essays on life, art and science-第17章

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closing　hours。　　Now　he　leaves　everything　open　to　the　eye　and　turns
the　gas　on。　　So　the　fairies；　who　used　to　lock　up　their　sleeping
beauties　in　impenetrable　thickets；　now　leave　them　in　the　most　public
places　they　can　find；　as　knowing　that　they　will　there　most　certainly
escape　notice。　　Look　at　De　Hooghe；　look　at　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃
or　even　Shakespeare　himselfhow　long　they　slept　unawakened；　though
they　were　in　broad　daylight　and　on　the　public　thoroughfares　all　the
time。　　Look　at　Tabachetti；　and　the　masterpieces　he　left　at　Varallo。
His　figures　there　are　exposed　to　the　gaze　of　every　passer…by；　yet
who　heeds　them？　　Who；　save　a　very　few；　even　know　of　their　existence？
Look　again　at　Gaudenzio　Ferrari；　or　the　〃Danse　des　Paysans；〃　by
Holbein；　to　which　I　ventured　to　call　attention　in　the　Universal
Review。　　No；　no；　if　a　thing　be　in　Central　Africa；　it　is　the　glory　of
this　age　to　find　it　out；　so　the　fairies　think　it　safer　to　conceal
their　proteges　under　a　show　of　openness；　for　the　schoolmaster　is
much　abroad；　and　there　is　no　hedge　so　thick　or　so　thorny　as　the
dulness　of　culture。

It　may　be；　again；　that　ever　so　many　years　hence；　when　Mr。　Darwin's
earth…worms　shall　have　buried　Oropa　hundreds　of　feet　deep；　some　one
sinking　a　well　or　making　a　railway…cutting　will　unearth　these
chapels；　and　will　believe　them　to　have　been　houses；　and　to　contain
the　exuviae　of　the　living　forms　that　tenanted　them。　　In　the
meantime；　however；　let　us　return　to　a　consideration　of　the　chapel　as
it　may　now　be　seen　by　any　one　who　cares　to　pass　that　way。

The　work　consists　of　about　forty　figures　in　all；　not　counting
Cupids；　and　is　divided　into　four　main　divisions。　　First；　there　is
the　large　public　sitting…room　or　drawing…room　of　the　College；　where
the　elder　young　ladies　are　engaged　in　various　elegant　employments。
Three；　at　a　table　to　the　left；　are　making　a　mitre　for　the　Bishop；　as
may　be　seen　from　the　model　on　the　table。　　Some　are　merely　spinning
or　about　to　spin。　　One　young　lady；　sitting　rather　apart　from　the
others；　is　doing　an　elaborate　piece　of　needlework　at　a　tambour…frame
near　the　window；　others　are　making　lace　or　slippers；　probably　for
the　new　curate；　another　is　struggling　with　a　letter；　or　perhaps　a
theme；　which　seems　to　be　giving　her　a　good　deal　of　trouble；　but
which；　when　done；　will；　I　am　sure；　be　beautiful。　　One　dear　little
girl　is　simply　reading　〃Paul　and　Virginia〃　underneath　the　window；
and　is　so　concealed　that　I　hardly　think　she　can　be　seen　from　the
outside　at　all；　though　from　inside　she　is　delightful；　it　was　with
great　regret　that　I　could　not　get　her　into　any　photograph。　　One　most
amiable　young　woman　has　got　a　child's　head　on　her　lap；　the　child
having　played　itself　to　sleep。　　All　are　industriously　and　agreeably
employed　in　some　way　or　other；　all　are　plump；　all　are　nice　looking；
there　is　not　one　Becky　Sharp　in　the　whole　school；　on　the　contrary；
as　in　〃Pious　Orgies；〃　all　is　piousor　sub…piousand　all；　if　not
great；　is　at　least　eminently　respectable。　　One　feels　that　St。
Joachim　and　St。　Anne　could　not　have　chosen　a　school　more
judiciously；　and　that　if　one　had　daughter　oneself　this　is　exactly
where　one　would　wish　to　place　her。　　If　there　is　a　fault　of　any　kind
in　the　arrangements；　it　is　that　they　do　not　keep　cats　enough。　　The
place　is　overrun　with　mice；　though　what　these　can　find　to　eat　I　know
not。　　It　occurs　to　me　also　that　the　young　ladies　might　be　kept　a
little　more　free　of　spiders'　webs；　but　in　all　these　chapels；　bats；
mice　and　spiders　are　troublesome。

