the lesson of the master-第6章

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

the　party；　even　when；　after　they　had　all　gone　out　together；　he

found　himself　for　half　an　hour　conjoined　with　Mrs。　St。　George。　　Her

husband　had　taken　the　advance　with　Miss　Fancourt；　and　this　pair

were　quite　out　of　sight。　　It　was　the　prettiest　of　rambles　for　a

summer　afternoon　…　a　grassy　circuit；　of　immense　extent；　skirting

the　limit　of　the　park　within。　　The　park　was　completely　surrounded

by　its　old　mottled　but　perfect　red　wall；　which；　all　the　way　on

their　left；　constituted　in　itself　an　object　of　interest。　　Mrs。　St。

George　mentioned　to　him　the　surprising　number　of　acres　thus

enclosed；　together　with　numerous　other　facts　relating　to　the

property　and　the　family；　and　the　family's　other　properties：　　she

couldn't　too　strongly　urge　on　him　the　importance　of　seeing　their

other　houses。　　She　ran　over　the　names　of　these　and　rang　the　changes

on　them　with　the　facility　of　practice；　making　them　appear　an　almost

endless　list。　　She　had　received　Paul　Overt　very　amiably　on　his

breaking　ground　with　her　by　the　mention　of　his　joy　in　having　just

made　her　husband's　acquaintance；　and　struck　him　as　so　alert　and　so

accommodating　a　little　woman　that　he　was　rather　ashamed　of　his　MOT

about　her　to　Miss　Fancourt；　though　he　reflected　that　a　hundred

other　people；　on　a　hundred　occasions；　would　have　been　sure　to　make

it。　　He　got　on　with　Ms。　St。　George；　in　short；　better　than　he

expected；　but　this　didn't　prevent　her　suddenly　becoming　aware　that

she　was　faint　with　fatigue　and　must　take　her　way　back　to　the　house

by　the　shortest　cut。　　She　professed　that　she　hadn't　the　strength　of

a　kitten　and　was　a　miserable　wreck；　a　character　he　had　been　too

preoccupied　to　discern　in　her　while　he　wondered　in　what　sense　she

could　be　held　to　have　been　the　making　of　her　husband。　　He　had

arrived　at　a　glimmering　of　the　answer　when　she　announced　that　she

must　leave　him；　though　this　perception　was　of　course　provisional。

While　he　was　in　the　very　act　of　placing　himself　at　her　disposal　for

the　return　the　situation　underwent　a　change；　Lord　Masham　had

suddenly　turned　up；　coming　back　to　them；　overtaking　them；　emerging

from　the　shrubbery　…　Overt　could　scarcely　have　said　how　he　appeared

…　and　Mrs。　St。　George　had　protested　that　she　wanted　to　be　left

alone　and　not　to　break　up　the　party。　　A　moment　later　she　was

walking　off　with　Lord　Masham。　　Our　friend　fell　back　and　joined　Lady

Watermouth；　to　whom　he　presently　mentioned　that　Mrs。　St。　George　had

been　obliged　to　renounce　the　attempt　to　go　further。



〃She　oughtn't　to　have　come　out　at　all；〃　her　ladyship　rather

grumpily　remarked。



〃Is　she　so　very　much　of　an　invalid？〃



〃Very　bad　indeed。〃　　And　his　hostess　added　with　still　greater

austerity：　　〃She　oughtn't　really　to　come　to　one！〃　　He　wondered　what

was　implied　by　this；　and　presently　gathered　that　it　was　not　a

reflexion　on　the　lady's　conduct　or　her　moral　nature：　　it　only

represented　that　her　strength　was　not　equal　to　her　aspirations。







CHAPTER　III







The　smoking…room　at　Summersoft　was　on　the　scale　of　the　rest　of　the

place；　high　light　commodious　and　decorated　with　such　refined　old

carvings　and　mouldings　that　it　seemed　rather　a　bower　for　ladies　who

should　sit　at　work　at　fading　crewels　than　a　parliament　of　gentlemen

smoking　strong　cigars。　　The　gentlemen　mustered　there　in

considerable　force　on　the　Sunday　evening；　collecting　mainly　at　one

end；　in　front　of　one　of　the　cool　fair　fireplaces　of　white　marble；

the　entablature　of　which　was　adorned　with　a　delicate　little　Italian

〃subject。〃　　There　was　another　in　the　wall　that　faced　it；　and；

thanks　to　the　mild　summer　night；　a　fire　in　neither；　but　a　nucleus

for　aggregation　was　furnished　on　one　side　by　a　table　in　the

chimney…corner　laden　with　bottles；　decanters　and　tall　tumblers。

Paul　Overt　was　a　faithless　smoker；　he　would　puff　a　cigarette　for

reasons　with　which　tobacco　had　nothing　to　do。　　This　was

