the lesson of the master-第13章

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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　sincerely　sighed。　　〃I

talked　of　them　the　other　Sunday　with　Miss　Fancourt。〃



It　produced　on　the　Master's　part　a　laugh　of　odd　acrimony。　　〃Yes；

they'll　'talk'　of　them　as　much　as　you　like！　　But　they'll　do　little

to　help　one　to　them。　　There's　no　obligation　of　course；　only　you

strike　me　as　capable；〃　he　went　on。　　〃You　must　have　thought　it　all

over。　　I　can't　believe　you're　without　a　plan。　　That's　the　sensation

you　give　me；　and　it's　so　rare　that　it　really　stirs　one　up　…　it

makes　you　remarkable。　　If　you　haven't　a　plan；　if　you　DON'T　mean　to

keep　it　up；　surely　you're　within　your　rights；　it's　nobody's

business；　no　one　can　force　you；　and　not　more　than　two　or　three

people　will　notice　you　don't　go　straight。　　The　others　…　ALL　the

rest；　every　blest　soul　in　England；　will　think　you　do　…　will　think

you　are　keeping　it　up：　　upon　my　honour　they　will！　　I　shall　be　one

of　the　two　or　three　who　know　better。　　Now　the　question　is　whether

you　can　do　it　for　two　or　three。　　Is　that　the　stuff　you're　made　of？〃



It　locked　his　guest　a　minute　as　in　closed　throbbing　arms。　　〃I　could

do　it　for　one；　if　you　were　the　one。〃



〃Don't　say　that；　I　don't　deserve　it；　it　scorches　me；〃　he　protested

with　eyes　suddenly　grave　and　glowing。　　〃The　'one'　is　of　course

one's　self；　one's　conscience；　one's　idea；　the　singleness　of　one's

aim。　　I　think　of　that　pure　spirit　as　a　man　thinks　of　a　woman　he　has

in　some　detested　hour　of　his　youth　loved　and　forsaken。　　She　haunts

him　with　reproachful　eyes；　she　lives　for　ever　before　him。　　As　an

artist；　you　know；　I've　married　for　money。〃　　Paul　stared　and　even

blushed　a　little；　confounded　by　this　avowal；　whereupon　his　host；

observing　the　expression　of　his　face；　dropped　a　quick　laugh　and

pursued：　　〃You　don't　follow　my　figure。　　I'm　not　speaking　of　my　dear

wife；　who　had　a　small　fortune　…　which；　however；　was　not　my　bribe。

I　fell　in　love　with　her；　as　many　other　people　have　done。　　I　refer

to　the　mercenary　muse　whom　I　led　to　the　altar　of　literature。

Don't；　my　boy；　put　your　nose　into　THAT　yoke。　　The　awful　jade　will

lead　you　a　life！〃



Our　hero　watched　him；　wondering　and　deeply　touched。　　〃Haven't　you

been　happy！〃



〃Happy？　　It's　a　kind　of　hell。〃



〃There　are　things　I　should　like　to　ask　you；〃　Paul　said　after　a

pause。



〃Ask　me　anything　in　all　the　world。　　I'd　turn　myself　inside　out　to

save　you。〃



〃To　'save'　me？〃　he　quavered。



〃To　make　you　stick　to　it　…　to　make　you　see　it　through。　　As　I　said

to　you　the　other　night　at　Summersoft；　let　my　example　be　vivid　to

you。〃



〃Why　your　books　are　not　so　bad　as　that；〃　said　Paul；　fairly　laughing

and　feeling　that　if　ever　a　fellow　had　breathed　the　air　of　art　…　！



〃So　bad　as　what？〃



〃Your　talent's　so　great　that　it's　in　everything　you　do；　in　what's

less　good　as　well　as　in　what's　best。　　You've　some　forty　volumes　to

show　for　it　…　forty　volumes　of　wonderful　life；　of　rare　observation；

of　magnificent　ability。〃



〃I'm　very　clever；　of　course　I　know　that〃　…　but　it　was　a　thing；　in

fine；　this　author　made　nothing　of。　　〃Lord；　what　rot　they'd　all　be

if　I　hadn't　been　I'm　a　successful　charlatan；〃　he　went　on　…　〃I've

been　able　to　pass　off　my　system。　　But　do　you　know　what　it　is？　　It's

cartonpierre。〃



〃Carton…pierre？〃　Paul　was　struck；　and　gaped。



〃Lincrusta…Walton！〃



〃Ah　don't　say　such　things　…　you　make　me　bleed！〃　the　younger　man

protested。　　〃I　see　you　in　a　beautiful　fortunate　home；　living　in

comfort　and　honour。〃



〃Do　you　call　it　honour？〃　…　his　host　took　him　up　with　an　intonation

that　often　comes　back　to　him。　　〃That's　what　I　want　YOU　to　go　in

for。　　I　mean　the　real　thing。　　This　is　brummagem。〃



〃Brummagem？〃　Paul　ejaculated　while　his　eyes　wandered；　by　a　movement

natural　at　the　moment；　over　the　luxurious　room。



〃Ah　they　make　it　so　well　to…day　…　it's　wonderfully　deceptive！〃



Our　friend　thrilled　with　the　interest　and　perhaps　even　more　with

