eugene pickering-第6章

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〃Amen！〃　I　answered；　jumping　up　with　a　laugh。　　〃And　now；　if　we　are　to

see　the　world　in　a　month；　there　is　no　time　to　lose。　　Let　us　begin

with　the　Hardtwald。〃



Pickering　rose；　and　we　strolled　away　into　the　forest；　talking　of

lighter　things。　　At　last　we　reached　the　edge　of　the　wood；　sat　down　on

a　fallen　log；　and　looked　out　across　an　interval　of　meadow　at　the　long

wooded　waves　of　the　Taunus。　　What　my　friend　was　thinking　of　I　can't

say；　I　was　meditating　on　his　queer　biography；　and　letting　my

wonderment　wander　away　to　Smyrna。　　Suddenly　I　remembered　that　he

possessed　a　portrait　of　the　young　girl　who　was　waiting　for　him　there

in　a　white…walled　garden。　　I　asked　him　if　he　had　it　with　him。　　He

said　nothing；　but　gravely　took　out　his　pocket…book　and　drew　forth　a

small　photograph。　　It　represented；　as　the　poet　says；　a　simple　maiden

in　her　flowera　slight　young　girl；　with　a　certain　childish　roundness

of　contour。　　There　was　no　ease　in　her　posture；　she　was　standing；

stiffly　and　shyly；　for　her　likeness；　she　wore　a　short…waisted　white

dress；　her　arms　hung　at　her　sides　and　her　hands　were　clasped　in

front；　her　head　was　bent　downward　a　little；　and　her　dark　eyes　fixed。

But　her　awkwardness　was　as　pretty　as　that　of　some　angular　seraph　in　a

mediaeval　carving；　and　in　her　timid　gaze　there　seemed　to　lurk　the

questioning　gleam　of　childhood。　　〃What　is　this　for？〃　her　charming

eyes　appeared　to　ask；　〃why　have　I　been　dressed　up　for　this　ceremony

in　a　white　frock　and　amber　beads？〃



〃Gracious　powers！〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃what　an　enchanting　thing　is