particularly　the　case　on　the　occasion　of　which　I　speak；　his　motive

was　the　vision　of　a　little　direct　talk　with　Henry　St。　George。　　The

〃tremendous〃　communion　of　which　the　great　man　had　held　out　hopes　to

him　earlier　in　the　day　had　not　yet　come　off；　and　this　saddened　him

considerably；　for　the　party　was　to　go　its　several　ways　immediately

after　breakfast　on　the　morrow。　　He　had；　however；　the　disappointment

of　finding　that　apparently　the　author　of　〃Shadowmere〃　was　not

disposed　to　prolong　his　vigil。　　He　wasn't　among　the　gentlemen

assembled　when　Paul　entered；　nor　was　he　one　of　those　who　turned　up；

in　bright　habiliments；　during　the　next　ten　minutes。　　The　young　man

waited　a　little；　wondering　if　he　had　only　gone　to　put　on　something

extraordinary；　this　would　account　for　his　delay　as　well　as

contribute　further　to　Overt's　impression　of　his　tendency　to　do　the

approved　superficial　thing。　　But　he　didn't　arrive　…　he　must　have

been　putting　on　something　more　extraordinary　than　was　probable。

Our　hero　gave　him　up；　feeling　a　little　injured；　a　little　wounded；

at　this　loss　of　twenty　coveted　words。　　He　wasn't　angry；　but　he

puffed　his　cigarette　sighingly；　with　the　sense　of　something　rare

possibly　missed。　　He　wandered　away　with　his　regret　and　moved　slowly

round　the　room；　looking　at　the　old　prints　on　the　walls。　　In　this

attitude　he　presently　felt　a　hand　on　his　shoulder　and　a　friendly

voice　in　his　ear　〃This　is　good。　　I　hoped　I　should　find　you。　　I　came

down　on　purpose。〃　　St。　George　was　there　without　a　change　of　dress

and　with　a　fine　face　…　his　graver　one　…　to　which　our　young　man　all

in　a　flutter　responded。　　He　explained　that　it　was　only　for　the

Master　…　the　idea　of　a　little　talk　…　that　he　had　sat　up；　and　that；

not　finding　him；　he　had　been　on　the　point　of　going　to　bed。



〃Well；　you　know；　I　don't　smoke　…　my　wife　doesn't　let　me；〃　said　St。

George；　looking　for　a　place　to　sit　down。　　〃It's　very　good　for　me　…

very　good　for　me。　　Let　us　take　that　sofa。〃



〃Do　you　mean　smoking's　good　for　you？〃



〃No　no　…　her　not　letting　me。　　It's　a　great　thing　to　have　a　wife

who's　so　sure　of　all　the　things　one　can　do　without。　　One　might

never　find　them　out　one's　self。　　She　doesn't　allow　me　to　touch　a

cigarette。〃　　They　took　possession　of　a　sofa　at　a　distance　from　the

group　of　smokers；　and　St。　George　went　on：　　〃Have　you　got　one

yourself？〃



〃Do　you　mean　a　cigarette？〃



〃Dear　no　…　a　wife。〃



〃No；　and　yet　I'd　give　up　my　cigarette　for　one。〃



〃You'd　give　up　a　good　deal　more　than　that；〃　St。　George　returned。

〃However；　you'd　get　a　great　deal　in　return。　　There's　a　something　to

be　said　for　wives；〃　he　added；　folding　his　arms　and　crossing　his

outstretched　legs。　　He　declined　tobacco　altogether　and　sat　there

without　returning　fire。　　His　companion　stopped　smoking；　touched　by

his　courtesy；　and　after　all　they　were　out　of　the　fumes；　their　sofa

was　in　a　far…away　corner。　　It　would　have　been　a　mistake；　St。　George

went　on；　a　great　mistake　for　them　to　have　separated　without　a

little　chat；　〃for　I　know　all　about　you；〃　he　said；　〃I　know　you're

very　remarkable。　　You've　written　a　very　distinguished　book。〃



〃And　how　do　you　know　it？〃　Paul　asked。



〃Why；　my　dear　fellow；　it's　in　the　air；　it's　in　the　papers；　it's

everywhere。〃　　St。　George　spoke　with　the　immediate　familiarity　of　a

confrere　…　a　tone　that　seemed　to　his　neighbour　the　very　rustle　of

the　laurel。　　〃You're　on　all　men's　lips　and；　what's　better；　on　all

women's。　　And　I've　just　been　reading　your　book。〃



〃Just？　　You　hadn't　read　it　this　afternoon；〃　said　Overt。



〃How　do　you　know　that？〃



〃I　think　you　should　know　how　I　know　it；〃　the　young　man　laughed。



〃I　suppose　Miss　Fancourt　told　you。〃



〃No　indeed　…　she　led　me　rather　to　suppose　you　had。〃



〃Yes　…　that's　much　more　what　she'd　do。　　Doesn't　she　shed　a　rosy

glow　over　life？　　But　you　didn't　believe　her？〃　asked　St。　George。



〃No；　not　when　you　came　to　us　there。〃



〃Did　I　pretend？　did　I　pretend　badly？〃　　But　without　waiting　for　an

answer　to　this　St。　George　went　on：　　〃You　ought　always　to　b