brideshead+revisited-第12部分

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g　beaten　in　the　most　savage　way；　on　the　most　frivolous　pretexts；　but　never　Sebastian。　He　was　the　only　boy　in　my　house　who　was　never　beaten　at　all。　I　can　see　him　now；　at　the　age　of　fifteen。　He　never　had　spots　you　know；　all　the　other　boys　were　spotty。　Boy　Mulcaster　was　positively　scrofulous。　But　not　Sebastian。　Or　did　he　have　one；　rather　a　stubborn　one　at　the　back　of　his　neck？　I　think；　now；　that　he　did。　Narcissus；　with　one　pustule。　He　and　I　were　both　Catholics；　so　we　used　to　go　to　mass　together。　He　used　to　spend　such　a　time　in　the　confessional；　I　used　to　wonder　what　he　had　to　say；　because　he　never　did　anything　wrong；　never　quite；　at　least；　he　never　got　punished。　Perhaps　he　was　just　being　charming　through　the　grille。　I　left　under　what　is　called　a　cloud；　you　know　…　I　can't　think　why　it　is　called　that；　it　seemed　to　me　a　glare　of　unwele　light；　the　process　involved　a　series　of　harrowing　interviews　with　m'　tutor。　It　was　disconcerting　to　find　how　observant　that　mild　old　man　proved　to　be。　The　things　he　knew　about　me；　which　I　thought　no　one　…　except　possibly　Sebastian　…　knew。　It　was　a　lesson　never　to　trust　mild　old　men　…　or　charming　school　boys；　which？
　　　　'Shall　we　have　another　bottle　of　this　wine；　or　of　something　different？　Something　different；　some　bloody；　old　Burgundy；　eh？　You　see；　Charles；　I　understand　all　your　tastes。　You　must　e　to　France　with　me　and　drink　the　wine。　We　will　go　at　the　vintage。　I　will　take　you　to　stay　at　the　Vincennes。　It　is　all　made　up　with　them　now；　and　he　has　finest　wine　in　France；　he　and　the　Prince　de　Portallon　…　I　will　take　you　there；　too。　I　think　they　would　amuse　you；　and　of　course　they　would　love　you。　I　want　to　introduce；　you　to　a　lot　of　my　friends。　I　have　told　Cocteau　about　you。　He　is　all　agog。　You　see；　my　dear　Charles；　you　are　that　very　rare　thing；　An　Artist。　Oh　yes；　you　must　not　look　bashful。　Behind　that　cold；　English；　phlegmatic　exterior　you　I　are　An　Artist。　I　have　seen　those　little　drawings　you　keep　hidden　away　in　your　room。　They　are　exquisite。　And　you；　dear　Charles；　if　you　will　understand　me；　are　not　exquisite；　but　not　at　all　Artists　are　not　exquisite。　I　am；　Sebastian；　in　a　kind　of　way；　is　exquisite；　but　the　artist　is　an　eternal　type；　solid；　purposeful；　observant　…　and；　beneath　it　all；　p…p…passionate；　eh；　Charles？
　　　　'But　who　recognizes　you？　The　other　day　I　was　speaking　to　Sebastian　about　you；　and　I　said；　〃But　you　know　Charles　is　an　artist。　He　draws　like　a　young　Ingres；〃　and　do　you　know　what　Sebastian　said？　…　〃Yes；　Aloysius　draws　very　prettily；　too；　but　of　course　he's　rather　more　modern。'　So　charming；　so　amusing。
　　　　'Of　course　those　that　have　charm　don't　really　need　brains。　Stefanie　de　Vincennes　really　tickled　me　four　years　ago。　My　dear；　I　even　used　the　same　coloured　varnish　for　my　toe…nails。　I　used　her　words　and　lit　my　cigarette　in　the　same　way　and　spoke　with　her　tone　on　the　telephone　so　that　the　duke　used　to　carry　on　long　and　intimate　conversations　with　me；　thinking　that　I　was　her。　It　was　largely　that　which　put　his　mind　on　pistol　and　sabres　in　such　an　old…fashioned　manner。　My　step…father　thought　it　an　excellent　education　for　me。　He　thought　it　would　make　me　grow　out　of　what　he　calls　my　〃English　habits〃。　Poor　man；　he　is　very　South　American。。。I　never　heard　anyone　speak　an　ill　word　of　Stefanie；　except…the　Duke：　and　she；　my　dear；　is　positively　cretinous。'
　　　　Anthony　had　lost　his　stammer　in　the　deep　waters　of　his　old　romance。　It　came　floating　back　to　him；　momentarily；　with　the　coffee　and　liqueurs。　'Real　G…g…green　Chartreuse；　made　before　the　expulsion　of　the　monks。　There　are　five　distinct　tastes　as　it　trickles　over　the　tongue。　It　is　like　swallowing　a　sp…spectrum。　Do　you　wish　Sebastian　was　with　us？　Of　course　you　do。　Do　I？　I　wonder。　How　our　thoughts　do　run　on　that　little　bundle　of　charm　to　be　sure。　I　think　you　must　be　mesmerizing　me；　Charles。　I　bring　you　here；　at　very　considerable　expense；　my　dear；　simply　to　talk　about　myself；　and　I　find　I　talk　of　no　one　except　Sebastian。　It's　odd　because　there's　really　no　mystery　about　him　except　how　he　came　to　be　born　of　such　a　very　sinister　family。
