death of the lion-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


about。　　Has　Mr。　Paraday　glanced　at　'The　Other　Way　Round'？〃　　Mr。　
Morrow　now　frankly　appealed　to　me。　　I　took　on　myself　to　repudiate　
the　supposition；　while　our　companion；　still　silent；　got　up　
nervously　and　walked　away。　　His　visitor　paid　no　heed　to　his　
withdrawal；　but　opened　out　the　note…book　with　a　more　fatherly　pat。　　
〃Dora　Forbes；　I　gather；　takes　the　ground；　the　same　as　Guy　
Walsingham's；　that　the　larger　latitude　has　simply　got　to　come。　　He　
holds　that　it　has　got　to　be　squarely　faced。　　Of　course　his　sex　
makes　him　a　less　prejudiced　witness。　　But　an　authoritative　word　
from　Mr。　Paraday　…　from　the　point　of　view　of　HIS　sex；　you　know　…　
would　go　right　round　the　globe。　　He　takes　the　line　that　we　HAVEN'T　
got　to　face　it？〃

I　was　bewildered：　　it　sounded　somehow　as　if　there　were　three　sexes。　　
My　interlocutor's　pencil　was　poised；　my　private　responsibility　
great。　　I　simply　sat　staring；　none　the　less；　and　only　found　
presence　of　mind　to　say：　　〃Is　this　Miss　Forbes　a　gentleman？〃

Mr。　Morrow　had　a　subtle　smile。　　〃It　wouldn't　be　'Miss'　…　there's　a　
wife！〃

〃I　mean　is　she　a　man？〃

〃The　wife？〃　…　Mr。　Morrow　was　for　a　moment　as　confused　as　myself。　　
But　when　I　explained　that　I　alluded　to　Dora　Forbes　in　person　he　
informed　me；　with　visible　amusement　at　my　being　so　out　of　it；　that　
this　was　the　〃pen…name〃　of　an　indubitable　male　…　he　had　a　big　red　
moustache。　　〃He　goes　in　for　the　slight　mystification　because　the　
ladies　are　such　popular　favourites。　　A　great　deal　of　interest　is　
felt　in　his　acting　on　that　idea　…　which　IS　clever；　isn't　it？　…　and　
there's　every　prospect　of　its　being　widely　imitated。〃　　Our　host　at　
this　moment　joined　us　again；　and　Mr。　Morrow　remarked　invitingly　
that　he　should　be　happy　to　make　a　note　of　any　observation　the　
movement　in　question；　the　bid　for　success　under　a　lady's　name；　
might　suggest　to　Mr。　Paraday。　　But　the　poor　man；　without　catching　
the　allusion；　excused　himself；　pleading　that；　though　greatly　
honoured　by　his　visitor's　interest；　he　suddenly　felt　unwell　and　
should　have　to　take　leave　of　him　…　have　to　go　and　lie　down　and　keep　
quiet。　　His　young　friend　might　be　trusted　to　answer　for　him；　but　he　
hoped　Mr。　Morrow　didn't　expect　great　things　even　of　his　young　
friend。　　His　young　friend；　at　this　moment；　looked　at　Neil　Paraday　
with　an　anxious　eye；　greatly　wondering　if　he　were　doomed　to　be　ill　
again；　but　Paraday's　own　kind　face　met　his　question　reassuringly；　
seemed　to　say　in　a　glance　intelligible　enough：　　〃Oh　I'm　not　ill；　
but　I'm　scared：　　get　him　out　of　the　house　as　quietly　as　possible。〃　　
Getting　newspaper…men　out　of　the　house　was　odd　business　for　an　
emissary　of　Mr。　Pinhorn；　and　I　was　so　exhilarated　by　the　idea　of　it　
that　I　called　after　him　as　he　left　us：　　〃Read　the　article　in　THE　
EMPIRE　and　you'll　soon　be　all　right！〃



CHAPTER　V。



〃DELICIOUS　my　having　come　down　to　tell　him　of　it！〃　Mr。　Morrow　
ejaculated。　　〃My　cab　was　at　the　door　twenty　minutes　after　THE　
EMPIRE　had　been　laid　on　my　breakfast…table。　　Now　what　have　you　got　
for　me？〃　he　continued；　dropping　again　into　his　chair；　from　which；　
however；　he　the　next　moment　eagerly　rose。　　〃I　was　shown　into　the　
drawing…room；　but　there　must　be　more　to　see　…　his　study；　his　
literary　sanctum；　the　little　things　he　has　about；　or　other　domestic　
objects　and　features。　　He　wouldn't　be　lying　down　on　his　study…
table？　　There's　a　great　interest　always　felt　in　the　scene　of　an　
author's　labours。　　Sometimes　we're　favoured　with　very　delightful　
peeps。　　Dora　Forbes　showed　me　all　his　table…drawers；　and　almost　
jammed　my　hand　into　one　into　which　I　made　a　dash！　　I　don't　ask　that　
of　you；　but　if　we　could　talk　things　over　right　there　where　he　sits　
I　feel　as　if　I　should　get　the　keynote。〃

