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第44章

fraternity-第44章

小说: fraternity 字数: 每页4000字

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'Oh!' thought Cecilia; 'he is gone!'

〃They have but a single soul。  In those days men divided; and subdivided them; oblivious of the one pale spirit which underlay those seemingly separate forms。〃

Cecilia's glance passed swiftly from the manservant to Stephen。

She saw one of her husband's eyes rise visibly。  Stephen did so hate one thing to be confounded with another。

〃Oh; come; sir;〃 she heard him say; 〃you don't surely tell us that dandelions and roses have the same pale spirit!〃

Mr。 Stone looked at him wistfully。

〃Did I say that?〃  he said。  〃I had no wish to be dogmatic。〃

〃Not at all; sir; not at all;〃 murmured Stephen。

Thyme; leaning over to her mother; whispered 〃Oh; Mother; don't let grandfather be queer; I can't bear it to…night!〃

Cecilia; at her wits' end; said hurriedly:

〃Dad; will you tell us what sort of character you think that little girl who comes to you has?〃

Mr。 Stone paused in the act of drinking water; his attention had evidently been riveted; he did not; however; speak。  And Cecilia; seeing that the butler; out of the perversity which she found so conspicuous in her servants; was about to hand him beef; made a desperate movement with her lips。  〃No; Charles; not there; not there!〃

The butler; tightening his lips; passed on。  Mr。 Stone spoke:

〃I had not considered that。  She is rather of a Celtic than an Anglo… Saxon type; the cheekbones are prominent; the jaw is not massive; the head is broadif I can remember I will measure it; the eyes are of a peculiar blue; resembling chicory flowers; the mouth…; Mr。 Stone paused。

Cecilia thought: 'What a lucky find!  Now perhaps he will go on all right!'

〃I do not know;〃 Mr。 Stone resumed; speaking in a far…off voice; 〃whether she would be virtuous。〃

Cecilia heard Stephen drinking sherry; Thyme; too; was drinking something; she herself drank nothing; but; pink and quiet; for she was a well…bred woman; said:

〃You have no new potatoes; dear。  Charles; give Mr。 Stone some new potatoes。〃

By the almost vindictive expression on Stephen's face she saw; however; that her failure had decided him to resume command of the situation。  〃Talking of brotherhood; sir;〃 he said dryly; 〃would you go so far as to say that a new potato is the brother of a bean?〃

Mr。 Stone; on whose plate these two vegetables reposed; looked almost painfully confused。

〃I do not perceive;〃 he stammered; 〃any difference between them。〃

〃It's true;〃 said Stephen; 〃the same pale spirit can be extracted from them both。〃

Mr。 Stone looked up at him。

〃You laugh at me;〃 he said。  〃I cannot help it; but you must not laugh at lifethat is blasphemy。〃

Before the piercing wistfulness of that sudden gaze Stephen was abashed。  Cecilia saw him bite his lower lip。

〃We're talking too much;〃 he said; 〃we really must let your father eat!〃  And the rest of the dinner was achieved in silence。

When Mr。 Stone; refusing to be accompanied; had taken his departure; and Thyme had gone to bed; Stephen withdrew to his study。  This room; which had a different air from any other portion of the house; was sacred to his private life。  Here; in specially designed compartments; he kept his golf clubs; pipes; and papers。  Nothing was touched by anyone except himself; and twice a week by one particular housemaid。  Here was no bust of Socrates; no books in deerskin bindings; but a bookcase filled with treatises on law; Blue Books; reviews; and the novels of Sir Walter Scott; two black oak cabinets stood side by side against the wall filled with small drawers。  When these cabinets were opened and the drawers drawn forward there emerged a scent of metal polish。  If the green…baize covers of the drawers were lifted; there were seen coins; carefully arranged with labelsas one may see plants growing in rows; each with its little name tied on。  To these tidy rows of shining metal discs Stephen turned in moments when his spirit was fatigued。  To add to them; touch them; read their names; gave him the sweet; secret feeling which comes to a man who rubs one hand against the other。  Like a dram…drinker; Stephen drankin little dosesof the feeling these coins gave him。  They were his creative work; his history of the world。  To them he gave that side of him which refused to find its full expression in summarising law; playing golf; or reading the reviews; that side of a man which aches; he knows not wherefore; to construct something ere he die。  From Rameses to George IV。 the coins lay within those drawerslinks of the long unbroken chain of authority。

