death of the lion-第9章

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to　do；　reminding　me；　however；　that　the　first　lesson　of　his　
greatness　has　been　precisely　that　he　can't　do　what　he　likes。　　Mrs。　
Wimbush　would　never　forgive　him　if　he　should　leave　her　before　the　
Princess　has　received　the　last　hand。　　When　I　hint　that　a　violent　
rupture　with　our　hostess　would　be　the　best　thing　in　the　world　for　
him　he　gives　me　to　understand　that　if　his　reason　assents　to　the　
proposition　his　courage　hangs　woefully　back。　　He　makes　no　secret　of　
being　mortally　afraid　of　her；　and　when　I　ask　what　harm　she　can　do　
him　that　she　hasn't　already　done　he　simply　repeats：　　'I'm　afraid；　
I'm　afraid！　　Don't　enquire　too　closely；'　he　said　last　night；　'only　
believe　that　I　feel　a　sort　of　terror。　　It's　strange；　when　she's　so　
kind！　　At　any　rate；　I'd　as　soon　overturn　that　piece　of　priceless　
Sevres　as　tell　her　I　must　go　before　my　date。'　　It　sounds　dreadfully　
weak；　but　he　has　some　reason；　and　he　pays　for　his　imagination；　
which　puts　him　（I　should　hate　it）　in　the　place　of　others　and　makes　
him　feel；　even　against　himself；　their　feelings；　their　appetites；　
their　motives。　　It's　indeed　inveterately　against　himself　that　he　
makes　his　imagination　act。　　What　a　pity　he　has　such　a　lot　of　it！　　
He's　too　beastly　intelligent。　　Besides；　the　famous　reading's　still　
to　come　off；　and　it　has　been　postponed　a　day　to　allow　Guy　
Walsingham　to　arrive。　　It　appears　this　eminent　lady's　staying　at　a　
house　a　few　miles　off；　which　means　of　course　that　Mrs。　Wimbush　has　
forcibly　annexed　her。　　She's　to　come　over　in　a　day　or　two　…　Mrs。　
Wimbush　wants　her　to　hear　Mr。　Paraday。

〃To…day's　wet　and　cold；　and　several　of　the　company；　at　the　
invitation　of　the　Duke；　have　driven　over　to　luncheon　at　Bigwood。　　I　
saw　poor　Paraday　wedge　himself；　by　command；　into　the　little　
supplementary　seat　of　a　brougham　in　which　the　Princess　and　our　
hostess　were　already　ensconced。　　If　the　front　glass　isn't　open　on　
his　dear　old　back　perhaps　he'll　survive。　　Bigwood；　I　believe；　is　
very　grand　and　frigid；　all　marble　and　precedence；　and　I　wish　him　
well　out　of　the　adventure。　　I　can't　tell　you　how　much　more　and　more　
your　attitude　to　him；　in　the　midst　of　all　this；　shines　out　by　
contrast。　　I　never　willingly　talk　to　these　people　about　him；　but　
see　what　a　comfort　I　find　it　to　scribble　to　you！　　I　appreciate　it　…　
it　keeps　me　warm；　there　are　no　fires　in　the　house。　　Mrs。　Wimbush　
goes　by　the　calendar；　the　temperature　goes　by　the　weather；　the　
weather　goes　by　God　knows　what；　and　the　Princess　is　easily　heated。　　
I've　nothing　but　my　acrimony　to　warm　me；　and　have　been　out　under　an　
umbrella　to　restore　my　circulation。　　Coming　in　an　hour　ago　I　found　
Lady　Augusta　Minch　rummaging　about　the　hall。　　When　I　asked　her　what　
she　was　looking　for　she　said　she　had　mislaid　something　that　Mr。　
Paraday　had　lent　her。　　I　ascertained　in　a　moment　that　the　article　
in　question　is　a　manuscript；　and　I've　a　foreboding　that　it's　the　
noble　morsel　he　read　me　six　weeks　ago。　　When　I　expressed　my　
surprise　that　he　should　have　bandied　about　anything　so　precious　（I　
happen　to　know　it's　his　only　copy　…　in　the　most　beautiful　hand　in　
all　the　world）　Lady　Augusta　confessed　to　me　that　she　hadn't　had　it　
from　himself；　but　from　Mrs。　Wimbush；　who　had　wished　to　give　her　a　
glimpse　of　it　as　a　salve　for　her　not　being　able　to　stay　and　hear　it　
read。

〃'Is　that　the　piece　he's　to　read；'　I　asked；　'when　Guy　Walsingham　
arrives？'

〃'It's　not　for　Guy　Walsingham　they're　waiting　now；　it's　for　Dora　
Forbes；'　Lady　Augusta　said。　　'She's　coming；　I　believe；　early　to…
morrow。　　Meanwhile　Mrs。　Wimbush　has　found　out　about　him；　and　is　
actively　wiring　to　him。　　She　says　he　also　must　hear　him。'

〃'You　bewilder　me　a　little；'　I　replied；　'in　the　age　we　live　in　one　
gets　lost　among　the　genders　and　the　pronouns。　　The　clear　thing　is　
that　Mrs。　Wimbush　doesn't　guard　such　a　treasure　so　jealously　as　she　
might。'

〃'Poor　dear；　she　has　the　Princess　to　guard！　　Mr。　Paraday　lent　her　
the　manuscript　to　look　over。'

〃'She　spoke；　you　mean；　as　if　it　were　the　morning　paper？'

