brideshead+revisited-第11部分

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all　fists　whirling；　at　the　school　prefects。
　　　　He　asked　me　to　dinner；　and　I　was　a　little　disconcerted　to　find　that　we　were　to　dine　alone。　'We　are　going　to　Thame；'　he　said。　'There　is　a　delightful　hotel　there；　which　luckily　doesn't　appeal　to　the　Bullingdon。　We　will；　drink　Rhine　wine　and　imagine　ourselves。。。where？　Not　on　a　j…j…jaunt　with　J…J…Jorrocks　anyway。　But　first　we　will　have　our　ap閞itif。'
　　　　At　the　George　bar　he　ordered　'Four　Alexandra　cocktails；　please；'　ranged　them　before　him　with　a　loud　'Yum…yum'　which　drew　every　eye；　outraged；　upon　him。　'I　expect　you　would　prefer　sherry；　but；　my　dear　Charles；　you　are　not　going　to　have　sherry。　Isn't　this　a　delicious　concoction？　You　don't　like　it？　Then　I　will　drink　it　for　you。　One；　two；　three；　four；　down　the　red　lane　they　go。　How　the　students　stare！'　And　he　led　me　out　to　the　waiting　motorcar。
　　　　'I　hope　we　shall　find　no　undergraduates　there。　I　am　a　little　out　of　sympathy　with　them　for　the　moment。　You　heard　about　their　treatment　of　me　on　Thursday？　It　was　too　naughty。　Luckily　I　was　wearing　my　oldest　pyjamas　and　it　was　an　evening　of　oppressive　heat；　or　I　might　have　been　seriously　cross。'　Anthony　had　a　habit　of　putting　his　face　near　one　when　he　spoke；　the　sweet　and　creamy　cocktail　had　tainted　his　breath。　I　leaned　away　from　him　in　the　er　of　the　hired　car。
　　　　'Picture　me；　my　dear；　alone　and　studious。　I　had　just　bought　a　rather　forbidding　book　called　Antic　Hay；　Which　I　knew　I　must　read　before　going　to　Garsington　on　Sunday；　because　everyone　was　bound　to　talk　about　it；　and　it's　so　banal　saying　you　have　not　read　the　book　of　the　moment；　if　you　haven't。　The　solution　I　suppose　is　not　to　go　to　Garsington；　but　that　didn't　occur　to　me　until　this　moment。　So；　my　dear；　I　had　an　omelet　and　a　peach　and　a　bottle　of　Vichy　water　and　put　on　my　pyjamas　and　settled　down　to　read。　I　must　say　my　thoughts　wandered；　but　I　kept　turning　the　pages　and　watching　the　light　fade；　which　in　Peckwater；　my　dear；　is　quite　an　experience　…　as　darkness　falls　the　stone　seems　positively　to　decay　under　one's　eyes。　I　was　reminded　of　some　of　those　leprous　fa鏰de's　in　the　vieux　port　at　Marseille；　until　suddenly　I　was　disturbed　by　such　a　bawling　and　cater…wauling　as　you　never　heard；　and　there；　down　in　the　little　piazza；　I　saw　a　mob　of　about　twenty　terrible　young　men；　and　do　know　what　they　were　chanting？　〃We　want　Blanche。　We　want　Blanche；〃　in　a　kind　of　litany。　Such　a　public　declaration！　Well；　I　saw　it　was　all　up　with　Mr　Huxley　for　the　evening；　and；　I　must　say　I　had　reached　a　point　of　tedium　when　any　interruption　was　wele。　I　was　stirred　by　the　bellows；　but；　do　you　know；　the　louder　they　shouted；　the　shyer　they　seemed？　They　kept　saying　〃Where's　Boy？〃　〃He's　Boy　Mulcaster's　friend；〃　〃Boy　must　bring　him　down。〃　Of　course　you've　met　Boy？　He's　always　popping　in　and　out　of　dear　Sebastian's　rooms。　He's　everything　we　dagos　expect　of　an　English　lord。　A　great　parti　I　can　assure　you。　All　the　young　ladies　in　London　are　after　him。　He's　very　hoity…toity　with　them　I'm　told。　My　dear；　he's　scared　stiff。　A　great　oaf　…　that's　Mulcaster　…　and　what's　more；　my　dear；　a　cad。　He　came　to　le　Touquet　at　Easter　and；　in　some　extraordinary　way；　I　seemed　to　have　asked　him　to　stay。　He　lost　some　infinitesimal　sum　at　cards；　and　as　a　result　expected　me　to　pay　for　all　his　treats　…　well；　Mulcaster　was　in　this　party；　I　could　see　his　ungainly　form　shuffling　about　below　and　hear　him　saying：　〃It's　no　good。　He's　out。　Let's　go　back　and　have　a　drink？〃　So　then　I　put　my　head　out　of　the　window　and　called　to　him；　〃Good　evening；　Mulcaster；　old　sponge　and　toady；　are　you　lurking　among　the　hobbledehoys？　Have　you　e　to　repay　me　the　three　hundred　francs　I　lent　you　for　the　poor　drab　you　picked　up　in　the　Casino？　It　was　a　niggardly　sum　for　her　trouble；　and　what　a　trouble；　Mulcaster。　e　up　and　pay　me；　poor　hooligan！〃
