the lesson of the master-第5章

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perfect？〃



〃Far　from　it。　　Some　of　his　later　books　seem　to　me　of　a　queerness　…

！〃



〃Yes；　yes　…　he　knows　that。〃



Paul　Overt　stared。　　〃That　they　seem　to　me　of　a　queerness　…　！〃



〃Well　yes；　or　at　any　rate　that　they're　not　what　they　should　be。　　He

told　me　he　didn't　esteem　them。　　He　has　told　me　such　wonderful

things　…　he's　so　interesting。〃



There　was　a　certain　shock　for　Paul　Overt　in　the　knowledge　that　the

fine　genius　they　were　talking　of　had　been　reduced　to　so　explicit　a

confession　and　had　made　it；　in　his　misery；　to　the　first　comer；　for

though　Miss　Fancourt　was　charming　what　was　she　after　all　but　an

immature　girl　encountered　at　a　country…house？　　Yet　precisely　this

was　part　of　the　sentiment　he　himself　had　just　expressed：　　he　would

make　way　completely　for　the　poor　peccable　great　man　not　because　he

didn't　read　him　clear；　but　altogether　because　he　did。　　His

consideration　was　half　composed　of　tenderness　for　superficialities

which　he　was　sure　their　perpetrator　judged　privately；　judged　more

ferociously　than　any　one；　and　which　represented　some　tragic

intellectual　secret。　　He　would　have　his　reasons　for　his　psychology

e　fleur　de　peau；　and　these　reasons　could　only　be　cruel　ones；　such

as　would　make　him　dearer　to　those　who　already　were　fond　of　him。

〃You　excite　my　envy。　　I　have　my　reserves；　I　discriminate　…　but　I

love　him；〃　Paul　said　in　a　moment。　　〃And　seeing　him　for　the　first

time　this　way　is　a　great　event　for　me。〃



〃How　momentous　…　how　magnificent！〃　cried　the　girl。　　〃How　delicious

to　bring　you　together！〃



〃Your　doing　it　…　that　makes　it　perfect；〃　our　friend　returned。



〃He's　as　eager　as　you；〃　she　went　on。　　〃But　it's　so　odd　you

shouldn't　have　met。〃



〃It's　not　really　so　odd　as　it　strikes　you。　　I've　been　out　of

England　so　much　…　made　repeated　absences　all　these　last　years。〃



She　took　this　in　with　interest。　　〃And　yet　you　write　of　it　as　well

as　if　you　were　always　here。〃



〃It's　just　the　being　away　perhaps。　　At　any　rate　the　best　bits；　I

suspect；　are　those　that　were　done　in　dreary　places　abroad。〃



〃And　why　were　they　dreary？〃



〃Because　they　were　health…resorts　…　where　my　poor　mother　was

dying。〃



〃Your　poor　mother？〃　…　she　was　all　sweet　wonder。



〃We　went　from　place　to　place　to　help　her　to　get　better。　　But　she

never　did。　　To　the　deadly　Riviera　（I　hate　it！）　to　the　high　Alps；　to

Algiers；　and　far　away　…　a　hideous　journey　…　to　Colorado。〃



〃And　she　isn't　better？〃　Miss　Fancourt　went　on。



〃She　died　a　year　ago。〃



〃Really？　…　like　mine！　　Only　that's　years　since。　　Some　day　you　must

tell　me　about　your　mother；〃　she　added。



He　could　at　first；　on　this；　only　gaze　at　her。　　〃What　right　things

you　say！　　If　you　say　them　to　St。　George　I　don't　wonder　he's　in

bondage。〃



It　pulled　her　up　for　a　moment。　　〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean。　　He

doesn't　make　speeches　and　professions　at　all　…　he　isn't

ridiculous。〃



〃I'm　afraid　you　consider　then　that　I　am。〃



〃No；　I　don't〃　…　she　spoke　it　rather　shortly。　　And　then　she　added：

〃He　understands　…　understands　everything。〃



The　young　man　was　on　the　point　of　saying　jocosely：　　〃And　I　don't　…

is　that　it？〃　　But　these　words；　in　time；　changed　themselves　to

others　slightly　less　trivial：　　〃Do　you　suppose　he　understands　his

wife？〃



Miss　Fancourt　made　no　direct　answer；　but　after　a　moment's

hesitation　put　it：　　〃Isn't　she　charming？〃



〃Not　in　the　least！〃



〃Here　he　comes。　　Now　you　must　know　him；〃　she　went　on。　　A　small

group　of　visitors　had　gathered　at　the　other　end　of　the　gallery　and

had　been　there　overtaken　by　Henry　St。　George；　who　strolled　in　from

a　neighbouring　room。　　He　stood　near　them　a　moment；　not　falling　into

the　talk　but　taking　up　an　old　miniature　from　a　table　and　vaguely

regarding　it。　　At　the　end　of　a　minute　he　became　aware　of　Miss

Fancourt　and　her　companion　in　the　distance；　whereupon；　laying　down

his　miniature；　he　approached　them　with　the　same　procrastinating

air；　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　his　eyes　turned；　right　and　left；