the　pity　of　it。　　Yet　he　wasn't　afraid　to　seem　to　patronise　when　he

could　still　so　far　envy。　　〃Is　it　deceptive　that　I　find　you　living

with　every　appearance　of　domestic　felicity　…　blest　with　a　devoted；

accomplished　wife；　with　children　whose　acquaintance　I　haven't　yet

had　the　pleasure　of　making；　but　who　MUST　be　delightful　young

people；　from　what　I　know　of　their　parents？〃



St。　George　smiled　as　for　the　candour　of　his　question。　　〃It's　all

excellent；　my　dear　fellow　…　heaven　forbid　I　should　deny　it。　　I've

made　a　great　deal　of　money；　my　wife　has　known　how　to　take　care　of

it；　to　use　it　without　wasting　it；　to　put　a　good　bit　of　it　by；　to

make　it　fructify。　　I've　got　a　loaf　on　the　shelf；　I've　got

everything　in　fact　but　the　great　thing。〃



〃The　great　thing？〃　Paul　kept　echoing。



〃The　sense　of　having　done　the　best　…　the　sense　which　is　the　real

life　of　the　artist　and　the　absence　of　which　is　his　death；　of　having

drawn　from　his　intellectual　instrument　the　finest　music　that　nature

had　hidden　in　it；　of　having　played　it　as　it　should　be　played。　　He

either　does　that　or　he　doesn't　…　and　if　he　doesn't　he　isn't　worth

speaking　of。　　Therefore；　precisely；　those　who　really　know　DON'T

speak　of　him。　　He　may　still　hear　a　great　chatter；　but　what　he　hears

most　is　the　incorruptible　silence　of　Fame。　　I've　squared　her；　you

may　say；　for　my　little　hour　…　but　what's　my　little　hour？　　Don't

imagine　for　a　moment；〃　the　Master　pursued；　〃that　I'm　such　a　cad　as

to　have　brought　you　down　here　to　abuse　or　to　complain　of　my　wife　to

you。　　She's　a　woman　of　distinguished　qualities；　to　whom　my

obligations　are　immense；　so　that；　if　you　please；　we'll　say　nothing

about　her。　　My　boys　…　my　children　are　all　boys　…　are　straight　and

strong；　thank　God；　and　have　no　poverty　of　growth　about　them；　no

penury　of　needs。　　I　receive　periodically　the　most　satisfactory

attestation　from　Harrow；　from　Oxford；　from　Sandhurst　…　oh　we've

done　the　best　for　them！　…　of　their　eminence　as　living　thriving

consuming　organisms。〃



〃It　must　be　delightful　to　feel　that　the　son　of　one's　loins　is　at

Sandhurst；〃　Paul　remarked　enthusiastically。



〃It　is　…　it's　charming。　　Oh　I'm　a　patriot！〃



The　young　man　then　could　but　have　the　greater　tribute　of　questions

to　pay。　　〃Then　what　did　you　mean　…　the　other　night　at　Summersoft　…

by　saying　that　children　are　a　curse？〃



〃My　dear　youth；　on　what　basis　are　we　talking？〃　and　St。　George

dropped　upon　the　sofa　at　a　short　distance　from　him。　　Sitting　a

little　sideways　he　leaned　back　against　the　opposite　arm　with　his

hands　raised　and　interlocked　behind　his　head。　　〃On　the　supposition

that　a　certain　perfection's　possible　and　even　desirable　…　isn't　it

so？　　Well；　all　I　say　is　that　one's　children　interfere　with

perfection。　　One's　wife　interferes。　　Marriage　interferes。〃



〃You　think　then　the　artist　shouldn't　marry？〃



〃He　does　so　at　his　peril　…　he　does　so　at　his　cost。〃



〃Not　even　when　his　wife's　in　sympathy　with　his　work？〃



〃She　never　is　…　she　can't　be！　　Women　haven't　a　conception　of　such

things。〃



〃Surely　they　on　occasion　work　themselves；〃　Paul　objected。



〃Yes；　very　badly　indeed。　　Oh　of　course；　often；　they　think　they

understand；　they　think　they　sympathise。　　Then　it　is　they're　most

dangerous。　　Their　idea　is　that　you　shall　do　a　great　lot　and　get　a

great　lot　of　money。　　Their　great　nobleness　and　virtue；　their

exemplary　conscientiousness　as　British　females；　is　in　keeping　you

up　to　that。　　My　wife　makes　all　my　bargains　with　my　publishers　for

me；　and　has　done　so　for　twenty　years。　　She　does　it　consummately

well　…　that's　why　I'm　really　pretty　well　off。　　Aren't　you　the

father　of　their　innocent　babes；　and　will　you　withhold　from　them

their　natural　sustenance？　　You　asked　me　the　other　night　if　they're

not　an　immense　incentive。　　Of　course　they　are　…　there's　no　doubt　of

that！〃



Paul　turned　it　over：　　it　took；　from　eyes　he　had　never　felt　open　so

wide；　so　much　looking　at。　　〃For　myself　I've　an　idea　I　need

inc