　　　　'That；　my　dear；　seemed　to　put　a　little　life　into　them；　and　up　the　stairs　they　came；　clattering。　About　six　of　them　came　into　my　room；　the　rest　stood　mouthing　outside。　My　dear；　they　looked　too　extraordinary。　They　had　been　having　one　of　their　ridiculous　club　dinners；　and　they　were　all　wearing　coloured　tail…coats　…　a　sort　of　livery。　〃My　dears；〃　I　said　to　them；　〃you　look　like　a　lot　of　most　disorderly…　footmen。〃　Then　one　of　them；　rather　a　juicy　little　piece；　accused　me　of　unnatural　vices。　〃My　dear；〃　I　said；　〃I　may　be　inverted　but　I　am　not　insatiable。　e　back　when　you　are　alone。〃　Then　they　began　to　blaspheme　in　a　very　shocking　manner；　and　suddenly　I；　too；　began　to　be　annoyed。　〃Really；〃　I　thought；　〃when　I　think　of　all　the　hullabaloo　there　was　when　I　was　seventeen；　and　the　Duc　de　Vincennes　（old　Armand；　of　course；　not　Philippe）　challenged　me　to　a　duel　for　an　affair　of　the　heart；　and　very　much　more　than　the　heart；　I　assure　you；　with　the　duchess　（Stefanie；　of　course；　not　old　Poppy）　…　now；　to　submit　to　impertinence　from　these　pimply；　tipsy　virgins。。。〃　Well；　I　gave　up　the　light；　bantering　tone　and　let　myself　be　just　a　little　offensive。
　　　　'Then　they　began　saying；　〃Get　hold　of　him。　Put　him　in　Mercury。〃　Now　as　you　know　I　have　two　sculptures　by　Brancusi　and　several　pretty　things　and　I　did　not　want　them　to　start　getting　rough；　so　I　said；　pacifically；　〃Dear　sweet　clodhoppers；　if　you　knew　anything　of　sexual　psychology　you　would　know　that　nothing　could　give　me　keener　pleasure　than　to　be　manhandled　by　you　meaty　boys。　It　would　be　art　ecstasy　of　the　very　naughtiest　kind。　So　if　any　of　you　wishes　to　be　my　partner　in　joy　e　and　seize　me。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　you　simply　wish　to　satisfy　some　obscure　and　less　easily　classified　libido　and　see　me　bathe；　e　with　me　quietly；　dear　louts；　to　the　fountain。〃
　　　　'Do　you　know；　they　all　looked　a　little　foolish　at　that？　I　walked　down　with　them　and　no　one　came　within　a　yard　of　me。　Then　I　got　into　the　fountain　and；　you　know；　it　was　really　most　refreshing；　so　I　sported　there　a　little　and　struck　some　attitudes；　until　they　turned　about　and　walked　sulkily　home；　and　I　heard　Boy　Mulcaster　saying；　〃Anyway；　we　did　put　him　in　Mercury。〃　You　know；　Charles；　that　is　just　what　they'll　be　saying　in　thirty　years　time。　When　they're　all　married　to　scraggy　little　women　like　hens　and　have　cretinous　porcine　sons　like　themselves　getting　drunk　at　the　same　club　dinner　in　the　same　coloured　coats；　they'll　still　say；　when　my　name　is　mentioned；　〃We　put　him　in　Mercury　one　night；〃　and　their　barnyard　daughters　will　snigger　and　think　their　father　was　quite　a　dog　in　his　day；　and　what　a　pity　he's　grown　so　dull。'　Oh；　la　fatigue　du　Nord！'
　　　　　It　was　not；　I　knew；　the　first　time　Anthony　had　been　ducked；　but　the　incident　seemed　much　on　his　mind；　for　he　reverted　to　it　again　at　dinner。
　　　　'Now　you　can't　imagine　an　unpleasantness　like　that　happening　to　Sebastian；　can　you？'
　　　　'No。'　I　said；　I　could　not。
　　　　'No；　Sebastian　has　charm'；　he　held　up　his　glass　of　hock　to　the　candle…light　and　repeated；　'such　charm。　Do　you　know；　I　went　round　to　call　on　Sebastian　next　day？　I　thought　the　tale　of　my　evening's　adventures　might　amuse　him。　And　what　do　you　think　I　found　…　besides；　of　course；　his　amusing　toy　bear？　Mulcaster　and　two　of　his　cronies　of　the　night　before。　They　looked　very　foolish　and　Sebastian；　as　posed　as　Mrs　P…p…ponsonby…de…Tomkyns　in　P…p…punch；　said；　〃You　know　Lord　Mulcaster；　of　course；〃　and　the　oafs　said；　〃Oh；　we　just　came　to　see　how　Aloysius　was；〃　for　they　find　the　toy　bear　just　as　amusing　as　we　do　…　or；　shall　I　hint；　just　a　teeny　bit　more？　So　off　they　went。　And　I　said　〃S…s…sebastian；　do　you　realize　that　those　s…sycophantic　s…slugs　insulted　me　last　night；　and　but　for　the　warmth　of　the　weather　might　have　given　me　a　s…s…severe　cold；〃　and　he　said　〃Poor　things。　I　expect　they　were　drunk。〃　He　has　a　kind　…word　for　everyone；　you　see；　he　has　such　charm。
　　　　'I　can　see　he　has　pletely　captivated　you；　my　dear　Charles。　Well；　I'm　not　surprised。　Of　course；　you　haven't　known　him　as　long　as　I　have。　I　was　At　school　with　him。　You　wouldn't　believe　it；　but　in　those　days　people　used　to　say　he　was　a　little　bitch；　just　a　few　unkind　boys　who　knew　him　well。　Everyone　in　pop　liked　him；　of　course　and　all　the　masters。　I　expect　it　was　really　that　they　were　jealous　of　him。　He　never　seemed　to　get　into　trouble。　The　rest　of　us　were　constantly　being　beaten　in　the　most　savage　way；　on　the　most　frivolous　pretexts；　but　never　Sebastian。　He　was　the　onl