the author of beltraffio-第7章

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letters；　of　that　new　fruit　of　his　imagination；　I　should　take　to　my
room　and　look　over　at　my　leisure。　　I　was　in　the　act　of　leaving　him
when　the　door　of　the　study　noiselessly　opened　and　Mrs。　Ambient　stood
before　us。　　She　observed　us　a　moment；　her　candle　in　her　hand；　and
then　said　to　her　husband　that　as　she　supposed　he　hadn't　gone　to　bed
she　had　come　down　to　let　him　know　Dolcino　was　more　quiet　and　would
probably　be　better　in　the　morning。　　Mark　Ambient　made　no　reply；　he
simply　slipped　past　her　in　the　doorway；　as　if　for　fear　she　might
seize　him　in　his　passage；　and　bounded　upstairs　to　judge　for　himself
of　his　child's　condition。　　She　looked　so　frankly　discomfited　that　I
for　a　moment　believed　her　about　to　give　him　chase。　　But　she　resigned
herself　with　a　sigh　and　her　eyes　turned；　ruefully　and　without　a　ray；
to　the　lamplit　room　where　various　books　at　which　I　had　been　looking
were　pulled　out　of　their　places　on　the　shelves　and　the　fumes　of
tobacco　hung　in　mid…air。　　I　bade　her　good…night　and　then；　without
intention；　by　a　kind　of　fatality；　a　perversity　that　had　already　made
me　address　her　overmuch　on　that　question　of　her　husband's　powers；　I
alluded　to　the　precious　proof…sheets　with　which　Ambient　had　entrusted
me　and　which　I　nursed　there　under　my　arm。　　〃They're　the　opening
chapters　of　his　new　book；〃　I　said。　　〃Fancy　my　satisfaction　at　being
allowed　to　carry　them　to　my　room！〃

She　turned　away；　leaving　me　to　take　my　candlestick　from　the　table　in
the　hall；　but　before　we　separated；　thinking　it　apparently　a　good
occasion　to　let　me　know　once　for　all　since　I　was　beginning；　it　would
seem；　to　be　quite　〃thick〃　with　my　hostthat　there　was　no　fitness　in
my　appealing　to　her　for　sympathy　in　such　a　case；　before　we　separated；
I　say；　she　remarked　to　me　with　her　quick　fine　well…bred　inveterate
curtness：　　〃I　daresay　you　attribute　to　me　ideas　I　haven't　got。　　I
don't　take　that　sort　of　interest　in　my　husband's　proof…sheets。　　I
consider　his　writings　most　objectionable！〃



CHAPTER　III



I　had　an　odd　colloquy　the　next　morning　with　Miss　Ambient；　whom　I
found　strolling　in　the　garden　before　breakfast。　　The　whole　place
looked　as　fresh　and　trim；　amid　the　twitter　of　the　birds；　as　if；　an
hour　before；　the　housemaids　had　been　turned　into　it　with　their　dust…
pans　and　feather…brushes。　　I　almost　hesitated　to　light　a　cigarette
and　was　doubly　startled　when；　in　the　act　of　doing　so；　I　suddenly　saw
the　sister　of　my　host；　who　had；　at　the　best；　something　of　the
weirdness　of　an　apparition；　stand　before　me。　　She　might　have　been
posing　for　her　photograph。　　Her　sad…coloured　robe　arranged　itself　in
serpentine　folds　at　her　feet；　her　hands　locked　themselves　listlessly
together　in　front；　her　chin　rested　on　a　cinque…cento　ruff。　　The　first
thing　I　did　after　bidding　her　good…morning　was　to　ask　her　for　news　of
her　little　nephewto　express　the　hope　she　had　heard　he　was　better。
She　was　able　to　gratify　this　trustshe　spoke　as　if　we　might　expect
to　see　him　during　the　day。　　We　walked　through　the　shrubberies
together　and　she　gave　me　further　light　on　her　brother's　household；
which　offered　me　an　opportunity　to　repeat　to　her　what　his　wife　had　so
startled　and　distressed　me　with　the　night　before。　　WAS　it　the　sorry
truth　that　she　thought　his　productions　objectionable？

〃She　doesn't　usually　come　out　with　that　so　soon！〃　Miss　Ambient
returned　in　answer　to　my　breathlessness。

〃Poor　lady；〃　I　pleaded；　〃she　saw　I'm　a　fanatic。〃

〃Yes；　she　won't　like　you　for　that。　　But　you　mustn't　mind；　if　the　rest
of　us　like　you！　　Beatrice　thinks　a　work　of　art　ought　to　have　a
'purpose。'　　But　she's　a　charming　womandon't　you　think　her　charming？
I　find　in　her　quite　the　grand　air。〃

