贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the lesson of the master >

第3章

the lesson of the master-第3章

小说: the lesson of the master 字数: 每页4000字

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!






〃She's very handsome … very handsome;〃 he repeated while he

considered her。  There was something noble in her head; and she

appeared fresh and strong。



Her good father surveyed her with complacency; remarking soon:

〃She looks too hot … that's her walk。  But she'll be all right

presently。  Then I'll make her come over and speak to you。〃



〃I should be sorry to give you that trouble。  If you were to take

me over THERE … !〃 the young man murmured。



〃My dear sir; do you suppose I put myself out that way?  I don't

mean for you; but for Marian;〃 the General added。



〃I would put myself out for her soon enough;〃 Overt replied; after

which he went on:  〃Will you be so good as to tell me which of

those gentlemen is Henry St。 George?〃



〃The fellow talking to my girl。  By Jove; he IS making up to her …

they're going off for another walk。〃



〃Ah is that he … really?〃  Our friend felt a certain surprise; for

the personage before him seemed to trouble a vision which had been

vague only while not confronted with the reality。  As soon as the

reality dawned the mental image; retiring with a sigh; became

substantial enough to suffer a slight wrong。  Overt; who had spent

a considerable part of his short life in foreign lands; made now;

but not for the first time; the reflexion that whereas in those

countries he had almost always recognised the artist and the man of

letters by his personal 〃type;〃 the mould of his face; the

character of his head; the expression of his figure and even the

indications of his dress; so in England this identification was as

little as possible a matter of course; thanks to the greater

conformity; the habit of sinking the profession instead of

advertising it; the general diffusion of the air of the gentleman …

the gentleman committed to no particular set of ideas。  More than

once; on returning to his own country; he had said to himself about

people met in society:  〃One sees them in this place and that; and

one even talks with them; but to find out what they DO one would

really have to be a detective。〃  In respect to several individuals

whose work he was the opposite of 〃drawn to〃 … perhaps he was wrong

… he found himself adding 〃No wonder they conceal it … when it's so

bad!〃  He noted that oftener than in France and in Germany his

artist looked like a gentleman … that is like an English one …

while; certainly outside a few exceptions; his gentlemen didn't

look like an artist。  St。 George was not one of the exceptions;

that circumstance he definitely apprehended before the great man

had turned his back to walk off with Miss Fancourt。  He certainly

looked better behind than any foreign man of letters … showed for

beautifully correct in his tall black hat and his superior frock

coat。  Somehow; all the same; these very garments … he wouldn't

have minded them so much on a weekday … were disconcerting to Paul

Overt; who forgot for the moment that the head of the profession

was not a bit better dressed than himself。  He had caught a glimpse

of a regular face; a fresh colour; a brown moustache and a pair of

eyes surely never visited by a fine frenzy; and he promised himself

to study these denotements on the first occasion。  His superficial

sense was that their owner might have passed for a lucky

stockbroker … a gentleman driving eastward every morning from a

sanitary suburb in a smart dog…cart。  That carried out the

impression already derived from his wife。  Paul's glance; after a

moment; travelled back to this lady; and he saw how her own had

followed her husband as he moved off with Miss Fancourt。  Overt

permitted himself to wonder a little if she were jealous when

another woman took him away。  Then he made out that Mrs。 St。 George

wasn't glaring at the indifferent maiden。  Her eyes rested but on

her husband; and with unmistakeable serenity。  That was the way she

wanted him to be …  she liked his conventional uniform。  Overt

longed to hear more about the book she had induced him to destroy。







CHAPTER II







As they all came out from luncheon General Fancourt took hold of

him with an 〃I say; I want you to know my girl!〃 as if the idea had

just occurred to him and he hadn't spoken of it before。  With the

other hand he possessed himself all paternally of the young lady。

〃You know all about him。  I've seen you with his books。  She reads

everything … everything!〃 he went on to Paul。  The girl smiled at

him and then laughed at her father。  The General turned away and

his daughter spoke … 〃Isn't papa delightful?〃



〃He is indeed; Miss Fancourt。〃



〃As if I read you because I read 'everything'!〃



〃Oh I don't mean for saying that;〃 said Paul Overt。  〃I liked him

from the moment he began to be kind to me。  Then he promised me

this privilege。〃



〃It isn't for you he means it … it's for me。  If you flatter

yourself that he thinks of anything in life but me you'll find

you're mistaken。  He introduces every one。  He thinks me

insatiable。〃



〃You speak just like him;〃 laughed our youth。



〃Ah but sometimes I want to〃 … and the girl coloured。  〃I don't

read everything … I read very little。  But I HAVE read you。〃



〃Suppose we go into the gallery;〃 said Paul Overt。  She pleased him

greatly; not so much because of this last remark … though that of

course was not too disconcerting … as because; seated opposite to

him at luncheon; she had given him for half an hour the impression

of her beautiful face。  Something else had come with it … a sense

of generosity; of an enthusiasm which; unlike many enthusiasms; was

not all manner。  That was not spoiled for him by his seeing that

the repast had placed her again in familiar contact with Henry St。

George。  Sitting next her this celebrity was also opposite our

young man; who had been able to note that he multiplied the

attentions lately brought by his wife to the General's notice。

Paul Overt had gathered as well that this lady was not in the least

discomposed by these fond excesses and that she gave every sign of

an unclouded spirit。  She had Lord Masham on one side of her and on

the other the accomplished Mr。 Mulliner; editor of the new high…

class lively evening paper which was expected to meet a want felt

in circles increasingly conscious that Conservatism must be made

amusing; and unconvinced when assured by those of another political

colour that it was already amusing enough。  At the end of an hour

spent in her company Paul Overt thought her still prettier than at

the first radiation; and if her profane allusions to her husband's

work had not still rung in his ears he should have liked her … so

far as it could be a question of that in connexion with a woman to

whom he had not yet spoken and to whom probably he should never

speak if it were left to her。  Pretty women were a clear need to

this genius; and for the hour it was Miss Fancourt who supplied the

want。  If Overt had promised himself a closer view the occasion was

now of the best; and it brought consequences felt by the young man

as important。  He saw more in St。 George's face; which he liked the

better for its not having told its whole story in the first three

minutes。  That story came out as one read; in short instalments …

it was excusable that one's analogies should be somewhat

professional … and the text was a style considerably involved; a

language not easy to translate at sight。  There were shades of

meaning in it and a vague perspective of history which receded as

you advanced。  Two facts Paul had particularly heeded。  The first

of these was that he liked the measured mask much better at

inscrutable rest than in social agitation; its almost convulsive

smile above all displeased him (as much as any impression from that

source could); whereas the quiet face had a charm that grew in

proportion as stillness settled again。  The change to the

expression of gaiety excited; he made out; very much the private

protest of a per

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的