the lesson of the master-第12章

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pleasure　which　in　London　on　summer　nights　fills　so　many　of　the

happier　quarters　of　the　complicated　town。　　Gradually　Mrs。　St。

George's　drawing…room　emptied　itself；　Paul　was　left　alone　with　his

hostess；　to　whom　he　explained　the　motive　of　his　waiting。　　〃Ah　yes；

some　intellectual；　some　PROFESSIONAL；　talk；〃　she　leered；　〃at　this

season　doesn't　one　miss　it？　　Poor　dear　Henry；　I'm　so　glad！〃　　The

young　man　looked　out　of　the　window　a　moment；　at　the　called　hansoms

that　lurched　up；　at　the　smooth　broughams　that　rolled　away。　　When　he

turned　round　Mrs。　St。　George　had　disappeared；　her　husband's　voice

rose　to　him　from　below　…　he　was　laughing　and　talking；　in　the

portico；　with　some　lady　who　awaited　her　carriage。　　Paul　had

solitary　possession；　for　some　minutes；　of　the　warm　deserted　rooms

where　the　covered　tinted　lamplight　was　soft；　the　seats　had　been

pushed　about　and　the　odour　of　flowers　lingered。　　They　were　large；

they　were　pretty；　they　contained　objects　of　value；　everything　in

the　picture　told　of　a　〃good　house。〃　　At　the　end　of　five　minutes　a

servant　came　in　with　a　request　from　the　Master　that　he　would　join

him　downstairs；　upon　which；　descending；　he　followed　his　conductor

through　a　long　passage　to　an　apartment　thrown　out；　in　the　rear　of

the　habitation；　for　the　special　requirements；　as　he　guessed；　of　a

busy　man　of　letters。



St。　George　was　in　his　shirt…sleeves　in　the　middle　of　a　large　high

room　…　a　room　without　windows；　but　with　a　wide　skylight　at　the　top；

that　of　a　place　of　exhibition。　　It　was　furnished　as　a　library；　and

the　serried　bookshelves　rose　to　the　ceiling；　a　surface　of

incomparable　tone　produced　by　dimly…gilt　〃backs〃　interrupted　here

and　there　by　the　suspension　of　old　prints　and　drawings。　　At　the　end

furthest　from　the　door　of　admission　was　a　tall　desk；　of　great

extent；　at　which　the　person　using　it　could　write　only　in　the　erect

posture　of　a　clerk　in　a　counting…house；　and　stretched　from　the

entrance　to　this　structure　was　a　wide　plain　band　of　crimson　cloth；

as　straight　as　a　garden…path　and　almost　as　long；　where；　in　his

mind's　eye；　Paul　at　once　beheld　the　Master　pace　to　and　fro　during

vexed　hours　…　hours；　that　is；　of　admirable　composition。　　The

servant　gave　him　a　coat；　an　old　jacket　with　a　hang　of　experience；

from　a　cupboard　in　the　wall；　retiring　afterwards　with　the　garment

he　had　taken　off。　　Paul　Overt　welcomed　the　coat；　it　was　a　coat　for

talk；　it　promised　confidences　…　having　visibly　received　so　many　…

and　had　tragic　literary　elbows。　　〃Ah　we're　practical　…　we're

practical！〃　St。　George　said　as　he　saw　his　visitor　look　the　place

over。　　〃Isn't　it　a　good　big　cage　for　going　round　and　round？　　My

wife　invented　it　and　she　locks　me　up　here　every　morning。〃



Our　young　man　breathed　…　by　way　of　tribute　…　with　a　certain

oppression。　　〃You　don't　miss　a　window　…　a　place　to　look　out？〃



〃I　did　at　first　awfully；　but　her　calculation　was　just。　　It　saves

time；　it　has　saved　me　many　months　in　these　ten　years。　　Here　I

stand；　under　the　eye　of　day　…　in　London　of　course；　very　often；　it's

rather　a　bleared　old　eye　…　walled　in　to　my　trade。　　I　can't　get　away

…　so　the　room's　a　fine　lesson　in　concentration。　　I've　learnt　the

lesson；　I　think；　look　at　that　big　bundle　of　proof　and　acknowledge

it。〃　　He　pointed　to　a　fat　roll　of　papers；　on　one　of　the　tables；

which　had　not　been　undone。



〃Are　you　bringing　out　another　…？〃　Paul　asked　in　a　tone　the　fond

deficiencies　of　which　he　didn't　recognise　till　his　companion　burst

out　laughing；　and　indeed　scarce　even　then。



〃You　humbug；　you　humbug！〃　…　St。　George　appeared　to　enjoy　caressing

him；　as　it　were；　with　that　opprobrium。　　〃Don't　I　know　what　you

think　of　them？〃　he　asked；　standing　there　with　his　hands　in　his

pockets　and　with　a　new　kind　of　smile。　　It　was　as　if　he　were　going

to　let　his　young　votary　see　him　all　now。



〃Upon　my　word　in　that　case　you　know　more　than　I　do！〃　the　latter

ventured　to　respond；　revealing　a　part　of　the　torment　of　being　able

neither　clearly　to　esteem　nor　distinctly　to　renounce　him。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　the　more　and　more　interesting　Master；　〃don't

