the lesson of the master-第7章

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

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

such　a　girl　as　that　…　always；　always。　　Some　women　are　meant　to　be

taken　with　allowances　and　reserves；　but　you　must　take　HER　just　as

she　is。〃



〃I　like　her　very　much；〃　said　Paul　Overt。



Something　in　his　tone　appeared　to　excite　on　his　companion's　part　a

momentary　sense　of　the　absurd；　perhaps　it　was　the　air　of

deliberation　attending　this　judgement。　　St。　George　broke　into　a

laugh　to　reply。　　〃It's　the　best　thing　you　can　do　with　her。　　She's　a

rare　young　lady！　　In　point　of　fact；　however；　I　confess　I　hadn't

read　you　this　afternoon。〃



〃Then　you　see　how　right　I　was　in　this　particular　case　not　to

believe　Miss　Fancourt。〃



〃How　right？　how　can　I　agree　to　that　when　I　lost　credit　by　it？〃



〃Do　you　wish　to　pass　exactly　for　what　she　represents　you？

Certainly　you　needn't　be　afraid；〃　Paul　said。



〃Ah；　my　dear　young　man；　don't　talk　about　passing　…　for　the　likes　of

me！　　I'm　passing　away　…　nothing　else　than　that。　　She　has　a　better

use　for　her　young　imagination　（isn't　it　fine？）　than　in

'representing'　in　any　way　such　a　weary　wasted　used…up　animal！〃　　The

Master　spoke　with　a　sudden　sadness　that　produced　a　protest　on

Paul's　part；　but　before　the　protest　could　be　uttered　he　went　on；

reverting　to　the　latter's　striking　novel：　　〃I　had　no　idea　you　were

so　good　…　one　hears　of　so　many　things。　　But　you're　surprisingly

good。〃



〃I'm　going　to　be　surprisingly　better；〃　Overt　made　bold　to　reply。



〃I　see　that；　and　it's　what　fetches　me。　　I　don't　see　so　much　else　…

as　one　looks　about　…　that's　going　to　be　surprisingly　better。

They're　going　to　be　consistently　worse　…　most　of　the　things。　　It's

so　much　easier　to　be　worse　…　heaven　knows　I've　found　it　so。　　I'm

not　in　a　great　glow；　you　know；　about　what's　breaking　out　all　over

the　place。　　But　you　MUST　be　better　…　you　really　must　keep　it　up。　　I

haven't　of　course。　　It's　very　difficult　…　that's　the　devil　of　the

whole　thing；　keeping　it　up。　　But　I　see　you'll　be　able　to。　　It　will

be　a　great　disgrace　if　you　don't。〃



〃It's　very　interesting　to　hear　you　speak　of　yourself；　but　I　don't

know　what　you　mean　by　your　allusions　to　your　having　fallen　off；〃

Paul　Overt　observed　with　pardonable　hypocrisy。　　He　liked　his

companion　so　much　now　that　the　fact　of　any　decline　of　talent　or　of

care　had　ceased　for　the　moment　to　be　vivid　to　him。



〃Don't　say　that　…　don't　say　that；〃　St。　George　returned　gravely；　his

head　resting　on　the　top　of　the　sofa…back　and　his　eyes　on　the

ceiling。　　〃You　know　perfectly　what　I　mean。　　I　haven't　read　twenty

pages　of　your　book　without　seeing　that　you　can't　help　it。〃



〃You　make　me　very　miserable；〃　Paul　ecstatically　breathed。



〃I'm　glad　of　that；　for　it　may　serve　as　a　kind　of　warning。　　Shocking

enough　it　must　be；　especially　to　a　young　fresh　mind；　full　of　faith

…　the　spectacle　of　a　man　meant　for　better　things　sunk　at　my　age　in

such　dishonour。〃　　St。　George；　in　the　same　contemplative　attitude；

spoke　softly　but　deliberately；　and　without　perceptible　emotion。

His　tone　indeed　suggested　an　impersonal　lucidity　that　was

practically　cruel　…　cruel　to　himself　…　and　made　his　young　friend

lay　an　argumentative　hand　on　his　arm。　　But　he　went　on　while　his

eyes　seemed　to　follow　the　graces　of　the　eighteenth…century　ceiling：

〃Look　at　me　well；　take　my　lesson　to　heart　…　for　it　IS　a　lesson。

Let　that　good　come　of　it　at　least　that　you　shudder　with　your

pitiful　impression；　and　that　this　may　help　to　keep　you　straight　in

the　future。　　Don't　become　in　your　old　age　what　I　have　in　mine　…　the

depressing；　the　deplorable　illustration　of　the　worship　of　false

gods！〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　your　old　age？〃　the　young　man　asked。



