the lesson of the master-第14章

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

incentives。〃



〃Ah　well　then；　n'en　parlons　plus！〃　his　companion　handsomely　smiled。



〃YOU　are　an　incentive；　I　maintain；〃　the　young　man　went　on。　　〃You

don't　affect　me　in　the　way　you'd　apparently　like　to。　　Your　great

success　is　what　I　see　…　the　pomp　of　Ennismore　Gardens！〃



〃Success？〃　…　St。　George's　eyes　had　a　cold　fine　light。　　〃Do　you　call

it　success　to　be　spoken　of　as　you'd　speak　of　me　if　you　were　sitting

here　with　another　artist　…　a　young　man　intelligent　and　sincere　like

yourself？　　Do　you　call　it　success　to　make　you　blush　…　as　you　would

blush！　…　if　some　foreign　critic　（some　fellow；　of　course　I　mean；　who

should　know　what　he　was　talking　about　and　should　have　shown　you　he

did；　as　foreign　critics　like　to　show　it）　were　to　say　to　you：　　'He's

the　one；　in　this　country；　whom　they　consider　the　most　perfect；

isn't　he？'　　Is　it　success　to　be　the　occasion　of　a　young

Englishman's　having　to　stammer　as　you　would　have　to　stammer　at　such

a　moment　for　old　England？　　No；　no；　success　is　to　have　made　people

wriggle　to　another　tune。　　Do　try　it！〃



Paul　continued　all　gravely　to　glow。　　〃Try　what？〃



〃Try　to　do　some　really　good　work。〃



〃Oh　I　want　to；　heaven　knows！〃



〃Well；　you　can't　do　it　without　sacrifices　…　don't　believe　that　for

a　moment；〃　the　Master　said。　　〃I've　made　none。　　I've　had　everything。

In　other　words　I've　missed　everything。〃



〃You've　had　the　full　rich　masculine　human　general　life；　with　all

the　responsibilities　and　duties　and　burdens　and　sorrows　and　joys　…

all　the　domestic　and　social　initiations　and　complications。　　They

must　be　immensely　suggestive；　immensely　amusing；〃　Paul　anxiously

submitted。



〃Amusing？〃



〃For　a　strong　man　…　yes。〃



〃They've　given　me　subjects　without　number；　if　that's　what　you　mean；

but　they've　taken　away　at　the　same　time　the　power　to　use　them。

I've　touched　a　thousand　things；　but　which　one　of　them　have　I　turned

into　gold？　　The　artist　has　to　do　only　with　that　…　he　knows　nothing

of　any　baser　metal。　　I've　led　the　life　of　the　world；　with　my　wife

and　my　progeny；　the　clumsy　conventional　expensive　materialised

vulgarised　brutalised　life　of　London。　　We've　got　everything

handsome；　even　a　carriage　…　we're　perfect　Philistines　and

prosperous　hospitable　eminent　people。　　But；　my　dear　fellow；　don't

try　to　stultify　yourself　and　pretend　you　don't　know　what　we　HAVEN'T

got。　　It's　bigger　than　all　the　rest。　　Between　artists　…　come！〃　the

Master　wound　up。　　〃You　know　as　well　as　you　sit　there　that　you'd　put

a　pistol…ball　into　your　brain　if　you　had　written　my　books！〃



It　struck　his　listener　that　the　tremendous　talk　promised　by　him　at

Summersoft　had　indeed　come　off；　and　with　a　promptitude；　a　fulness；

with　which　the　latter's　young　imagination　had　scarcely　reckoned。

His　impression　fairly　shook　him　and　he　throbbed　with　the　excitement

of　such　deep　soundings　and　such　strange　confidences。　　He　throbbed

indeed　with　the　conflict　of　his　feelings　…　bewilderment　and

recognition　and　alarm；　enjoyment　and　protest　and　assent；　all

commingled　with　tenderness　（and　a　kind　of　shame　in　the

participation）　for　the　sores　and　bruises　exhibited　by　so　fine　a

creature；　and　with　a　sense　of　the　tragic　secret　nursed　under　his

trappings。　　The　idea　of　HIS；　Paul　Overt's；　becoming　the　occasion　of

such　an　act　of　humility　made　him　flush　and　pant；　at　the　same　time

that　his　consciousness　was　in　certain　directions　too　much　alive　not

to　swallow　…　　and　not　intensely　to　taste　…　every　offered　spoonful

of　the　revelation。　　It　had　been　his　odd　fortune　to　blow　upon　the

deep　waters；　to　make　them　surge　and　break　in　waves　of　strange

eloquence。　　But　how　couldn't　he　give　out　a　passionate　contradiction

of　his　host's　last　extravagance；　how　couldn't　he　enumerate　to　him

the　parts　of　his　work　he　loved；　the　splendid　things　he　had　found　in

it；　beyond　the　compass　of　any　other　writer　of　the　day？　　St。　George

listened　a　while；　courteously；　then　he　said；　laying　his　hand　on　his

