the lesson of the master-第15章

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

…　is　the　only　thing　he　has　to　think　about。　　'Is　it　done　or　not？'　is

his　only　question。　　Not　'Is　it　done　as　well　as　a　proper　solicitude

for　my　dear　little　family　will　allow？'　　He　has　nothing　to　do　with

the　relative　…　　he　has　only　to　do　with　the　absolute；　and　a　dear

little　family　may　represent　a　dozen　relatives。〃



〃Then　you　don't　allow　him　the　common　passions　and　affections　of

men？〃　Paul　asked。



〃Hasn't　he　a　passion；　an　affection；　which　includes　all　the　rest？

Besides；　let　him　have　all　the　passions　he　likes　…　if　he　only　keeps

his　independence。　　He　must　be　able　to　be　poor。〃



Paul　slowly　got　up。　　〃Why　then　did　you　advise　me　to　make　up　to

her？〃



St。　George　laid　his　hand　on　his　shoulder。　　〃Because　she'd　make　a

splendid　wife！　　And　I　hadn't　read　you　then。〃



The　young　man　had　a　strained　smile。　　〃I　wish　you　had　left　me

alone！〃



〃I　didn't　know　that　that　wasn't　good　enough　for　you；〃　his　host

returned。



〃What　a　false　position；　what　a　condemnation　of　the　artist；　that

he's　a　mere　disfranchised　monk　and　can　produce　his　effect　only　by

giving　up　personal　happiness。　　What　an　arraignment　of　art！〃　Paul

went　on　with　a　trembling　voice。



〃Ah　you　don't　imagine　by　chance　that　I'm　defending　art？

'Arraignment'　…　I　should　think　so！　　Happy　the　societies　in　which　it

hasn't　made　its　appearance；　for　from　the　moment　it　comes　they　have

a　consuming　ache；　they　have　an　incurable　corruption；　in　their

breast。　　Most　assuredly　is　the　artist　in　a　false　position！　　But　I

thought　we　were　taking　him　for　granted。　　Pardon　me；〃　St。　George

continued：　　〃'Ginistrella'　made　me！〃



Paul　stood　looking　at　the　floor　…　one　o'clock　struck；　in　the

stillness；　from　a　neighbouring　church…tower。　　〃Do　you　think　she'd

ever　look　at　me？〃　he　put　to　his　friend　at　last。



〃Miss　Fancourt　…　as　a　suitor？　　Why　shouldn't　I　think　it？　　That's

why　I've　tried　to　favour　you　…　I've　had　a　little　chance　or　two　of

bettering　your　opportunity。〃



〃Forgive　my　asking　you；　but　do　you　mean　by　keeping　away　yourself？〃

Paul　said　with　a　blush。



〃I'm　an　old　idiot　…　my　place　isn't　there；〃　St。　George　stated

gravely。



〃I'm　nothing　yet；　I've　no　fortune；　and　there　must　be　so　many

others；〃　his　companion　pursued。



The　Master　took　this　considerably　in；　but　made　little　of　it。

〃You're　a　gentleman　and　a　man　of　genius。　　I　think　you　might　do

something。〃



〃But　if　I　must　give　that　up　…　the　genius？〃



〃Lots　of　people；　you　know；　think　I've　kept　mine；〃　St。　George

wonderfully　grinned。



〃You've　a　genius　for　mystification！〃　Paul　declared；　but　grasping

his　hand　gratefully　in　attenuation　of　this　judgement。



〃Poor　dear　boy；　I　do　worry　you！　　But　try；　try；　all　the　same。　　I

think　your　chances　are　good　and　you'll　win　a　great　prize。〃



Paul　held　fast　the　other's　hand　a　minute；　he　looked　into　the

strange　deep　face。　　〃No；　I　AM　an　artist　…　I　can't　help　it！〃



〃Ah　show　it　then！〃　St。　George　pleadingly　broke　out。　　〃Let　me　see

before　I　die　the　thing　I　most　want；　the　thing　I　yearn　for：　　a　life

in　which　the　passion　…　ours　…　is　really　intense。　　If　you　can　be

rare　don't　fail　of　it！　　Think　what　it　is　…　how　it　counts　…　how　it

lives！〃



They　had　moved　to　the　door　and　he　had　closed　both　his　hands　over

his　companion's。　　Here　they　paused　again　and　our　hero　breathed

deep。　　〃I　want　to　live！〃



〃In　what　sense？〃



〃In　the　greatest。〃



〃Well　then　stick　to　it　…　see　it　through。〃



〃With　your　sympathy　…　your　help？〃



〃Count　on　that　…　you'll　be　a　great　figure　to　me。　　Count　on　my

highest　appreciation；　my　devotion。　　You'll　give　me　satisfaction　…

if　that　has　any　weight　with　you。〃　　After　which；　as　Paul　appeared

still　to　waver；　his　host　added：　　〃Do　you　remember　what　you　said　to

me　at　Summersoft？〃



〃Something　infatuated；　no　doubt！〃



〃'I'll　do　anything　in　the　world　you　tell　me。'　　You　said　that。〃



〃And　you　hold　me　to　it？〃



〃Ah　what　am　I？〃　the　Master　expressively　sighed。



