the diary of a man of fifty-第4章

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forgotten　me。〃



〃She　never　forgot；〃　said　the　Countess；　looking　at　me　intently　and　

smiling。　　〃She　was　not　like　that。〃



〃She　was　not　like　most　other　women　in　any　way；〃　I　declared。



〃Ah；　she　was　charming；〃　cried　the　Countess；　rattling　open　her　fan。　　

〃I　have　always　been　very　curious　to　see　you。　　I　have　received　an　

impression　of　you。〃



〃A　good　one；　I　hope。〃



She　looked　at　me；　laughing；　and　not　answering　this：　　it　was　just　her　

mother's　trick。



〃'My　Englishman；'　she　used　to　call　you'il　mio　Inglese。'〃



〃I　hope　she　spoke　of　me　kindly；〃　I　insisted。



The　Countess；　still　laughing；　gave　a　little　shrug　balancing　her　hand　

to　and　fro。　　〃So…so；　I　always　supposed　you　had　had　a　quarrel。　　You　

don't　mind　my　being　frank　like　thiseh？〃



〃I　delight　in　it；　it　reminds　me　of　your　mother。〃



〃Every　one　tells　me　that。　　But　I　am　not　clever　like　her。　　You　will　

see　for　yourself。〃



〃That　speech；〃　I　said；　〃completes　the　resemblance。　　She　was　always　

pretending　she　was　not　clever；　and　in　reality〃



〃In　reality　she　was　an　angel；　eh？　　To　escape　from　dangerous　

comparisons　I　will　admit；　then；　that　I　am　clever。　　That　will　make　a　

difference。　　But　let　us　talk　of　you。　　You　are　veryhow　shall　I　say　

it？very　eccentric。〃



〃Is　that　what　your　mother　told　you？〃



〃To　tell　the　truth；　she　spoke　of　you　as　a　great　original。　　But　aren't　

all　Englishmen　eccentric？　　All　except　that　one！〃　and　the　Countess　

pointed　to　poor　Stanmer；　in　his　corner　of　the　sofa。



〃Oh；　I　know　just　what　he　is；〃　I　said。



〃He's　as　quiet　as　a　lambhe's　like　all　the　world；〃　cried　the　

Countess。



〃Like　all　the　worldyes。　　He　is　in　love　with　you。〃



She　looked　at　me　with　sudden　gravity。　　〃I　don't　object　to　your　saying　

that　for　all　the　worldbut　I　do　for　him。〃



〃Well；〃　I　went　on；　〃he　is　peculiar　in　this：　　he　is　rather　afraid　of　

you。〃



Instantly　she　began　to　smile；　she　turned　her　face　toward　Stanmer。　　He　

had　seen　that　we　were　talking　about　him；　he　coloured　and　got　upthen　

came　toward　us。



〃I　like　men　who　are　afraid　of　nothing；〃　said　our　hostess。



〃I　know　what　you　want；〃　I　said　to　Stanmer。　　〃You　want　to　know　what　

the　Signora　Contessa　says　about　you。〃



Stanmer　looked　straight　into　her　face；　very　gravely。　　〃I　don't　care　a　

straw　what　she　says。〃



〃You　are　almost　a　match　for　the　Signora　Contessa；〃　I　answered。　　〃She　

declares　she　doesn't　care　a　pin's　head　what　you　think。〃



〃I　recognise　the　Countess's　style！〃　Stanmer　exclaimed；　turning　away。



〃One　would　think；〃　said　the　Countess；　〃that　you　were　trying　to　make　a　

quarrel　between　us。〃



I　watched　him　move　away　to　another　part　of　the　great　saloon；　he　stood　

in　front　of　the　Andrea　del　Sarto；　looking　up　at　it。　　But　he　was　not　

seeing　it；　he　was　listening　to　what　we　might　say。　　I　often　stood　

there　in　just　that　way。　　〃He　can't　quarrel　with　you；　any　more　than　I　

could　have　quarrelled　with　your　mother。〃



〃Ah；　but　you　did。　　Something　painful　passed　between　you。〃



〃Yes；　it　was　painful；　but　it　was　not　a　quarrel。　　I　went　away　one　day　

and　never　saw　her　again。　　That　was　all。〃



The　Countess　looked　at　me　gravely。　　〃What　do　you　call　it　when　a　man　

does　that？〃



〃It　depends　upon　the　case。〃



〃Sometimes；〃　said　the　Countess　in　French；　〃it's　a　lachete。〃



〃Yes；　and　sometimes　it's　an　act　of　wisdom。〃



〃And　sometimes；〃　rejoined　the　Countess；　〃it's　a　mistake。〃



I　shook　my　head。　　〃For　me　it　was　no　mistake。〃



She　began　to　laugh　again。　　〃Caro　Signore；　you're　a　great　original。　　

What　had　my　poor　mother　done　to　you？〃



I　looked　at　our　young　Englishman；　who　still　had　his　back　turned　to　us　

and　was　staring　up　at　the　picture。　　〃I　will　tell　you　some　other　

time；〃　I　said。



〃I　shall　certainly　remind　you；　I　am　very　curious　to　know。〃　　Then　she　

opened　and　shut　her　fan　two　or　three　times；　still　looking　at　me。　　

What　eyes　they　have！　　〃Tell　me　a　little；〃　she　went　on；　〃if　I　may　ask　

without　indiscretion。　　Are　you　married？〃



