villa rubein and other stories-第4章

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across　a　thick　nose；　came　out；　and　called　in　a　bluff　voice：



〃Ha！　my　good　dears；　kiss　me　quickprrt！　　How　goes　it　then　this

morning？　　A　good　walk；　hein？〃　　The　sound　of　many　loud　rapid　kisses

followed。



〃Ha；　Fraulein；　good！〃　　He　became　aware　of　Harz's　figure　standing　in

the　doorway：　〃Und　der　Herr？〃



Miss　Naylor　hurriedly　explained。



〃Good！　　An　artist！　　Kommen　Sie　herein；　I　am　delight。　　You　will

breakfast？　　I　tooyes；　yes；　my　dearsI　too　breakfast　with　you　this

morning。　　I　have　the　hunter's　appetite。〃



Harz；　looking　at　him　keenly；　perceived　him　to　be　of　middle　height　and

age；　stout；　dressed　in　a　loose　holland　jacket；　a　very　white；　starched

shirt；　and　blue　silk　sash；　that　he　looked　particularly　clean；　had　an

air　of　belonging　to　Society；　and　exhaled　a　really　fine　aroma　of

excellent　cigars　and　the　best　hairdresser's　essences。



The　room　they　entered　was　long　and　rather　bare；　there　was　a　huge　map

on　the　wall；　and　below　it　a　pair　of　globes　on　crooked　supports；

resembling　two　inflated　frogs　erect　on　their　hind　legs。　　In　one

corner　was　a　cottage　piano；　close　to　a　writing…table　heaped　with

books　and　papers；　this　nook；　sacred　to　Christian；　was　foreign　to　the

rest　of　the　room；　which　was　arranged　with　supernatural　neatness。　　A

table　was　laid　for　breakfast；　and　the　sun…warmed　air　came　in　through

French　windows。



The　meal　went　merrily；　Herr　Paul　von　Morawitz　was　never　in　such

spirits　as　at　table。　　Words　streamed　from　him。　　Conversing　with　Harz；

he　talked　of　Art　as　who　should　say：　〃One　does　not　claim　to　be　a

connoisseurpas　si　betestill；　one　has　a　little　knowledge；　que

diable！〃　　He　recommended　him　a　man　in　the　town　who　sold　cigars　that

were　〃not　so　very　bad。〃　　He　consumed　porridge；　ate　an　omelette；　and

bending　across　to　Greta　gave　her　a　sounding　kiss；　muttering：　〃Kiss　me

quick！〃an　expression　he　had　picked　up　in　a　London　music…hall；　long

ago；　and　considered　chic。　　He　asked　his　daughters'　plans；　and　held

out　porridge　to　the　terrier；　who　refused　it　with　a　sniff。



〃Well；〃　he　said　suddenly；　looking　at　Miss　Naylor；　〃here　is　a

gentleman　who　has　not　even　heard　our　names！〃



The　little　lady　began　her　introductions　in　a　breathless　voice。



〃Good！〃　　Herr　Paul　said；　puffing　out　his　lips：　〃Now　we　know　each

other！〃　and；　brushing　up　the　ends　of　his　moustaches；　he　carried　off

Harz　into　another　room；　decorated　with　pipe…racks；　prints　of　dancing…

girls；　spittoons；　easy…chairs　well…seasoned　by　cigar　smoke；　French

novels；　and　newspapers。



The　household　at　Villa　Rubein　was　indeed　of　a　mixed　and　curious

nature。　　Cut　on　both　floors　by　corridors；　the　Villa　was　divided　into

four　divisions；　each　of　which　had　its　separate　inhabitants；　an

arrangement　which　had　come　about　in　the　following　way：



When　old　Nicholas　Treffry　died；　his　estate；　on　the　boundary　of

Cornwall；　had　been　sold　and　divided　up　among　his　three　surviving

childrenNicholas；　who　was　much　the　eldest；　a　partner　in　the　well…

known　firm　of　Forsyte　and　Treffry；　teamen；　of　the　Strand；　Constance；

married　to　a　man　called　Decie；　and　Margaret；　at　her　father's　death

engaged　to　the　curate　of　the　parish；　John　Devorell；　who　shortly

afterwards　became　its　rector。　　By　his　marriage　with　Margaret　Treffry

the　rector　had　one　child　called　Christian。　　Soon　after　this　he　came

into　some　property；　and　died；　leaving　it　unfettered　to　his　widow。

Three　years　went　by；　and　when　the　child　was　six　years　old；　Mrs。

Devorell；　still　young　and　pretty；　came　to　live　in　London　with　her

brother　Nicholas。　　It　was　there　that　she　met　Paul　von　Morawitzthe

last　of　an　old　Czech　family；　who　had　lived　for　many　hundred　years　on

their　estates　near　Budweiss。　　Paul　had　been　left　an　orphan　at　the　age

of　ten；　and　without　a　solitary　ancestral　acre。　　Instead　of　acres；　he

inherited　the　faith　that　nothing　was　too　good　for　a　von　Morawitz。　　In

later　years　his　savoir　faire　enabled　him　to　laugh　at　faith；　but　it

stayed　quietly　with　him　all　the　same。　　The　absence　of　acres　was　of　no