Off　the　main　drawing…room　on　the　side　facing　the　window　there　is　a
dais；　which　is　approached　by　a　large　raised　semicircular　step；
higher　than　the　rest　of　the　floor；　but　lower　than　the　dais　itself。
The　dais　is；　of　course；　reserved　for　the　venerable　Lady　Principal
and　the　under…mistresses；　one　of　whom；　by　the　way；　is　a　little　more
mondaine　than　might　have　been　expected；　and　is　admiring　herself　in　a
looking…glassunless；　indeed；　she　is　only　looking　to　see　if　there
is　a　spot　of　ink　on　her　face。　　The　Lady　Principal　is　seated　near　a
table；　on　which　lie　some　books　in　expensive　bindings；　which　I
imagine　to　have　been　presented　to　her　by　the　parents　of　pupils　who
were　leaving　school。　　One　has　given　her　a　photographic　album；
another　a　large　scrap…book；　for　illustrations　of　all　kinds；　a　third
volume　has　red　edges；　and　is　presumably　of　a　devotional　character。
If　I　dared　venture　another　criticism；　I　should　say　it　would　be
better　not　to　keep　the　ink…pot　on　the　top　of　these　books。　　The　Lady
Principal　is　being　read　to　by　the　monitress　for　the　week；　whose　duty
it　was　to　recite　selected　passages　from　the　most　approved　Hebrew
writers；　she　appears　to　be　a　good　deal　outraged；　possibly　at　the
faulty　intonation　of　the　reader；　which　she　has　long　tried　vainly　to
correct；　or　perhaps　she　has　been　hearing　of　the　atrocious　way　in
which　her　forefathers　had　treated　the　prophets；　and　is　explaining　to
the　young　ladies　how　impossible　it　would　be；　in　their　own　more
enlightened　age；　for　a　prophet　to　fail　of　recognition。

On　the　half…dais；　as　I　suppose　the　large　semicircular　step　between
the　main　room　and　the　dais　should　be　called；　we　find；　first；　the
monitress　for　the　week；　who　stands　up　while　she　recites；　and
secondly；　the　Virgin　herself；　who　is　the　only　pupil　allowed　a　seat
so　near　to　the　august　presence　of　the　Lady　Principal。　　She　is
ostensibly　doing　a　piece　of　embroidery　which　is　stretched　on　a
cushion　on　her　lap；　but　I　should　say　that　she　was　chiefly　interested
in　the　nearest　of　four　pretty　little　Cupids；　who　are　all　trying　to
attract　her　attention；　though　they　pay　no　court　to　any　other　young
lady。　　I　have　sometimes　wondered　whether　the　obviously　scandalised
gesture　of　the　Lady　Principal　might　not　be　directed　at　these　Cupids；
rather　than　at　anything　the　monitress　may　have　been　reading；　for　she
would　surely　find　them　disquieting。　　Or　she　may　be　saying；　〃Why；
bless　me！　　I　do　declare　the　Virgin　has　got　another　hamper；　and　St。
Anne's　cakes　are　always　so　terribly　rich！〃　　Certainly　the　hamper　is
there；　close　to　the　Virgin；　and　the　Lady　Principal's　action　may　be
well　directed　at　it；　but　it　may　have　been　sent　to　some　other　young
lady；　and　be　put　on　the　sub…dais　for　public　exhibition。　　It　looks　as
if　it　might　have　come　from　Fortnum　and　Mason's；　and　I　half　expected
to　find　a　label；　addressing　it　to　〃The　Virgin　Mary；　Temple　College；
Jerusalem；〃　but　if　ever　there　was　one　the　mice　have　long　since　eaten
it。　　The　Virgin　herself　does　not　seem　to　care　much　about　it；　but　if
she　has　a　fault　it　is　that　she　is　generally　a　little　apathetic。

Whose　the　hamper　was；　however；　is　a　point　we　shall　never　now
certainly　determine；　for　the　best　fossil　is　worse　than　the　worst
living　form。　　Why；　alas！　was　not　Mr。　Edison　alive　when　this　chapel
was　made？　　We　might　then　have　had　a　daily　phonographic　recital　of
the　conversation；　and　an　announcement　might　be　put　outside　the
chapels；　telling　us　at　what　hours　the　figures　would　speak。

On　either　of　side　the　main　room　there　are　two　annexes　opening　out
from　it；　these　are　reserved　chiefly　for　the　younger　children；　some
of　whom；　I　think；　are　little　boys。　　In　the　left…hand　annex；　behind
the　ladies　who　are　making　a　mitre；　there　is　a　child　who　has　got　a
cake；　and　another　has　some　fruitpossibly　given　them　by　the　Virgin…
…and　a　third　child　is　begging　for　some　of　it。　　The　light　failed　so
completely　here　that　I　was　not　able　to　photograph　any　of　these
figures。　　It　was　a　dull　September　afternoon；　and　the　clouds　had
settled　thick　round　the　chapel；　which　is　never　very　light；　and　is
nearly　4000　feet　above　the　sea。　　I　waited　till　such　twilight　as　made
it　hopeless　that　more　detail　could　be　gotand　a　queer　ghostly　place
enough　it　was　to　wait　inbut　after　giving　the　plate　an　exposure　of
fifty　minutes；　I　saw　I　could　get　no　more；　and　desisted。

These　long　photographic　exposures　have　the　advantage　that　one　is
compelled　to　study　a　work　in　detail　through　mere　lack　of　other
employment；　and　that　one　can　take　one's　notes　in　peace　without　being
tempted　to　hurry　over　them；　but　even　so　I　continually　find　I　have
omitted　to　note；　and　have　clean　forgotten；　much　that　I　want　later
on。

In　the　other　annex　there　are　also　one　or　two　younger　children