〃No；　Signora　Contessa。〃



〃Isn't　that　at　least　a　mistake？〃



〃Do　I　look　very　unhappy？〃



She　dropped　her　head　a　little　to　one　side。　　〃For　an　Englishmanno！〃



〃Ah；〃　said　I；　laughing；　〃you　are　quite　as　clever　as　your　mother。〃



〃And　they　tell　me　that　you　are　a　great　soldier；〃　she　continued；　〃you　

have　lived　in　India。　　It　was　very　kind　of　you；　so　far　away；　to　have　

remembered　our　poor　dear　Italy。〃



〃One　always　remembers　Italy；　the　distance　makes　no　difference。　　I　

remembered　it　well　the　day　I　heard　of　your　mother's　death！〃



〃Ah；　that　was　a　sorrow！〃　said　the　Countess。　　〃There's　not　a　day　that　

I　don't　weep　for　her。　　But　che　vuole？　　She's　a　saint　its　paradise。〃



〃Sicuro；〃　I　answered；　and　I　looked　some　time　at　the　ground。　　〃But　

tell　me　about　yourself；　dear　lady；〃　I　asked　at　last；　raising　my　eyes。　　

〃You　have　also　had　the　sorrow　of　losing　your　husband。〃



〃I　am　a　poor　widow；　as　you　see。　　Che　vuole？　　My　husband　died　after　

three　years　of　marriage。〃



I　waited　for　her　to　remark　that　the　late　Count　Scarabelli　was　also　a　

saint　in　paradise；　but　I　waited　in　vain。



〃That　was　like　your　distinguished　father；〃　I　said。



〃Yes；　he　too　died　young。　　I　can't　be　said　to　have　known　him；　I　was　

but　of　the　age　of　my　own　little　girl。　　But　I　weep　for　him　all　the　

more。〃



Again　I　was　silent　for　a　moment。



〃It　was　in　India　too；〃　I　said　presently；　〃that　I　heard　of　your　

mother's　second　marriage。〃



The　Countess　raised　her　eyebrows。



〃In　India；　then；　one　hears　of　everything！　　Did　that　news　please　you？〃



〃Well；　since　you　ask　meno。〃



〃I　understand　that；〃　said　the　Countess；　looking　at　her　open　fan。　　〃I　

shall　not　marry　again　like　that。〃



〃That's　what　your　mother　said　to　me；〃　I　ventured　to　observe。



She　was　not　offended；　but　she　rose　from　her　seat　and　stood　looking　at　

me　a　moment。　　Then〃You　should　not　have　gone　away！〃　she　exclaimed。　　

I　stayed　for　another　hour；　it　is　a　very　pleasant　house。



Two　or　three　of　the　men　who　were　sitting　there　seemed　very　civil　and　

intelligent；　one　of　them　was　a　major　of　engineers；　who　offered　me　a　

profusion　of　information　upon　the　new　organisation　of　the　Italian　

army。　　While　he　talked；　however；　I　was　observing　our　hostess；　who　was　

talking　with　the　others；　very　little；　I　noticed；　with　her　young　

Inglese。　　She　is　altogether　charmingfull　of　frankness　and　freedom；　

of　that　inimitable　disinvoltura　which　in　an　Englishwoman　would　be　

vulgar；　and　which　in　her　is　simply　the　perfection　of　apparent　

spontaneity。　　But　for　all　her　spontaneity　she's　as　subtle　as　a　

needle…point；　and　knows　tremendously　well　what　she　is　about。　　If　she　

is　not　a　consummate　coquette　。　。　。　What　had　she　in　her　head　when　she　

said　that　I　should　not　have　gone　away？Poor　little　Stanmer　didn't　go　

away。　　I　left　him　there　at　midnight。



12th。I　found　him　today　sitting　in　the　church　of　Santa　Croce；　into　

which　I　wandered　to　escape　from　the　heat　of　the　sun。



In　the　nave　it　was　cool　and　dim；　he　was　staring　at　the　blaze　of　

candles　on　the　great　altar；　and　thinking；　I　am　sure；　of　his　

incomparable　Countess。　　I　sat　down　beside　him；　and　after　a　while；　as　

if　to　avoid　the　appearance　of　eagerness；　he　asked　me　how　I　had　

enjoyed　my　visit　to　Casa　Salvi；　and　what　I　thought　of　the　padrona。



〃I　think　half　a　dozen　things；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　can　only　tell　you　one　

now。　　She's　an　enchantress。　　You　shall　hear　the　rest　when　we　have　

left　the　church。〃



〃An　enchantress？〃　repeated　Stanmer；　looking　at　me　askance。



He　is　a　very　simple　youth；　but　who　am　I　to　blame　him？



〃A　charmer；〃　I　said　〃a　fascinatress！〃



He　turned　away；　staring　at　the　altar　candles。



〃An　artistan　actress；〃　I　went　on；　rather　brutally。



He　gave　me　another　glance。



〃I　think　you　are　telling　me　all；〃　he　said。



〃No；　no；　there　is　more。〃　　And　we　sat　a　long　time　in　silence。



At　last　he　proposed　that　we　should　go　out；　and　we　passed　in　the　

street；　where　the　shadows　had　begun　to　stretch　themselve