elinor wyllys-2-第3章

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〃Yes；　he　is　in　very　good　business；　I　believe；　you　saw　Catherine；　you　say？〃

〃Yes；　for　a　minute　only。　I　ran　in　to　kiss　Kate　and　the　children；　while　they　were　harnessing　a　horse　for　me　at　the　tavern。　Kate　looks　very　well　herself。　The　children　didn't　remember　much　of　Uncle　Charlie；　but　they　are　pretty；　healthy　little　things；　nevertheless。〃

The　grandmother　assented　to　the　commendation　of　her　daughter's　family；　she　thought　them　remarkably　fine　children。　〃Catherine　was　a　very　fortunate　woman；〃　she　said；　〃Mr。　Clapp　was　a　very　superior　man；　so　very　clever　that　he　must　do　well；　and　the　children　were　all　healthythey　had　gone　through　the　measles　wonderfully；　that　spring。〃

Charlie　had　not　quite　as　elevated　an　opinion　of　his　brother…in…law　as　the　females　of　the　family；　he　allowed　his　mother's　remark　to　pass　unnoticed；　however。

〃And　so　Mr。　Taylor　has　given　up　Colonnade　Manor；〃　he　continued。

〃Yes；　he　has　just　sold　it　to　Mr。　de　Vaux；　a　friend　of　Mr。　Wyllys；〃　replied　Miss　Patsey。

〃Why　did　he　sell　it；　pray？〃

〃Well；　the　young　ladies　liked　better　to　live　about　at　hotels　and　boarding…houses　in　the　summer；　I　believe；　they　thought　it　was　too　dull　at　Longbridge。　Mr。　Taylor　didn't　care　much　for　the　place：　you　know　there　are　some　people；　who；　as　soon　as　they　have　built　a　house；　and　got　everything　in　nice　order；　want　to　sell；　it　seems　as　if　they　did　not　care　to　be　comfortable；　but　I　suppose　it　is　only　because　they　are　so　fond　of　change。〃

We　may　as　well　observe；　by　way　of　parenthesis；　that　this　fancy　of　getting　rid　of　a　place　as　soon　as　it　is　in　fine　order；　would　probably　never　occur　to　any　man　but　an　American；　and　an　American　of　the　particular　variety　to　which　Mr。　Taylor　belonged。

〃I　don't　wonder　at　his　wanting　to　get　rid　of　the　house；　but　the　situation　and　the　neighbourhood　might　have　satisfied　him；　I　think；〃　said　Charlie；　as　he　accepted　Miss　Patsey's　invitation　to　eat　the　nice　supper　she　had　prepared　for　him。

As　he　took　his　seat　at　the　table；　Mrs。　Hubbard　observed；　that　he　probably　had　not　seen　such　short…cake　as　Patsey　made；　in　Rometo　which　Charlie　assented　warmly。　He　had　wished　one　evening；　in　Florence；　he　said；　for　some　of　his　sister's　short…cake；　and　a　good　cup　of　tea　of　her　making；　and　the　same　night　he　dreamed　that　the　Venus　de　Medicis　had　made　him　some。　He　was　ashamed　of　himself　for　having　had　such　a　dream；　but　it　could　not　be　helped；　such　was　the　fact。

｛〃Venus　de　Medicis〃　=　Famous　nude　statue　of　the　Goddess　Venusa　1st　Century　BC　copy　of　a　lost　Greek　statue　by　Cleomenes　of　Athensin　the　Uffizi　Gallery　in　Florence｝

Mrs。　Hubbard　thought　no　woman；　Venus　or　not；　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　making　good　short…cake；　if　they　were　bad；　that　would　be　a　different　matter。

〃Well；　Charlie；　now　you　have　seen　all　those　paintings　and　figures　you　used　to　talk　so　much　about；　what　do　you　think　of　them？are　they　really　so　handsome　as　you　expected？〃　asked　his　sister。

〃They　are　wonderful！〃　exclaimed　Charlie；　with　animation；　putting　down　a　short…cake　he　had　just　buttered。　〃Wonderful！There　is　no　other　word　to　describe　them。〃

Mrs。　Hubbard　observed；　that　she　had　some　notion　of　a　painting；　from　the　minister's　portrait　in　the　parlourCharlie　took　up　his　short　cakeshe　thought　a　person　might　have　satisfaction　in　a　painting；　such　a　picture　as　that　portrait；　but　as　for　those　stone　figures　he　used　to　wish　to　see；　she　could　not　understand　what　was　the　beauty　of　such　idol…like　things。

〃They　are　not　at　all　like　idols；　mother；　they　are　the　most　noble　conceptions　of　the　human　form。〃

How　could　they　look　human？　He　himself　had　told　her　they　were　made　out　of　marble；　just　such　marble；　she　supposed；　as　was　used　for　tomb…stones。

〃I　only　wish　you　could　see　some　of　the　statues　in　Italy；　the　Laocoon；　Niobe；　and　others　I　have　seen。　I　think　you　would　feel　then　what　I　feltwhat　I　never　can　describe　in　words。〃