〃Lady　Augusta　stared　…　my　irony　was　lost　on　her。　　'She　didn't　have　
time；　so　she　gave　me　a　chance　first；　because　unfortunately　I　go　to…
morrow　to　Bigwood。'

〃'And　your　chance　has　only　proved　a　chance　to　lose　it？'

〃'I　haven't　lost　it。　　I　remember　now　…　it　was　very　stupid　of　me　to　
have　forgotten。　　I　told　my　maid　to　give　it　to　Lord　Dorimont　…　or　at　
least　to　his　man。'

〃'And　Lord　Dorimont　went　away　directly　after　luncheon。'

〃'Of　course　he　gave　it　back　to　my　maid　…　or　else　his　man　did；'　said　
Lady　Augusta。　　'I　dare　say　it's　all　right。'

〃The　conscience　of　these　people　is　like　a　summer　sea。　　They　haven't　
time　to　look　over　a　priceless　composition；　they've　only　time　to　
kick　it　about　the　house。　　I　suggested　that　the　'man；'　fired　with　a　
noble　emulation；　had　perhaps　kept　the　work　for　his　own　perusal；　and　
her　ladyship　wanted　to　know　whether；　if　the　thing　shouldn't　
reappear　for　the　grand　occasion　appointed　by　our　hostess；　the　
author　wouldn't　have　something　else　to　read　that　would　do　just　as　
well。　　Their　questions　are　too　delightful！　　I　declared　to　Lady　
Augusta　briefly　that　nothing　in　the　world　can　ever　do　so　well　as　
the　thing　that　does　best；　and　at　this　she　looked　a　little　
disconcerted。　　But　I　added　that　if　the　manuscript　had　gone　astray　
our　little　circle　would　have　the　less　of　an　effort　of　attention　to　
make。　　The　piece　in　question　was　very　long　…　it　would　keep　them　
three　hours。

〃'Three　hours！　　Oh　the　Princess　will　get　up！'　said　Lady　Augusta。

〃'I　thought　she　was　Mr。　Paraday's　greatest　admirer。'

〃'I　dare　say　she　is　…　she's　so　awfully　clever。　　But　what's　the　use　
of　being　a　Princess　…　'

〃'If　you　can't　dissemble　your　love？'　I　asked　as　Lady　Augusta　was　
vague。　　She　said　at　any　rate　she'd　question　her　maid；　and　I'm　
hoping　that　when　I　go　down　to　dinner　I　shall　find　the　manuscript　
has　been　recovered。〃



CHAPTER　X。



〃IT　has　NOT　been　recovered；〃　I　wrote　early　the　next　day；　〃and　I'm　
moreover　much　troubled　about　our　friend。　　He　came　back　from　Bigwood　
with　a　chill　and；　being　allowed　to　have　a　fire　in　his　room；　lay　
down　a　while　before　dinner。　　I　tried　to　send　him　to　bed　and　indeed　
thought　I　had　put　him　in　the　way　of　it；　but　after　I　had　gone　to　
dress　Mrs。　Wimbush　came　up　to　see　him；　with　the　inevitable　result　
that　when　I　returned　I　found　him　under　arms　and　flushed　and　
feverish；　though　decorated　with　the　rare　flower　she　had　brought　him　
for　his　button…hole。　　He　came　down　to　dinner；　but　Lady　Augusta　
Minch　was　very　shy　of　him。　　To…day　he's　in　great　pain；　and　the　
advent　of　ces　dames　…　I　mean　of　Guy　Walsingham　and　Dora　Forbes　…　
doesn't　at　all　console　me。　　It　does　Mrs。　Wimbush；　however；　for　she　
has　consented　to　his　remaining　in　bed　so　that　he　may　be　all　right　
to…morrow　for　the　listening　circle。　　Guy　Walsingham's　already　on　
the　scene；　and　the　Doctor　for　Paraday　also　arrived　early。　　I　
haven't　yet　seen　the　author　of　'Obsessions；'　but　of　course　I've　had　
a　moment　by　myself　with　the　Doctor。　　I　tried　to　get　him　to　say　that　
our　invalid　must　go　straight　home　…　I　mean　to…morrow　or　next　day；　
but　he　quite　refuses　to　talk　about　the　future。　　Absolute　quiet　and　
warmth　and　the　regular　administration　of　an　important　remedy　are　
the　points　he　mainly　insists　on。　　He　returns　this　afternoon；　and　
I'm　to　go　back　to　see　the　patient　at　one　o'clock；　when　he　next　
takes　his　medicine。　　It　consoles　me　a　little　that　he　certainly　
won't　be　able　to　read　…　an　exertion　he　was　already　more　than　unfit　
for。　　Lady　Augusta　went　off　after　breakfast；　assuring　me　her　first　
care　would　be　to　follow　up　the　lost　manuscript。　　I　can　see　she　
thinks　me　a　shocking　busybody　and　doesn't　understand　my　alarm；　but　
she'll　do　what　she　can；　for　she's　a　good…natured　woman。　　'So　are　
they　all　honourable　men。'　　That　was　precisely　what　made　her　give　
the　thing　to　Lord　Dorimont　and　made　Lord　Dorimont　bag　it。　　What　use　
HE　has　for　it　God　only　knows。　　I've　the　worst　forebodings；　but　
somehow　I'm　strangely　without　passion　…　desperately　calm。　　As　I　
consider　the　unconscious；　the　well…meaning　ravages　of　our　
appreciative　circle　I　bow　my　head　in　submission　to　some　great　
natural；　some　universal　accident；　I'm　rendered