innocence！〃



〃That　portrait　was　taken　a　year　and　a　half　ago；〃　said　Pickering；　as

if　with　an　effort　to　be　perfectly　just。　　〃By　this　time；　I　suppose；

she　looks　a　little　wiser。〃



〃Not　much；　I　hope；〃　I　said；　as　I　gave　it　back。　　〃She　is　very　sweet！〃



〃Yes；　poor　girl；　she　is　very　sweetno　doubt！〃　　And　he　put　the　thing

away　without　looking　at　it。



We　were　silent　for　some　moments。　　At　last；　abruptly〃My　dear

fellow；〃　I　said；　〃I　should　take　some　satisfaction　in　seeing　you

immediately　leave　Homburg。〃



〃Immediately？〃



〃To…dayas　soon　as　you　can　get　ready。〃



He　looked　at　me；　surprised；　and　little　by　little　he　blushed。　　〃There

is　something　I　have　not　told　you；〃　he　said；　〃something　that　your

saying　that　Madame　Blumenthal　has　no　reputation　to　lose　has　made　me

half　afraid　to　tell　you。〃



〃I　think　I　can　guess　it。　　Madame　Blumenthal　has　asked　you　to　come　and

play　her　game　for　her　again。〃



〃Not　at　all！〃　cried　Pickering；　with　a　smile　of　triumph。　　〃She　says

that　she　means　to　play　no　more　for　the　present。　　She　has　asked　me　to

come　and　take　tea　with　her　this　evening。〃



〃Ah；　then；〃　I　said；　very　gravely；　〃of　course　you　can't　leave

Homburg。〃



He　answered　nothing；　but　looked　askance　at　me；　as　if　he　were

expecting　me　to　laugh。　　〃Urge　it　strongly；〃　he　said　in　a　moment。

〃Say　it's　my　dutythat　I　MUST。〃



I　didn't　quite　understand　him；　but；　feathering　the　shaft　with　a

harmless　expletive；　I　told　him　that　unless　he　followed　my　advice　I

would　never　speak　to　him　again。



He　got　up；　stood　before　me；　and　struck　the　ground　with　his　stick。

〃Good！〃　he　cried；　〃I　wanted　an　occasion　to　break　a　ruleto　leap　a

barrier。　　Here　it　is。　　I　stay！〃



I　made　him　a　mock　bow　for　his　energy。　　〃That's　very　fine；〃　I　said；

〃but　now；　to　put　you　in　a　proper　mood　for　Madame　Blumenthal's　tea；　we

will　go　and　listen　to　the　band　play　Schubert　under　the　lindens。〃　　And

we　walked　back　through　the　woods。



I　went　to　see　Pickering　the　next　day；　at　his　inn；　and　on　knocking；　as

directed；　at　his　door；　was　surprised　to　hear　the　sound　of　a　loud

voice　within。　　My　knock　remained　unnoticed；　so　I　presently　introduced

myself。　　I　found　no　company；　but　I　discovered　my　friend　walking　up

and　down　the　room　and　apparently　declaiming　to　himself　from　a　little

volume　bound　in　white　vellum。　　He　greeted　me　heartily；　threw　his　book

on　the　table；　and　said　that　he　was　taking　a　German　lesson。



〃And　who　is　your　teacher？〃　I　asked；　glancing　at　the　book。



He　rather　avoided　meeting　my　eye；　as　he　answered；　after　an　instant's

delay；　〃Madame　Blumenthal。〃



〃Indeed！　　Has　she　written　a　grammar？〃



〃It's　not　a　grammar；　it's　a　tragedy。〃　　And　he　handed　me　the　book。



I　opened　it；　and　beheld；　in　delicate　type；　with　a　very　large　margin；

an　Historisches　Trauerspiel　in　five　acts；　entitled　〃Cleopatra。〃

There　were　a　great　many　marginal　corrections　and　annotations；

apparently　from　the　author's　hand；　the　speeches　were　very　long；　and

there　was　an　inordinate　number　of　soliloquies　by　the　heroine。　　One　of

them；　I　remember；　towards　the　end　of　the　play；　began　in　this　fashion

…



〃What；　after　all；　is　life　but　sensation；　and　sensation　but

deception？reality　that　pales　before　the　light　of　one's　dreams　as

Octavia's　dull　beauty　fades　beside　mine？　　But　let　me　believe　in　some

intenser　bliss；　and　seek　it　in　the　arms　of　death！〃



〃It　seems　decidedly　passionate；〃　I　said。　　〃Has　the　tragedy　ever　been

acted？〃



〃Never　in　public；　but　Madame　Blumenthal　tells　me　that　she　had　it

played　at　her　own　house　in　Berlin；　and　that　she　herself　undertook　the

part　of　the　heroine。〃



Pickering's　unworldly　life　had　not　been　of　a　sort　to　sharpen　his

perception　of　the　ridiculous；　but　it　seemed　to　me　an　unmistakable

sign　of　his　being　under　the　charm；　that　this　information　was　very

soberly　offered。　　He　was　preoccupied；　he　was　irresponsive　to　my

experimental　observations　on　vulgar　topicsthe　hot　weather；　the　inn；

the　advent　of　Adelina　Patti。　　At　last；　uttering　his　thoughts；　he

announced　that　Madame　Blumenthal　had　proved　to　be　an　extraordinarily

interesting　woman。　　He　seemed　to　have　quite　forgotten　our　long　talk

in　the　Hartwaldt；　and　betrayed　no　sense　of　this　being　a　confession

that　he　had　taken　his　plunge　and　was　floating　with　the　current。　　He

only　remembered　that　I　had　spoken　slightingly　of　the　lady；　and　he　now

hinted　that　it　behoved　me　to　amend　my　opinion。　　I　had　received　the

day　before　so　strong　an　impression　of　a　sort　of　spiritual

fastidiousness　in　my　friend's　nature；　that　on　hearing　now　the

striking　of　a　new　hour；　as　it　were；　in　his　consciousness；　and

observing　how　the　echoes　of　the　past　were　immediately　quenched　in　its

music；　I　said　to　myself　that　it　had　certainly　taken　a　delicate　hand

to　wind　up　that　fine　machine。　　No　doubt　Madame　Blumenthal　was　a

clever　woman。　　It　is　a　good　German　custom　at　Homburg　to　spend　the

hour　preceding　dinner　in　listening　to　the　orchestra　in　the　Kurgarten；

Mozart　and　Beethoven；　for　organisms　in　which　the　interfusion　of　soul

and　sense　is　peculiarly　mysterious；　are　a　vigorous　stimulus　to　the

appetite。　　Pickering　and　I　conformed；　as　we　had　done　the　day　before；

to　the　fashion；　and　when　we　were　seated　under　the　trees；　he　began　to

expatiate　on　his　friend's　merits。



〃I　don't　know　whether　she　is　eccentric　or　not；〃　he　said；　〃to　me　every

one　seems　eccentric；　and　it's　not　for　me；　yet　a　while；　to　measure

people　by　my　narrow　precedents。　　I　never　saw　a　gaming　table　in　my

life　before；　and　supposed　that　a　gambler　was　of　necessity　some　dusky

villain　with　an　evil　eye。　　In　Germany；　says　Madame　Blumenthal；　people

play　at　roulette　as　they　play　at　billiards；　and　her　own　venerable

mother　originally　taught　her　the　rules　of　the　game。　　It　is　a

recognised　source　of　subsistence　for　decent　people　with　small　means。

But　I　confess　Madame　Blumenthal　might　do　worse　things　than　play　at

roulette；　and　yet　make　them　harmonious　and　beautiful。　　I　have　never

been　in　the　habit　of　thinking　positive　beauty　the　most　excellent

thing　in　a　woman。　　I　have　always　said　to　myself　that　if　my　heart　were

ever　to　be　captured　it　would　be　by　a　sort　of　general　gracea

sweetness　of　motion　and　toneon　which　one　could　count　for　soothing

impressions；　as　one　counts　on　a　musical　instrument　that　is　perfectly

in　tune。　　Madame　Blumenthal　has　itthis　grace　that　soothes　and

satisfies；　and　it　seems　the　more　perfect　that　it　keeps　order　and

harmony　in　a　character　really　passionately