I　had　no　wish　whatever　to　be　rude　to　Mr。　Morrow；　I　was　much　too　
initiated　not　to　tend　to　more　diplomacy；　but　I　had　a　quick　
inspiration；　and　I　entertained　an　insurmountable；　an　almost　
superstitious　objection　to　his　crossing　the　threshold　of　my　
friend's　little　lonely　shabby　consecrated　workshop。　　〃No；　no　…　we　
shan't　get　at　his　life　that　way；〃　I　said。　　〃The　way　to　get　at　his　
life　is　to　…　But　wait　a　moment！〃　　I　broke　off　and　went　quickly　into　
the　house；　whence　I　in　three　minutes　reappeared　before　Mr。　Morrow　
with　the　two　volumes　of　Paraday's　new　book。　　〃His　life's　here；〃　I　
went　on；　〃and　I'm　so　full　of　this　admirable　thing　that　I　can't　talk　
of　anything　else。　　The　artist's　life's　his　work；　and　this　is　the　
place　to　observe　him。　　What　he　has　to　tell　us　he　tells　us　with　THIS　
perfection。　　My　dear　sir；　the　best　interviewer　is　the　best　reader。〃

Mr。　Morrow　good…humouredly　protested。　　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　no　
other　source　of　information　should　be　open　to　us？〃

〃None　other　till　this　particular　one　…　by　far　the　most　copious　…　
has　been　quite　exhausted。　　Have　you　exhausted　it；　my　dear　sir？　　Had　
you　exhausted　it　when　you　came　down　here？　　It　seems　to　me　in　our　
time　almost　wholly　neglected；　and　something　should　surely　be　done　
to　restore　its　ruined　credit。　　It's　the　course　to　which　the　artist　
himself　at　every　step；　and　with　such　pathetic　confidence；　refers　
us。　　This　last　book　of　Mr。　Paraday's　is　full　of　revelations。〃

〃Revelations？〃　panted　Mr。　Morrow；　whom　I　had　forced　again　into　his　
chair。

〃The　only　kind　that　count。　　It　tells　you　with　a　perfection　that　
seems　to　me　quite　final　all　the　author　thinks；　for　instance；　about　
the　advent　of　the　'larger　latitude。'〃

〃Where　does　it　do　that？〃　asked　Mr。　Morrow；　who　had　picked　up　the　
second　volume　and　was　insincerely　thumbing　it。

〃Everywhere　…　in　the　whole　treatment　of　his　case。　　Extract　the　
opinion；　disengage　the　answer　…　those　are　the　real　acts　of　homage。〃

Mr。　Morrow；　after　a　minute；　tossed　the　book　away。　　〃Ah　but　you　
mustn't　take　me　for　a　reviewer。〃

〃Heaven　forbid　I　should　take　you　for　anything　so　dreadful！　　You　
came　down　to　perform　a　little　act　of　sympathy；　and　so；　I　may　
confide　to　you；　did　I。　　Let　us　perform　our　little　act　together。　　
These　pages　overflow　with　the　testimony　we　want：　　let　us　read　them　
and　taste　them　and　interpret　them。　　You'll　of　course　have　perceived　
for　yourself　that　one　scarcely　does　read　Neil　Paraday　till　one　
reads　him　aloud；　he　gives　out　to　the　ear　an　extraordinary　full　
tone；　and　it's　only　when　you　expose　it　confidently　to　that　test　
that　you　really　get　near　his　style。　　Take　up　your　book　again　and　
let　me　listen；　while　you　pay　it　out；　to　that　wonderful　fifteenth　
chapter。　　If　you　feel　you　can't　do　it　justice；　compose　yourself　to　
attention　while　I　produce　for　you　…　I　think　I　can！　…　this　scarcely　
less　admirable　ninth。〃

Mr。　Morrow　gave　me　a　straight　look　which　was　as　hard　as　a　blow　
between　the　eyes；　he　had　turned　rather　red；　and　a　question　had　
formed　itself　in　his　mind　which　reached　my　sense　as　distinctly　as　
if　he　had　uttered　it：　　〃What　sort　of　a　damned　fool　are　YOU？〃　　Then　
he　got　up；　gathering　together　his　hat　and　gloves；　buttoning　his　
coat；　projecting　hungrily　all　over　the　place　the　big　transparency　
of　his　mask。　　It　seemed　to　flare　over　Fleet　Street　and　somehow　made　
the　actual　spot　distressingly　humble：　　there　was　so　little　for　it　
to　feed　on　unless　he　counted　the　blisters　of　our　stucco　or　saw　his　
way　to　do　something　with　the　roses。　　Even　the　poor　roses　were　
common　kinds。　　Presently　his　eyes　fell　on　the　manuscript　from　which　
Paraday　had　been　reading　to　me　and　which　still　lay　on　the　bench。　　
As　my　own　followed　them　I　saw　it　looked　promising；　looked　pregnant；　
as　if　it　gently　throbbed　with　the　life　the　reader　had　given　it。　　
Mr。　Morrow　indulged　in　a　nod　at　it　and　a　vague　thrust　of　his　
umbrella。　　〃What's　that？〃

〃Oh；　it's　a　plan　…　a　secret。〃

〃A　secret！〃　　There　was　an　instant's　silence；　and　then　Mr。　Morrow　
made　another　movement。　　I　may　have　been　mistaken；　but　it　affected　
me　as　the　translated　impulse　of　the　desire　to　lay　hands　on　the　
manuscript；　and　this　led　me　to　indulge　in　a　quick　anticipatory　grab　
which　may　very　well　have　seemed　ungraceful；　or　even　impertinent；　
and　which　at　any　rate　left　Mr。　Paraday's　two　admirers　very　erect；　
glaring　at　each　other　while　one　of　them　held　a　bundle　of　papers　
well　behind　him。　　An　instant　later　Mr。　Morrow　quitted　me　abruptly；　
as　if　he