〃Lord；　what　things　I　shall　have　to　do！〃　Paul　almost　moaned　as　be

departed。







CHAPTER　VI







〃It　goes　on　too　much　abroad　…　hang　abroad！〃　　These　or　something

like　them　had　been　the　Master's　remarkable　words　in　relation　to　the

action　of　〃Ginistrella〃；　and　yet；　though　they　had　made　a　sharp

impression　on　the　author　of　that　work；　like　almost　all　spoken　words

from　the　same　source；　he　a　week　after　the　conversation　I　have　noted

left　England　for　a　long　absence　and　full　of　brave　intentions。　　It

is　not　a　perversion　of　the　truth　to　pronounce　that　encounter　the

direct　cause　of　his　departure。　　If　the　oral　utterance　of　the

eminent　writer　had　the　privilege　of　moving　him　deeply　it　was

especially　on　his　turning　it　over　at　leisure；　hours　and　days　later；

that　it　appeared　to　yield　him　its　full　meaning　and　exhibit　its

extreme　importance。　　He　spent　the　summer　in　Switzerland　and；　having

in　September　begun　a　new　task；　determined　not　to　cross　the　Alps

till　he　should　have　made　a　good　start。　　To　this　end　he　returned　to

a　quiet　corner　he　knew　well；　on　the　edge　of　the　Lake　of　Geneva　and

within　sight　of　the　towers　of　Chillon：　　a　region　and　a　view　for

which　he　had　an　affection　that　sprang　from　old　associations　and　was

capable　of　mysterious　revivals　and　refreshments。　　Here　he　lingered

late；　till　the　snow　was　on　the　nearer　hills；　almost　down　to　the

limit　to　which　he　could　climb　when　his　stint；　on　the　shortening

afternoons；　was　performed。　　The　autumn　was　fine；　the　lake　was　blue

and　his　book　took　form　and　direction。　　These　felicities；　for　the

time；　embroidered　his　life；　which　he　suffered　to　cover　him　with　its

mantle。　　At　the　end　of　six　weeks　he　felt　he　had　learnt　St。　George's

lesson　by　heart；　had　tested　and　proved　its　doctrine。　　Nevertheless

he　did　a　very　inconsistent　thing：　　before　crossing　the　Alps　he

wrote　to　Marian　Fancourt。　　He　was　aware　of　the　perversity　of　this

act；　and　it　was　only　as　a　luxury；　an　amusement；　the　reward　of　a

strenuous　autumn；　that　he　justified　it。　　She　had　asked　of　him　no

such　favour　when；　shortly　before　he　left　London；　three　days　after

their　dinner　in　Ennismore　Gardens；　he　went　to　take　leave　of　her。

It　was　true　she　had　had　no　ground　…　he　hadn't　named　his　intention

of　absence。　　He　had　kept　his　counsel　for　want　of　due　assurance：　　it

was　that　particular　visit　that　was；　the　next　thing；　to　settle　the

matter。　　He　had　paid　the　visit　to　see　how　much　he　really　cared　for

her；　and　quick　departure；　without　so　much　as　an　explicit　farewell；

was　the　sequel　to　this　enquiry；　the　answer　to　which　had　created

within　him　a　deep　yearning。　　When　he　wrote　her　from　Clarens　he

noted　that　he　owed　her　an　explanation　（more　than　three　months

after！）　for　not　having　told　her　what　he　was　doing。



She　replied　now　briefly　but　promptly；　and　gave　him　a　striking　piece

of　news：　　that　of　the　death；　a　week　before；　of　Mrs。　St。　George。

This　exemplary　woman　had　succumbed；　in　the　country；　to　a　violent

attack　of　inflammation　of　the　lungs　…　he　would　remember　that　for　a

long　time　she　had　been　delicate。　　Miss　Fancourt　added　that　she

believed　her　husband　overwhelmed　by　the　blow；　he　would　miss　her　too

terribly　…　she　had　been　everything　in　life　to　him。　　Paul　Overt；　on

this；　immediately　wrote　to　St。　George。　　He　would　from　the　day　of

their　parting　have　been　glad　to　remain　in　communication　with　him；

but　had　hitherto　lacked　the　right　excuse　for　troubling　so　busy　a

man。　　Their　long　nocturnal　talk　came　back　to　him　in　every　detail；

but　this　was　no　bar　to　an　expression　of　proper　sympathy　with　the

head　of　the　profession；　for　hadn't　that　very　talk　made　it　clear

that　the　late　accomplished　lady　was　the　influence　that　ruled　his

life？　　What　catastrophe　could　be　more　cruel　than　the　extinction　of

such　an　influence？　　This　was　to　be　exactly　the　tone　taken　by　St。

George　in　answering　his　young　friend　upwards　of　a　month　later。　　He

made　no　allusion　of　course　to　their　important　discussion。　　He　spoke

of　his　wife　as　frankly　and　generously　as　if　h