〃It　has　made　me　old。　　But　I　like　your　youth。〃



Paul　answered　nothing　…　they　sat　for　a　minute　in　silence。　　They

heard　the　others　going　on　about　the　governmental　majority。　　Then

〃What　do　you　mean　by　false　gods？〃　he　enquired。



His　companion　had　no　difficulty　whatever　in　saying；　〃The　idols　of

the　market；　money　and　luxury　and　'the　world；'　placing　one's

children　and　dressing　one's　wife；　everything　that　drives　one　to　the

short　and　easy　way。　　Ah　the　vile　things　they　make　one　do！〃



〃But　surely　one's　right　to　want　to　place　one's　children。〃



〃One　has　no　business　to　have　any　children；〃　St。　George　placidly

declared。　　〃I　mean　of　course　if　one　wants　to　do　anything　good。〃



〃But　aren't　they　an　inspiration　…　an　incentive？〃



〃An　incentive　to　damnation；　artistically　speaking。〃



〃You　touch　on　very　deep　things　…　things　I　should　like　to　discuss

with　you；〃　Paul　said。　　〃I　should　like　you　to　tell　me　volumes　about

yourself。　　This　is　a　great　feast　for　ME！〃



〃Of　course　it　is；　cruel　youth。　　But　to　show　you　I'm　still　not

incapable；　degraded　as　I　am；　of　an　act　of　faith；　I'll　tie　my　vanity

to　the　stake　for　you　and　burn　it　to　ashes。　　You　must　come　and　see

me　…　you　must　come　and　see　us；〃　the　Master　quickly　substituted。

〃Mrs。　St。　George　is　charming；　I　don't　know　whether　you've　had　any

opportunity　to　talk　with　her。　　She'll　be　delighted　to　see　you；　she

likes　great　celebrities；　whether　incipient　or　predominant。　　You

must　come　and　dine　…　my　wife　will　write　to　you。　　Where　are　you　to

be　found？〃



〃This　is　my　little　address〃　…　and　Overt　drew　out　his　pocketbook　and

extracted　a　visiting…card。　　On　second　thoughts；　however；　he　kept　it

back；　remarking　that　he　wouldn't　trouble　his　friend　to　take　charge

of　it　but　would　come　and　see　him　straightway　in　London　and　leave　it

at　his　door　if　he　should　fail　to　obtain　entrance。



〃Ah　you'll　probably　fail；　my　wife's　always　out　…　or　when　she　isn't

out　is　knocked　up　from　having　been　out。　　You　must　come　and　dine　…

though　that　won't　do　much　good　either；　for　my　wife　insists　on　big

dinners。〃　　St。　George　turned　it　over　further；　but　then　went　on：

〃You　must　come　down　and　see　us　in　the　country；　that's　the　best　way；

we've　plenty　of　room；　and　it　isn't　bad。〃



〃You've　a　house　in　the　country？〃　Paul　asked　enviously。



〃Ah　not　like　this！　　But　we　have　a　sort　of　place　we　go　to　…　an　hour

from　Euston。　　That's　one　of　the　reasons。〃



〃One　of　the　reasons？〃



〃Why　my　books　are　so　bad。〃



〃You　must　tell　me　all　the　others！〃　Paul　longingly　laughed。



His　friend　made　no　direct　rejoinder　to　this；　but　spoke　again

abruptly。　　〃Why　have　I　never　seen　you　before？〃



The　tone　of　the　question　was　singularly　flattering　to　our　hero；　who

felt　it　to　imply　the　great　man's　now　perceiving　he　had　for　years

missed　something。　　〃Partly；　I　suppose；　because　there　has　been　no

particular　reason　why　you　should　see　me。　　I　haven't　lived　in　the

world　…　in　your　world。　　I've　spent　many　years　out　of　England；　in

different　places　abroad。〃



〃Well；　please　don't　do　it　any　more。　　You　must　do　England　…　there's

such　a　lot　of　it。〃



〃Do　you　mean　I　must　write　about　it？〃　and　Paul　struck　the　note　of

the　listening　candour　of　a　child。



〃Of　course　you　must。　　And　tremendously　well；　do　you　mind？　　That

takes　off　a　little　of　my　esteem　for　this　thing　of　yours　…　that　it

goes　on　abroad。　　Hang　'abroad！'　　Stay　at　home　and　do　things　here　…

do　subjects　we　can　measure。〃



〃I'll　do　whatever　you　tell　me；〃　Overt　said；　deeply　attentive。　　〃But

pardon　me　if　I　say　I　don't　understand　how　you've　been　reading　my

book；〃　he　added。　　〃I've　had　you　before　me　all　the　afternoon；　first

in　that　long　walk；　then　at　tea　on　the　lawn；　till　we　went　to　dress

for　dinner；　and　all　the　evening　at　dinner　and　in　this　place。〃



St。　George　turned　his　face　about　with　a　smile。　　〃I　gave　it　but　a

quarter　of　an　hour。〃



〃A　quarter　of　an　hour's　immense；　but　I　don't　understand　where　you

put　it　in。　　In　the　drawing…room　after　dinner　you　weren't　reading　…

you　were　talking　to　Miss　Fancourt。〃



〃It　comes　to　the　same　thing；　because　we　talked　about　'Ginistrella。'

She　described　it　to　me　…　she　lent　me　her　copy。〃



〃Lent　it　to　you？〃



〃She　travels　with　it。〃



〃It's　incredible