zanoni-第77章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



certainly　have　liked　him；all　the　women　did。〃



〃My　dear　Thomas；　you　will　forgive　the　remark；but　that

expression　of　yours；　'all　the　WOMEN'〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon；you　are　right。　　I　meant　to　say　that　he　was　a

general　favourite　with　your　charming　sex。〃



〃I　understand；rather　a　frivolous　character。〃



〃Frivolous！　no；　not　exactly；　a　little　unsteady；very　odd；　but

certainly　not　frivolous；　presumptuous　and　headstrong　in

character；　but　modest　and　shy　in　his　manners；　rather　too　much

so；just　what　you　like。　　However；　to　return；　I　am　seriously

uneasy　at　the　accounts　I　have　heard　of　him　to…day。　　He　has　been

living；　it　seems；　a　very　strange　and　irregular　life；　travelling

from　place　to　place；　and　must　have　spent　already　a　great　deal　of

money。〃



〃Apropos　of　money；〃　said　Mrs。　Mervale；　〃I　fear　we　must　change　our

butcher；　he　is　certainly　in　league　with　the　cook。〃



〃That　is　a　pity；　his　beef　is　remarkably　fine。　　These　London

servants　are　as　bad　as　the　Carbonari。　　But；　as　I　was　saying；　poor

Glyndon〃



Here　a　knock　was　heard　at　the　door。　　〃Bless　me；〃　said　Mrs。

Mervale；　〃it　is　past　ten！　　Who　can　that　possibly　be？〃



〃Perhaps　your　uncle；　the　admiral；〃　said　the　husband；　with　a

slight　peevishness　in　his　accent。　　〃He　generally　favours　us　about

this　hour。〃



〃I　hope；　my　love；　that　none　of　my　relations　are　unwelcome

visitors　at　your　house。　　The　admiral　is　a　most　entertaining　man；

and　his　fortune　is　entirely　at　his　own　disposal。〃



〃No　one　I　respect　more；〃　said　Mr。　Mervale；　with　emphasis。



The　servant　threw　open　the　door；　and　announced　Mr。　Glyndon。



〃Mr。　Glyndon！what　an　extraordinary〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Mervale；