｛〃Laocoon〃　=　A　famous　Greek　statue；　in　the　Vatican　at　Rome；　of　a　Trojan　priest　and　his　two　sons　being　crushed　by　serpents。　〃Niobe〃　=　a　famous　statue；　in　the　Uffizi　Gallery　in　Florence　（a　Roman　copy　of　a　lost　Greek　original　attributed　to　Scopas）；　of　Niobe　　in　Greek　mythology　the　daughter　of　Tantalus　whose　children　were　slaughtered　by　Zeus　and　who　was　transformed　into　a　weeping　image　of　stone｝

Mrs。　Hubbard　said　the　names　sounded　very　heathen…like　to　her　ears；　she　had　never　seen　a　statue；　of　any　description　whatever；　she　didn't　think　she　could　have　any　satisfaction　in　looking　at　one。　If　they　had　any　colour　to　them；　and　were　dressed　up　in　uniforms；　and　handsome　clothes；　like　the　wax…figures　of　General　Washington；　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　and　Lord　Nelson；　she　had　once　seen；　they　would　be　worth　looking　at；　perhaps。

Miss　Patsey　wished　to　know；　if　among　the　statues　he　had　seen；　there　were　any　supposed　to　be　likenesses　of　the　great　men　that　we　read　about　in　history？

〃There　are　many　statues　and　busts　in　Italy；　that　are　undeniably　portraits　of　some　of　the　greatest　men　of　antiquity；〃　he　replied。

〃Do　you　suppose　they　are　really　like　those　old　Romans？　I　don't　mean　such　likenesses　as　the　portrait　of　our　dear　father；　but　still　pretty　good　for　those　old　times？〃

〃Far　better　than　anything　of　the　kind　you　ever　saw；〃　replied　Charlie；　drinking　off　a　cup　of　tea。

Miss　Patsey　thought　those　might　be　worth　seeing。　A　conversation　followed　upon　the　delight　Charlie　had　felt　in　beholding　celebrated　places；　the　scenes　of　great　events　in　past　ages；　a　delight　that　an　American　can　never　know　in　his　own　country；　and　which；　on　that　very　account；　he　enjoys　with　a　far　keener　zest　than　a　European。　Miss　Patsey　seemed　to　enter　a　little　into　this　pleasure；　but；　upon　the　whole；　it　was　quite　evident　that　all　the　imagination　of　the　family　had　fallen　to　Charlie's　share。　The　young　man　thought　little　of　this；　however：　when　Judy　had　carried　away　the　remains　of　the　supper；　he　returned　to　his　mother's　side；　and　the　evening　passed　away　in　that　pleasant　family　chat；　so　interesting　to　those　who　feel　alike。　Sympathy　of　the　heart　is　a　tie　ten…fold　stronger　than　sympathy　of　the　head；　people　may　think　alike；　and　hate　each　other；　while　those　who　feel　together；　are　often　led　to　adopt　the　same　opinions。

When　Charlie　had　read　the　usual　evening　chapter　in　the　Bible；　and　had　received　his　mother's　kiss　and　blessing；　he　laid　himself　down　with　a　thankful　heart；　in　the　little　garret…room；　as　in　his　childish　years。　The　young　artist's　dreams　that　night；　were　a　mingled　crowd　of　fancies；　the　memories　of　his　boyhood　reviving　in　their　old　haunts；　accompanied　by　more　recent　images　brought　from　beyond　the　Ocean；　and　linked　with　half…formed　plans　and　ideas　for　the　future。　Among　these　visions　of　the　night；　were　two　more　distinct　than　the　rest；　one　was　a　determination　to　commence；　the　very　next　morning；　a　copy　of　his　honoured　father's　portrait；　in　which　the　artist's　object　was　unusual；　for　it　was　his　chief　aim　to　make　it　as　little　like　the　original　before　him；　as　possible。　Shall　we　reveal　the　fact　that　another　image；　wearing　a　gentler　aspect　than　the　stern；　rigid　features　of　the　minister's　portrait；　seemed　to　flit　before　the　young　painter's　fancy；　coming　unbidden；　and　mingling　more　especially　with　recollections　of　the　past？　As　a　ray　of　moonlight　stole　into　the　low　dormer…window；　the　young　man　turned　on　his　humble　bed；　a　sigh　burst　from　his　lips；　followed　by　the　words；　〃No；　no！〃

We　shall　keep　the　secret。



CHAPTER　II　｛XXV｝

〃Yonder；　sure；　they　are　coming。〃　As　You　Like　It。

｛William　Shakespeare；　〃As　You　Like　It〃；　I。ii。147｝

THE　weather　had　been　more　than　usually　warm　for　several　weeks；　and　the　morning　after　Charlie's　return　to　Longbridge；　when　the　steamboat　North　America　left　the　wharf　at　New…York；　her　decks　and　cabins　were　filled　by　some　five　or　six　hundred　passengers。　There　were　men；　women；　and　children；　of　various　characters；　colours　and　conditions。　The　scene　on　deck　was　pleasing　and　cheerful；　the　day　was　lovely；　the　steamer　looked　neat　and　bright；　and　the　great　majority　of　the　females　were　gaily　dressed　in　their　summer　attire；　most　of　the　faces　looked　good…humoured；　as　if　pleased　to　escape　from　the　heat　and　confinement　of　the　town；　to　cooler　air；　and　a　sight　of　the　water　and　green　woods。　One　might　have　supposed　it　a　party　of　pleasure　on　a　large　scale；　in　fact；　Americans　seem　always　good…natured；　a