Putting on an old black velvet jacket laid out for him across a chair; and lighting the pipe that he could never bring himself to smoke in his formal dinner clothes; he went to the right…hand cabinet; and opened it。  He stood with a smile; taking up coins one by one。  In this particular drawer they were of the best Byzantine dynasty; very rare。  He did not see that Cecilia had stolen in; and was silently regarding him。  Her eyes seemed doubting at that moment whether or no she loved him who stood there touching that other mistress of his thoughtsthat other mistress with whom he spent so many evening hours。  The little green…baize cover fell。  Cecilia said suddenly:

〃Stephen; I feel as if I must tell Father where that girl is!〃

Stephen turned。

〃My dear child;〃 he answered in his special voice; which; like champagne; seemed to have been dried by artifice; 〃you don't want to reopen the whole thing?〃

〃But I can see he really is upset about it; he's looking so awfully white and thin。〃

〃He ought to give up that bathing in the Serpentine。  At his age it's monstrous。  And surely any other girl will do just as well?〃

〃He seems to set store by reading to her specially。〃

Stephen shrugged his shoulders。  It had happened to him on one occasion to be present when Mr。 Stone was declaiming some pages of his manuscript。  He had never forgotten the discomfort of the experience。  〃That crazy stuff;〃 as he had called it to Cecilia afterwards; had remained on his mind; heavy and damp; like a cold linseed poultice。  His wife's father was a crank; and perhaps even a little more than a crank; a wee bit 〃touched〃that she couldn't help; poor girl; but any allusion to his cranky produce gave Stephen pain。  Nor had he forgotten his experience at dinner。

〃He seems to have grown fond of her;〃 murmured Cecilia。

〃But it's absurd at his time of life!〃

〃Perhaps that makes him feel it more; people do miss things when they are old!〃

Stephen slid the drawer back into its socket。  There was dry decision in that gesture。

〃Look here!  Let's exercise a little common sense; it's been sacrificed to sentiment all through this wretched business。  One wants to be kind; of course; but one's got to draw the line。〃

〃Ah!〃 said Cecilia; 〃where?〃

〃The thing;〃 went on Stephen; 〃has been a mistake from first to last。 It's all very well up to a certain point; but after that it becomes destructive of all comfort。  It doesn't do to let these people come into personal contact with you。  There are the proper channels for that sort of thing。〃

Cecilia's eyes were lowered; as though she did not dare to let him see her thoughts。

〃It seems so horrid;〃 she said; 〃and father is not like other people。〃

〃He is not;〃 said Stephen dryly; 〃we had a pretty good instance of that this evening。  But Hilary and your sister are。  There's something most distasteful to me; too; about Thyme's going about slumming。  You see what she's been let in for this afternoon。  The notion of that baby being killed through the man's treatment of his wife; and that; no doubt; arising from the girl's leaving them; is most repulsive!〃

To these words Cecilia answered with a sound almost like a gasp。 〃I hadn't thought of that。  Then we're responsible; it was we who advised Hilary to make her change her lodging。〃

Stephen stared; he regretted sincerely that his legal habit of mind had made him put the case so clearly。

〃I can't imagine;〃 he said; almost violently; 〃what possesses everybody!  Weresponsible!  Good gracious!  Because we gave Hilary some sound advice!  What next?〃

Cecilia turned to the empty hearth。

〃Thyme has been telling me about that poor little thing。  It 

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