〃She's　very　beautiful；〃　I　produced　with　an　effort；　while　I　reflected
that　though　it　was　apparently　true　that　Mark　Ambient　was　mismated　it
was　also　perceptible　that　his　sister　was　perfidious。　　She　assured　me
her　brother　and　his　wife　had　no　other　difference　but　thisone　that
she　thought　his　writings　immoral　and　his　influence　pernicious。　　It
was　a　fixed　idea；　she　was　afraid　of　these　things　for　the　child。　　I
answered　that　it　was　in　all　conscience　enough；　the　trifle　of　a
woman's　regarding　her　husband's　mind　as　a　well　of　corruption；　and　she
seemed　much　struck　with　the　novelty　of　my　remark。　　〃But　there　hasn't
been　any　of　the　sort　of　trouble　that　there　so　often　is　among　married
people；〃　she　said。　　〃I　suppose　you　can　judge　for　yourself　that
Beatrice　isn't　at　allwell；　whatever　they　call　it　when　a　woman　kicks
over！　　And　poor　Mark　doesn't　make　love　to　other　people　either。　　You
might　think　he　would；　but　I　assure　you　he　doesn't。　　All　the　same　of
course；　from　her　point　of　view；　you　know；　she　has　a　dread　of　my
brother's　influence　on　the　child　on　the　formation　of　his　character；
his　'ideals；'　poor　little　brat；　his　principles。　　It's　as　if　it　were　a
subtle　poison　or　a　contagionsomething　that　would　rub　off　on　his
tender　sensibility　when　his　father　kisses　him　or　holds　him　on　his
knee。　　If　she　could　she'd　prevent　Mark　from　even　so　much　as　touching
him。　　Every　one　knows　itvisitors　see　it　for　themselves；　so　there's
no　harm　in　my　telling　you。　　Isn't　it　excessively　odd？　　It　comes　from
Beatrice's　being　so　religious　and　so　tremendously　moralso　a　cheval
on　fifty　thousand　riguardi。　　And　then　of　course　we　mustn't　forget；〃
my　companion　added；　a　little　unexpectedly；　to　this　polyglot
proposition；　〃that　some　of　Mark's　ideas　arewell；　reallyrather
impossible；　don't　you　know？〃

I　reflected　as　we　went　into　the　house；　where　we　found　Ambient
unfolding　The　Observer　at　the　breakfast…table；　that　none　of　them　were
probably　quite　so　〃impossible；　don't　you　know？〃　as　his　sister。　　Mrs。
Ambient；　a　little　〃the　worse；〃　as　was　mentioned；　for　her
ministrations；　during　the　night；　to　Dolcino；　didn't　appear　at
breakfast。　　Her　husband　described　her；　however；　as　hoping　to　go　to
church。　　I　afterwards　learnt　that　she　did　go；　but　nothing　naturally
was　less　on　the　cards　than　that　we　should　accompany　her。　　It　was
while　the　church…bell　droned　near　at　hand　that　the　author　of
〃Beltraffio〃　led　me　forth　for　the　ramble　he　had　spoken　of　in　his
note。　　I　shall　attempt　here　no　record　of　where　we　went　or　of　what　we
saw。　　We　kept　to　the　fields　and　copses　and　commons；　and　breathed　the
same　sweet　air　as　the　nibbling　donkeys　and　the　browsing　sheep；　whose
woolliness　seemed　to　me；　in　those　early　days　of　acquaintance　with
English　objects；　but　part　of　the　general　texture　of　the　small　dense
landscape；　which　looked　as　if　the　harvest　were　gathered　by　the　shears
and　with　all　nature　bleating　and　braying　for　the　violence。
Everything　was　full　of　expression　for　Mark　Ambient's　visitorfrom
the　big　bandy…legged　geese　whose　whiteness　was　a　〃note〃　amid　all　the
tones　of　green　as　they　wandered　beside　a　neat　little　oval　pool；　the
foreground　of　a　thatched　and　whitewashed　inn；　with　a　grassy　approach
and　a　pictorial　signfrom　these　humble　wayside　animals　to　the　crests
of　high　woods　which　let　a　gable　or　a　pinnacle　peep　here　and　there　and
looked　even　at　a　distance　like　trees　of　good　company；　conscious　of　an
individual　profile。　　I　admired　the　hedge…rows；　I　plucked　the　faint…
hued　heather；　and　I　was　for　ever　stopping　to　say　how　charming　I
thought　the　thread…like　footpaths　across　the　fields；　which　wandered
in　a　diagonal　of　finer　grain　from　one　smooth　stile　to　another。　　Mark
Ambient　was　abundantly　good…natured　and　was　as　much　struck；　dear　man；
with　some　of　my　observations　as　I　was　with　the　literary　allusions　of
the　landscape。　　We　sat　and　smoked　on　stiles；　broaching　paradoxes　in
the　decent　English　air；　we　took　short　cuts　across　a　park　or　two　where
the　bracken　was　deep　and　my　companion　nodded　to　the　old　woman　at　the
gate；　we　skirted　rank　coverts　which　rustled　here　and　there　as　we
passed；　and　we　stretched　ourselves　at　last　on　a　heathery　hillside
where　if　the　sun　wasn't　too　hot　neither　was　the　earth　too　cold；　and
where　the　country　lay　beneath　us　in　a　rich　blue　mist。　　Of　course　I
had　already　told　him　what　I　thought　of　his　new　novel；　having　the
previous　night　read　every　word　of　the　opening　chapters　before　I　went
to　bed。

〃I'm　not　without　hope　of　being　able　to　make　it　decent　enough；〃　he
said　as　I　went　back　to　the　subject　while　we　turned　up　our　heel