great　consequence；　for　through　his　mother；　the　daughter　of　a　banker

in　Vienna；　he　came　into　a　well…nursed　fortune。　　It　befitted　a　von

Morawitz　that　he　should　go　into　the　Cavalry；　but；　unshaped　for

soldiering；　he　soon　left　the　Service；　some　said　he　had　a　difference

with　his　Colonel　over　the　quality　of　food　provided　during　some

manoeuvres；　others　that　he　had　retired　because　his　chargers　did　not

fit　his　legs；　which　were；　indeed；　rather　round。



He　had　an　admirable　appetite　for　pleasure；　a　man…about…town's　life

suited　him。　　He　went　his　genial；　unreflecting；　costly　way　in　Vienna；

Paris；　London。　　He　loved　exclusively　those　towns；　and　boasted　that　he

was　as　much　at　home　in　one　as　in　another。　　He　combined　exuberant

vitality　with　fastidiousness　of　palate；　and　devoted　both　to　the

acquisition　of　a　special　taste　in　women；　weeds；　and　wines；　above　all

he　was　blessed　with　a　remarkable　digestion。　　He　was　thirty　when　he

met　Mrs。　Devorell；　and　she　married　him　because　he　was　so　very

different　from　anybody　she　had　ever　seen。　　People　more　dissimilar

were　never　mated。　　To　Paulaccustomed　to　stage　doorsfreshness；

serene　tranquillity；　and　obvious　purity　were　the　baits；　he　had　run

through　more　than　half　his　fortune；　too；　and　the　fact　that　she　had

money　was　possibly　not　overlooked。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　he　was　fond　of

her；　his　heart　was　soft；　he　developed　a　domestic　side。



Greta　was　born　to　them　after　a　year　of　marriage。　　The　instinct　of　the

〃freeman〃　was；　however；　not　dead　in　Paul；　he　became　a　gambler。　　He

lost　the　remainder　of　his　fortune　without　being　greatly　disturbed。

When　he　began　to　lose　his　wife's　fortune　too　things　naturally　became

more　difficult。　　Not　too　much　remained　when　Nicholas　Treffry　stepped

in；　and　caused　his　sister　to　settle　what　was　left　on　her　daughters；

after　providing　a　life…interest　for　herself　and　Paul。　　Losing　his

supplies；　the　good　man　had　given　up　his　cards。　　But　the　instinct　of

the　〃freeman〃　was　still　living　in　his　breast；　he　took　to　drink。　　He

was　never　grossly　drunk；　and　rarely　very　sober。　　His　wife　sorrowed

over　this　new　passion；　her　health；　already　much　enfeebled；　soon　broke

down。　　The　doctors　sent　her　to　the　Tyrol。　　She　seemed　to　benefit　by

this；　and　settled　down　at　Botzen。　　The　following　year；　when　Greta　was

just　ten；　she　died。　　It　was　a　shock　to　Paul。　　He　gave　up　excessive

drinking；　became　a　constant　smoker；　and　lent　full　rein　to　his　natural

domesticity。　　He　was　fond　of　both　the　girls；　but　did　not　at　all

understand　them；　Greta；　his　own　daughter；　was　his　favourite。　　Villa

Rubein　remained　their　home；　it　was　cheap　and　roomy。　　Money；　since

Paul　became　housekeeper　to　himself；　was　scarce。



About　this　time　Mrs。　Decie；　his　wife's　sister；　whose　husband　had　died

in　the　East；　returned　to　England；　Paul　invited　her　to　come　and　live

with　them。　　She　had　her　own　rooms；　her　own　servant；　the　arrangement

suited　Paulit　was　economically　sound；　and　there　was　some　one　always

there　to　take　care　of　the　girls。　　In　truth　he　began　to　feel　the

instinct　of　the　〃freeman〃　rising　again　within　him；　it　was　pleasant　to

run　over　to　Vienna　now　and　then；　to　play　piquet　at　a　Club　in　Gries；

of　which　he　was　the　shining　light；　in　a　word；　to　go　〃on　the　tiles〃　a

little。　　One　could　not　always　mourneven　if　a　woman　were　an　angel；

moreover；　his　digestion　was　as　good　as　ever。



The　fourth　quarter　of　this　Villa　was　occupied　by　Nicholas　Treffry；

whose　annual　sojourn　out　of　England　perpetually　surprised　himself。

Between　him　and　his　young　niece；　Christian；　there　existed；　however；　a

rare　sympathy；　one　of　those　affections　between　the　young　and　old；

which；　mysteriously　born　like　everything　in　life；　seems　the　only　end

and　aim　to　both；　till　another　feeling　comes　into　the　younger　heart。



Since　a　long　and　dangerous　illness；　he　had　been　ordered　to　avoid　the

English　winter；　and　at　the　commencement　of　each　spring　he　would

appear　at　Botzen；　driving　his　own　horses　by　easy　stages　from　the

Italian　Riviera；　where　he　spent　the　coldest　months。　　He　always　stayed