visitor's：　　〃That's　all　very　well；　and　if　your　idea's　to　do　nothing

better　there's　no　reason　you　shouldn't　have　as　many　good　things　as

I　…　as　many　human　and　material　appendages；　as　many　sons　or

daughters；　a　wife　with　as　many　gowns；　a　house　with　as　many

servants；　a　stable　with　as　many　horses；　a　heart　with　as　many

aches。〃　　The　Master　got　up　when　he　had　spoken　thus　…　he　stood　a

moment　…　near　the　sofa　looking　down　on　his　agitated　pupil。　　〃Are

you　possessed　of　any　property？〃　it　occurred　to　him　to　ask。



〃None　to　speak　of。〃



〃Oh　well　then　there's　no　reason　why　you　shouldn't　make　a　goodish

income　…　if　you　set　about　it　the　right　way。　　Study　ME　for　that　…

study　me　well。　　You　may　really　have　horses。〃



Paul　sat　there　some　minutes　without　speaking。　　He　looked　straight

before　him　…　　he　turned　over　many　things。　　His　friend　had　wandered

away；　taking　up　a　parcel　of　letters　from　the　table　where　the　roll

of　proofs　had　lain。　　〃What　was　the　book　Mrs。　St。　George　made　you

burn　…　the　one　she　didn't　like？〃　our　young　man　brought　out。



〃The　book　she　made　me　burn　…　how　did　you　know　that？〃　　The　Master

looked　up　from　his　letters　quite　without　the　facial　convulsion　the

pupil　had　feared。



〃I　heard　her　speak　of　it　at　Summersoft。〃



〃Ah　yes　…　she's　proud　of　it。　　I　don't　know　…　it　was　rather　good。〃



〃What　was　it　about？〃



〃Let　me　see。〃　　And　he　seemed　to　make　an　effort　to　remember。　　〃Oh

yes　…　it　was　about　myself。〃　　Paul　gave　an　irrepressible　groan　for

the　disappearance　of　such　a　production；　and　the　elder　man　went　on：

〃Oh　but　YOU　should　write　it　…　YOU　should　do　me。〃　　And　he　pulled　up

…　from　the　restless　motion　that　had　come　upon　him；　his　fine　smile　a

generous　glare。　　〃There's　a　subject；　my　boy：　　no　end　of　stuff　in

it！〃



Again　Paul　was　silent；　but　it　was　all　tormenting。　　〃Are　there　no

women　who　really　understand　…　who　can　take　part　in　a　sacrifice？〃



〃How　can　they　take　part？　　They　themselves　are　the　sacrifice。

They're　the　idol　and　the　altar　and　the　flame。〃



〃Isn't　there　even　ONE　who　sees　further？〃　Paul　continued。



For　a　moment　St。　George　made　no　answer；　after　which；　having　torn　up

his　letters；　he　came　back　to　the　point　all　ironic。　　〃Of　course　I

know　the　one　you　mean。　　But　not　even　Miss　Fancourt。〃



〃I　thought　you　admired　her　so　much。〃



〃It's　impossible　to　admire　her　more。　　Are　you　in　love　with　her？〃

St。　George　asked。



〃Yes；〃　Paul　Overt　presently　said。



〃Well　then　give　it　up。〃



Paul　stared。　　〃Give　up　my　'love'？〃



〃Bless　me；　no。　　Your　idea。〃　　And　then　as　our　hero　but　still　gazed：

〃The　one　you　talked　with　her　about。　　The　idea　of　a　decent

perfection。〃



〃She'd　help　it　…　she'd　help　it！〃　the　young　man　cried。



〃For　about　a　year　…　the　first　year；　yes。　　After　that　she'd　be　as　a

millstone　round　its　neck。〃



Paul　frankly　wondered。　　〃Why　she　has　a　passion　for　the　real　thing；

for　good　work　…　for　everything　you　and　I　care　for　most。〃



〃'You　and　I'　is　charming；　my　dear　fellow！〃　his　friend　laughed。

〃She　has　it　indeed；　but　she'd　have　a　still　greater　passion　for　her

children　…　and　very　proper　too。　　She'd　insist　on　everything's　being

made　comfortable；　advantageous；　propitious　for　them。　　That　isn't

the　artist's　business。〃



〃The　artist　…　the　artist！　　Isn't　he　a　man　all　the　same？〃



St。　George　had　a　grand　grimace。　　〃I　mostly　think　not。　　You　know　as

well　as　I　what　he　has　to　do：　　the　concentration；　the　finish；　the

independence　he　must　strive　for　from　the　moment　he　begins　to　wish

his　work　really　decent。　　Ah　my　young　friend；　his　relation　to　women；

and　especially　to　the　one　he's　most　intimately　concerned　with；　is

at　the　mercy　of　the　damning　fact　that　whereas　he　can　in　the　nature

of　things　have　but　one　standard；　they　have　about　fifty。　　That's

what　makes　them　so　superior；〃　St。　George　amusingly　added。　　〃Fancy

an　artist　with　a　change　of　standards　as　you'd　have　a　change　of

shirts　or　of　dinner…plates。　　To　DO　it　…　to　do　it　and　make　it　divine

…　is　the　only　thing　he　has　to　think