to　the　pictures。　　The　gallery　was　so　long　that　this　transit　took

some　little　time；　especially　as　there　was　a　moment　when　he　stopped

to　admire　the　fine　Gainsborough。　　〃He　says　Mrs。　St。　George　has　been

the　making　of　him；〃　the　girl　continued　in　a　voice　slightly　lowered。



〃Ah　he's　often　obscure！〃　Paul　laughed。



〃Obscure？〃　she　repeated　as　if　she　heard　it　for　the　first　time。　　Her

eyes　rested　on　her　other　friend；　and　it　wasn't　lost　upon　Paul　that

they　appeared　to　send　out　great　shafts　of　softness。　　〃He's　going　to

speak　to　us！〃　she　fondly　breathed。　　There　was　a　sort　of　rapture　in

her　voice；　and　our　friend　was　startled。　　〃Bless　my　soul；　does　she

care　for　him　like　THAT？　…　is　she　in　love　with　him？〃　he　mentally

enquired。　　〃Didn't　I　tell　you　he　was　eager？〃　she　had　meanwhile

asked　of　him。



〃It's　eagerness　dissimulated；〃　the　young　man　returned　as　the

subject　of　their　observation　lingered　before　his　Gainsborough。　　〃He

edges　toward　us　shyly。　　Does　he　mean　that　she　saved　him　by　burning

that　book？〃



〃That　book？　what　book　did　she　burn？〃　　The　girl　quickly　turned　her

face　to　him。



〃Hasn't　he　told　you　then？〃



〃Not　a　word。〃



〃Then　he　doesn't　tell　you　everything！〃　　Paul　had　guessed　that　she

pretty　much　supposed　he　did。　　The　great　man　had　now　resumed　his

course　and　come　nearer；　in　spite　of　which　his　more　qualified

admirer　risked　a　profane　observation：　　〃St。　George　and　the　Dragon

is　what　the　anecdote　suggests！〃



His　companion；　however；　didn't　hear　it；　she　smiled　at　the　dragon's

adversary。　　〃He　IS　eager　…　he　is！〃　she　insisted。



〃Eager　for　you　…　yes。〃



But　meanwhile　she　had　called　out：　　〃I'm　sure　you　want　to　know　Mr。

Overt。　　You'll　be　great　friends；　and　it　will　always　be　delightful

to　me　to　remember　I　was　here　when　you　first　met　and　that　I　had

something　to　do　with　it。〃



There　was　a　freshness　of　intention　in　the　words　that　carried　them

off；　nevertheless　our　young　man　was　sorry　for　Henry　St。　George；　as

he　was　sorry　at　any　time　for　any　person　publicly　invited　to　be

responsive　and　delightful。　　He　would　have　been　so　touched　to

believe　that　a　man　he　deeply　admired　should　care　a　straw　for　him

that　he　wouldn't　play　with　such　a　presumption　if　it　were　possibly

vain。　　In　a　single　glance　of　the　eye　of　the　pardonable　Master　he

read　…　having　the　sort　of　divination　that　belonged　to　his　talent　…

that　this　personage　had　ever　a　store　of　friendly　patience；　which

was　part　of　his　rich　outfit；　but　was　versed　in　no　printed　page　of　a

rising　scribbler。　　There　was　even　a　relief；　a　simplification；　in

that：　　liking　him　so　much　already　for　what　he　had　done；　how　could

one　have　liked　him　any　more　for　a　perception　which　must　at　the　best

have　been　vague？　　Paul　Overt　got　up；　trying　to　show　his　compassion；

but　at　the　same　instant　he　found　himself　encompassed　by　St。

George's　happy　personal　art　…　a　manner　of　which　it　was　the　essence

to　conjure　away　false　positions。　　It　all　took　place　in　a　moment。

Paul　was　conscious　that　he　knew　him　now；　conscious　of　his　handshake

and　of　the　very　quality　of　his　hand；　of　his　face；　seen　nearer　and

consequently　seen　better；　of　a　general　fraternising　assurance；　and

in　particular　of　the　circumstance　that　St。　George　didn't　dislike

him　（as　yet　at　least）　for　being　imposed　by　a　charming　but　too

gushing　girl；　attractive　enough　without　such　danglers。　　No

irritation　at　any　rate　was　reflected　in　the　voice　with　which　he

questioned　Miss　Fancourt　as　to　some　project　of　a　walk　…　a　general

walk　of　the　company　round　the　park。　　He　had　soon　said　something　to

Paul　about　a　talk　…　〃We　must　have　a　tremendous　lot　of　talk；　there

are　so　many　things；　aren't　there？〃　…　but　our　friend　could　see　this

idea　wouldn't　in　the　present　case　take　very　immediate　effect。　　All

the　same　he　was　extremely　happy；　even　after　the　matter　of　the　walk

had　been　settled　…　the　three　presently　passed　back　to　the　other

part　of　the　gallery；　where　it　was　discussed　with　several　members　of

the　party；　even　when；　after　they　h