but　before　she　could　conclude　the　sentence；　Glyndon　was　in　the

room。



The　two　friends　greeted　each　other　with　all　the　warmth　of　early

recollection　and　long　absence。　　An　appropriate　and　proud

presentation　to　Mrs。　Mervale　ensued；　and　Mrs。　Mervale；　with　a

dignified　smile；　and　a　furtive　glance　at　his　boots；　bade　her

husband's　friend　welcome　to　England。



Glyndon　was　greatly　altered　since　Mervale　had　seen　him　last。

Though　less　than　two　years　had　elapsed　since　then；　his　fair

complexion　was　more　bronzed　and　manly。　　Deep　lines　of　care；　or

thought；　or　dissipation；　had　replaced　the　smooth　contour　of　happy

youth。　　To　a　manner　once　gentle　and　polished　had　succeeded　a

certain　recklessness　of　mien；　tone；　and　bearing；　which　bespoke

the　habits　of　a　society　that　cared　little　for　the　calm　decorums

of　conventional　ease。　　Still　a　kind　of　wild　nobleness；　not　before

apparent　in　him；　characterised　his　aspect；　and　gave　something　of

dignity　to　the　freedom　of　his　language　and　gestures。



〃So；　then；　you　are　settled；　Mervale；I　need　not　ask　you　if　you

are　happy。　　Worth；　sense；　wealth；　character；　and　so　fair　a

companion　deserve　happiness；　and　command　it。〃



〃Would　you　like　some　tea；　Mr。　Glyndon？〃　asked　Mrs。　Mervale；

kindly。



〃Thank　you；no。　　I　propose　a　more　convivial　stimulus　to　my　old

friend。　　Wine；　Mervale；wine；　eh！or　a　bowl　of　old　English

punch。　　Your　wife　will　excuse　us；we　will　make　a　night　of　it！〃



Mrs。　Mervale　drew　back　her　chair；　and　tried　not　to　look　aghast。

Glyndon　did　not　give　his　friend　time　to　reply。



〃So　at　last　I　am　in　England；〃　he　said；　looking　round　the　room；

with　a　slight　sneer　on　his　lips；　〃surely　this　sober　air　must　have

its　influence；　surely　here　I　shall　be　like　the　rest。〃



〃Have　you　been　ill；　Glyndon？〃



〃Ill；　yes。　　Humph！　you　have　a　fine　house。　　Does　it　contain　a

spare　room　for　a　solitary　wanderer？〃



Mr。　Mervale　glanced　at　his　wife；　and　his　wife　looked　steadily　on

the　carpet。　　〃Modest　and　shy　in　his　mannersrather　too　much　so！〃

Mrs。　Mervale　was　in　the　seventh　heaven　of　indignation　and　amaze！



〃My　dear？〃　said　Mr。　Mervale　at　last；　meekly　and　interogatingly。



〃My　dear！〃　returned　Mrs。　Mervale；　innocently　and　sourly。



〃We　can　make　up　a　room　for　my　old　friend；　Sarah？〃



The　old　friend　had　sunk　back　on　his　chair；　and；　gazing　intently

on　the　fire；　with　his　feet　at　ease　upon　the　fender；　seemed　to

have　forgotten　his　question。



Mrs。　Mervale　bit　her　lips；　looked　thoughtful；　and　at　last　coldly

replied；　〃Certainly；　Mr。　Mervale；　your　friends　do　right　to　make

themselves　at　home。〃



With　that　she　lighted　a　candle；　and　moved　majestically　from　the

room。　　When　she　returned；　the　two　friends　had　vanished　into　Mr。

Mervale's　study。



Twelve　o'clock　struck；one　o'clock；　two！　　Thrice　had　Mrs。

Mervale　sent　into　the　room　to　know；first；　if　they　wanted

anything；　secondly；　if　Mr。　Glyndon　slept　on　a　mattress　or

feather…bed；　thirdly；　to　inquire　if　Mr。　Glyndon's　trunk；　which　he

had　brought　with　him；　should　be　unpacked。　　And　to　the　answer　to

all　these　questions　was　added；　in　a　loud　voice　from　the　visitor；

a　voice　that　pierced　from　the　kitchen　to　the　attic；〃Another

bowl！　stronger；　if　you　please；　and　be　quick　with　it！〃



At　last　Mr。　Mervale　appeared　in　the　conjugal　chamber；　not

penitent；　nor　apologetic；no；　not　a　bit　of　it。　　His　eyes

twinkled；　his　cheek　flushed；　his　feet　reeled；　he　sang；Mr。

Thomas　Mervale　positively　sang！



〃Mr。　Mervale！　is　it　possible；　sir〃



〃'Old　King　Cole　was　a　merry　old　soul'〃



〃Mr。　Mervale！　sir！leave　me　alone；　sir！〃



〃'And　a　merry　old　soul　was　he'〃



〃What　an　example　to　the　servants！〃



〃'And　he　called　for　his　pipe；　and　he　called　for　his　bowl'〃



〃If　you　don't　behave　yourself；　sir；　I　shall　call〃



〃'Call　for　his　fiddlers　three！'〃





CHAPTER　5。III。



In　der　Welt　weit

Aus　der　Einsamkeit

Wollen　sie　Dich　locken。

〃Faust。〃



（In　the　wide　world；　out　of　the　solitude；　will　these　allure　thee。）



The　next　morning；　at　breakfast；　Mrs。　Mervale　looked　as　if　all　the

wrongs　of　injured　woman　sat　upon　her　brow。　　Mr。　Mervale　seemed

the　picture　of　remorseful　guilt　and　avenging　bile。　　He　said

little；　except　to　complain　of　headache；　and　to　request　the　eggs

to　be　removed　from　the　table。　　Clarence　Glyndonimpervious；

unconscious；　unailing；　impenitentwas　in　noisy　spirits；　and

talked　for　three。



〃Poor　Mervale！　he　has　lost　the　habit　of　good…fellowship；　madam。

Another　night　or　two；　and　he　will　be　himself　again！〃



〃Sir；〃　said　Mrs。　Mervale；　launching　a　premeditated　sentence　with

more　than　Johnsonian　dignity；　〃permit　me　to　remind　you　that　Mr。

Mervale　is　now　a　married　man；　the　destined　father　of　a　family；

and　the　present　master　of　a　household。〃



〃Precisely　the　reasons　why　I　envy　him　so　much。　　I　myself　have　a

great　mind　to　marry。　　Happiness　is　contagious。〃



〃Do　you　still　take　to　painting？〃　asked　Mervale；　languidly；

endeavouring　to　turn　the　tables　on　his　guest。



〃Oh；　no；　I　have　adopted　your　advice。　　No　art；　no　ideal；　nothing

loftier　than　Commonplace　for　me　now。　　If　I　were　to　paint　again；　I

positively　think　YOU　would　purchase　my　pictures。　　Make　haste　and

finish　your　breakfast；　man；　I　wish　to　consult　you。　　I　have　come

to　England　to　see　after　my　affairs。　　My　ambition　is　to　make

money；　your　counsels　and　experience　cannot　fail　to　assist　me

here。〃



〃Ah；　you　were　soon　disenchanted　of　your　Philosopher's　Stone！　　You

must　know；　Sarah；　that　when　I　last　left　Glyndon；　he　was　bent　upon

turning　alchemist　and　magician。〃



〃You　are　witty　to…day；　Mr。　Mervale。〃



〃Upon　my　honour　it　is　true；　I　told　you　so　before。〃



Glyndon　rose　abruptly。



〃Why　revive　those　recollections　of　folly　and　presumption？　　Have　I

not　said　that　I　have　returned　to　my　native　land　to　pursue　the

healthful　avocations　of　my　kind！　　Oh；　yes！　what　so　healthful；　so

noble；　so　fitted　to　our　nature；　as　what　you　call　the　Practical

Life？　　If　we　have　faculties；　what　is　their　use；　but　to　sell　them

to　advantage！　　Buy　knowledge　as　we　do　our　goods；　buy　it　at　the

cheapest　market；　sell　it　at　the　dearest。　　Have　you　not

breakfasted　yet？〃



The　friends　walked　into　the　streets；　and　Mervale　shrank　from　the

irony　with　which　Glyndon　complimented　him　on　his　respectability；

his　station；　his　pursuits；　his　happy　marriage；　and　his　eight

pictures