imagine　I　talk　about　my　books　specifically；　they're　not　a　decent

subject　…　il　ne　manquerait　plus　que　ca！　　I'm　not　so　bad　as　you　may

apprehend！　　About　myself；　yes；　a　little；　if　you　like；　though　it

wasn't　for　that　I　brought　you　down　here。　　I　want　to　ask　you

something　…　very　much　indeed；　I　value　this　chance。　　Therefore　sit

down。　　We're　practical；　but　there　IS　a　sofa；　you　see　…　for　she　does

humour　my　poor　bones　so　far。　　Like　all　really　great　administrators

and　disciplinarians　she　knows　when　wisely　to　relax。〃　　Paul　sank

into　the　corner　of　a　deep　leathern　couch；　but　his　friend　remained

standing　and　explanatory。　　〃If　you　don't　mind；　in　this　room；　this

is　my　habit。　　From　the　door　to　the　desk　and　from　the　desk　to　the

door。　　That　shakes　up　my　imagination　gently；　and　don't　you　see　what

a　good　thing　it　is　that　there's　no　window　for　her　to　fly　out　of？

The　eternal　standing　as　I　write　（I　stop　at　that　bureau　and　put　it

down；　when　anything　comes；　and　so　we　go　on）　was　rather　wearisome　at

first；　but　we　adopted　it　with　an　eye　to　the　long　run；　you're　in

better　order　…　if　your　legs　don't　break　down！　…　and　you　can　keep　it

up　for　more　years。　　Oh　we're　practical　…　we're　practical！〃　St。

George　repeated；　going　to　the　table　and　taking　up　all　mechanically

the　bundle　of　proofs。　　But；　pulling　off　the　wrapper；　he　had　a

change　of　attention　that　appealed　afresh　to　our　hero。　　He　lost

himself　a　moment；　examining　the　sheets　of　his　new　book；　while　the

younger　man's　eyes　wandered　over　the　room　again。



〃Lord；　what　good　things　I　should　do　if　I　had　such　a　charming　place

as　this　to　do　them　in！〃　Paul　reflected。　　The　outer　world；　the　world

of　accident　and　ugliness；　was　so　successfully　excluded；　and　within

the　rich　protecting　square；　beneath　the　patronising　sky；　the　dream…

figures；　the　summoned　company；　could　hold　their　particular　revel。

It　was　a　fond　prevision　of　Overt's　rather　than　an　observation　on

actual　data；　for　which　occasions　had　been　too　few；　that　the　Master

thus　more　closely　viewed　would　have　the　quality；　the　charming　gift；

of　flashing　out；　all　surprisingly；　in　personal　intercourse　and　at

moments　of　suspended　or　perhaps　even　of　diminished　expectation。　　A

happy　relation　with　him　would　be　a　thing　proceeding　by　jumps；　not

by　traceable　stages。



〃Do　you　read　them　…　really？〃　he　asked；　laying　down　the　proofs　on

Paul's　enquiring　of　him　how　soon　the　work　would　be　published。　　And

when　the　young　man　answered　〃Oh　yes；　always；〃　he　was　moved　to　mirth

again　by　something　he　caught　in　his　manner　of　saying　that。　　〃You　go

to　see　your　grandmother　on　her　birthday　…　and　very　proper　it　is；

especially　as　she　won't　last　for　ever。　　She　has　lost　every　faculty

and　every　sense；　she　neither　sees；　nor　hears；　nor　speaks；　but　all

customary　pieties　and　kindly　habits　are　respectable。　　Only　you're

strong　if　you　DO　read　'em！　　I　couldn't；　my　dear　fellow。　　You　are

strong；　I　know；　and　that's　just　a　part　of　what　I　wanted　to　say　to

you。　　You're　very　strong　indeed。　　I've　been　going　into　your　other

things　…　they've　interested　me　immensely。　　Some　one　ought　to　have

told　me　about　them　before　…　some　one　I　could　believe。　　But　whom　can

one　believe？　　You're　wonderfully　on　the　right　road　…　it's　awfully

decent　work。　　Now　do　you　mean　to　keep　it　up？　…　that's　what　I　want

to　ask　you。〃



〃Do　I　mean　to　do　others？〃　Paul　asked；　looking　up　from　his　sofa　at

his　erect　inquisitor　and　feeling　partly　like　a　happy　little　boy

when　the　school…master　is　gay；　and　partly　like　some　pilgrim　of　old

who　might　have　consulted　a　world…famous　oracle。　　St。　George's　own

performance　had　been　infirm；　but　as　an　adviser　he　would　be

infallible。



〃Others　…　others？　　Ah　the　number　won't　matter；　one　other　would　do；

if　it　were　really　a　further　step　…　a　throb　of　the　same　effort。

What　I　mean　is　have　you　it　in　your　heart　to　go　in　for　some　sort　of

decent　perfection？〃



〃Ah　decency；　ah　perfection　…！〃　the　young　man　sin