　　　　'I　forget　if　you　know　his　family。　I　don't　suppose　he'll　ever　let　you　meet　them。　He's　far　too　clever。　They're　quite；　quite　gruesome。　Do　you　ever　feel　there　is　something　a　teeny　bit　gruesome　about　Sebastian？　No？　Perhaps　I　imagine　it；　it's　simply　that　he　looks　so　like　the　rest　of　them；　sometimes。
　　　　'There's　Brideshead　who's　something　archaic；　out　of　a　cave　that's　been　sealed　for　centuries。　He　has　the　face　as　though　an　Aztec　sculptor　had　attempted　a　portrait　of　Sebastian；　he's　a　learned　bigot；　a　ceremonious　barbarian；　a　snow…bound　lama。。。Well；　anything　you　like。　And　Julia；　you　know　what　she　looks　like。　Who　could　help　it？　Her　photograph　appears　as　regularly　in　the　illustrated　papers　as　the　advertisements　for　Beecham's　Pills。　A　face　of　flawless　Florentine　quattrocento　beauty；　almost　anyone　else　with　those　looks　would　have　been　tempted　to　bee　artistic；　not　Lady　Julia；　she's　as　smart　as　…　well；　as　smart　as　Stefanie。　Nothing　greenery…yallery　about　her。　So　gay；　so　correct；　so　unaffected。　I　wonder　if　she's　incestuous。　I　doubt　it；　all　she　wants　is　power。　There　ought　to　be　an　Inquisition　especially　set　up　to　burn　her。　There's　another　sister；　too；　I　believe；　in　the　schoolroom。　Nothing　is　known　of　her　yet　except　that　her　governess　went　mad　and　drowned　herself　not　long　ago。　I'm　sure　she's　abominable。　So　you　see　there　was　really　very　little　left　for　poor　Sebastian　to　do　except　be　sweet　and　charming。
　　　　'It's　when　one　gets　to　the　parents　that　a　bottomless　pit　opens。　My　dear；　such　a　pair。　How　does　Lady　Marchmain　manage　it？　It　is　one　of　the　questions　of　　the　Age。　You　have　seen　her？　Very；　very　beautiful；　no　artifice　her　hair　just　turning　grey　in　elegant　silvery　streaks；　no　rouge　very　pale；　huge…eyed　…　it　is　extraordinary　how　large　those　eyes　look　and　how　the　lids　are　veined　blue　where　anyone　else　would　have　touched　them　with　a　finger…tip　of　paint；　pearls　and　a　few　great　starlike　jewels；　heirlooms；　in　ancient　settings；　a　voice　as　quiet　as　a　prayer；　and　as　powerful。　And　Lord。　Marchmain；　well；　a　little　fleshy　perhaps；　but　very　handsome；　a　magnifico；　a　voluptuary；　Byronic；　bored；　infectiously　slothful；　not　at　all　the　sort　of　man　you　would　expect　to　see　easily　put　down。　And　that　Reinhardt　nun；　my　dear；　has　destroyed　him　but　utterly。　He　daren't　show　his　great　purple　face　anywhere。　He　is　the　last；　historic；　authentic　case　of　someone　being　hounded　out　of　society。　Brideshead　won't　see　him；　the　girls　mayn't；　Sebastian　does；　of　course；　because　he's；　so　charming。　No　one　else　goes　near　him。　Why；　last　September　Lady　Marchmain　was　in　Venice　staying　at　the　Palazzo　Fogliere。　To　tell　you　the　truth　she　was　just　a　teeny　bit　ridiculous　in　Venice。　She　never　went　near　the　Lido；　of　course；　but　she　was　always　drifting　about　the　canals　in　a　gondola　with　Sir　Adrian　Porson　…　such　attitudes；　my　dear；　like　Madame　R閏amier；　once　I　passed　them　and　I　caught　the　eye　of　the　Fogliere　gondolier；　whom；　of　course；　I　knew；　and；　my　dear；　he　gave　me　such　a　wink。　She　came　to　all　the　parties　in　a　sort　of　cocoon　of　gossamer；　my　dear；　as　though　she　were　part　of　some　Celtic　play　or　a　heroine　from　Maeterlinck；　and　she　would　go　to　church。　Well；　as　you　know；　Venice　is　the　one　town　in　Italy　where　no　one　ever　has　gone　to　church。　Anyway；　she　was　rather　a　figure　of　fun　that　year；　and　then　who；　should　turn　up；　in　the　Maltons'　yacht；　but　poor　Lord　Marchmain。　He'd　taken　a　little　palace　there；　but　was　he　allowed　in？　Lord　Malton　put　him　and　his　valet　into　a　dinghy；　my　dear；　and　transhipped　him　there　and　then　into　the　steamer　for　Trieste。　He　hadn't　even　his　mistress　with　him。　It　was　her　yearly　holiday。　No　one　ever　knew　how　they　heard　Lady　Marchmain　was　there。　And；　do　you　know；　for　a　week　Lord　Malton　slunk　about　as　if　he　was　in　disgrace？　And　he　was　in　disgrace。　The　Principessa　Fogliere　gave　a　ball　and　Lord　Malton　was　not　asked　nor　anyone　from　his　yacht　…　even　the　de　Pa駉ses。　How　does　Lady　Marchmain　do　it？　She　has　convinced　the　world　that　Lord　Marchmain　is　a　monster。　And　what　is　the　truth？　They　were　married　for　fifteen　years　or　so　and　then　Lord　Marchmain　went　to　the　war；　he　never　came　back　but　formed　a　connection　with　a　highly　talented　dancer。　There　are　a　thousand　such　cases。　She　refuses　to　divorce　him　b