns。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　Mrs。　Talboys　and　O'Brien　now　became
strictly　confidential；　and　she　would　enlarge　by　the　half…hour
together　on　the　miseries　of　her　friend's　position；　to　any　one　whom
she　could　get　to　hear　her。

〃I'll　tell　you　what；　Fanny；〃　Mackinnon　said　to　his　wife　one　day；to
his　wife　and　to　mine；　for　we　were　all　together；　〃we　shall　have　a　row
in　the　house　if　we　don't　take　care。　　O'Brien　will　be　making　love　to
Mrs。　Talboys。〃

〃Nonsense；〃　said　Mrs。　Mackinnon。　　〃You　are　always　thinking　that
somebody　is　going　to　make　love　to　some　one。〃

〃Somebody　always　is；〃　said　he。

〃She's　old　enough　to　be　his　mother；〃　said　Mrs。　Mackinnon。

〃What　does　that　matter　to　an　Irishman？〃　said　Mackinnon。　　〃Besides；　I
doubt　if　there　is　more　than　five　years'　difference　between　them。〃

〃There　must　be　more　than　that；〃　said　my　wife。　　〃Ida　Talboys　is
twelve；　I　know；　and　I　am　not　quite　sure　that　Ida　is　the　eldest。〃

〃If　she　had　a　son　in　the　Guards　it　would　make　no　difference；〃　said
Mackinnon。　　〃There　are　men　who　consider　themselves　bound　to　make
love　to　a　woman　under　certain　circumstances；　let　the　age　of　the　lady
be　what　it　may。　　O'Brien　is　such　a　one；　and　if　she　sympathises　with
him　much　oftener；　he　will　mistake　the　matter；　and　go　down　on　his
knees。　　You　ought　to　put　him　on　his　guard；〃　he　said；　addressing
himself　to　his　wife。

〃Indeed；　I　shall　do　no　such　thing；〃　said　she；　〃if　they　are　two
fools；　they　must；　like　other　fools；　pay　the　price　of　their　folly。〃
As　a　rule　there　could　be　no　softer　creature　than　Mrs。　Mackinnon；　but
it　seemed　to　me　that　her　tenderness　never　extended　itself　in　the
direction　of　Mrs。　Talboys。

Just　at　this　time；　towards　the　end；　that　is；　of　November；　we　made　a
party　to　visit　the　tombs　which　lie　along　the　Appian　Way；　beyond　that
most　beautiful　of　all　sepulchres；　the　tomb　of　Cecilia　Metella。　　It
was　a　delicious　day；　and　we　had　driven　along　this　road　for　a　couple
of　miles　beyond　the　walls　of　the　city；　enjoying　the　most　lovely　view
which　the　neighbourhood　of　Rome　affords；looking　over　the　wondrous
ruins　of　the　old　aqueducts；　up　towards　Tivoli　and　Palestrina。　　Of
all　the　environs　of　Rome　this　is；　on　a　fair　clear　day；　the　most
enchanting；　and　here　perhaps；　among　a　world　of　tombs；　thoughts　and
almost　memories　of　the　old；　old　days　come　upon　one　with　the　greatest
force。　　The　grandeur　of　Rome　is　best　seen　and　understood　from
beneath　the　walls　of　the　Coliseum；　and　its　beauty　among　the　pillars
of　the　Forum　and　the　arches　of　the　Sacred　Way；　but　its　history　and
fall　become　more　palpable　to　the　mind；　and　more　clearly　realised；
out　here　among　the　tombs；　where　the　eyes　rest　upon　the　mountains
whose　shades　were　cool　to　the　old　Romans　as　to　us；than　anywhere
within　the　walls　of　the　city。　　Here　we　look　out　at　the　same　Tivoli
and　the　same　Praeneste；　glittering　in　the　sunshine；　embowered　among
the　far…off　valleys；　which　were　dear　to　them；　and　the　blue　mountains
have　not　crumbled　away　into　ruins。　　Within　Rome　itself　we　can　see
nothing　as　they　saw　it。

Our　party　consisted　of　some　dozen　or　fifteen　persons；　and　as　a
hamper　with　luncheon　in　it　had　been　left　on　the　grassy　slope　at　the
base　of　the　tomb　of　Cecilia　Metella；　the　expedition　had　in　it
something　of　the　nature　of　a　picnic。　　Mrs。　Talboys　was　of　course
with　us；　and　Ida　Talboys。　　O'Brien　also　was　there。　　The　hamper　had
been　prepared　in　Mrs。　Mackinnon's　room；　under　the　immediate　eye　of
Mackinnon　himself；　and　they　therefore　were　regarded　as　the　dominant
spirits　of　the　party。　　My　wife　was　leagued　with　Mrs。　Mackinnon；　as
was　usually　the　case；　and　there　seemed　to　be　a　general　opinion　among
those　who　were　closely　in　confidence　together；　that　something　would
happen　in　the　O'Brien…Talboys　matter。　　The　two　had　been　inseparable
on　the　previous　evening；　for　Mrs。　Talboys　had　been　urging　on　the
young　Irishman　her　counsels　respecting　his　domestic　troubles。　　Sir
Cresswell　Cresswell；　she　had　told　him；　was　his　refuge。　　〃Why　should
his　soul　submit　to　bonds　which　the　world　had　now　declared　to　be
intolerable？　　Divorce　was　not　now　the　privilege　of　the　dissolute
rich。　　Spirits　which　were　incompatible　need　no　longer　be　compelled
to　fret　beneath　the　same　cobbles。〃　　In　short；　she　had　recommended
him　to　go　to　England　and　get　rid　of　his　wife；　as　she　would；　with　a
little　encouragement；　have　recommended　any　man　to　get　rid　of
anything。　　I　am　sure　that；　had　she　been　skilfully　brought　on　to　the
subject；　she　might　have　been　induced　to　pronounce　a　verdic