brideshead+revisited-第19部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


a　Negro　page　and　a　shepherd　playing　the　pipes；　but　the　thing　languished。　I　knew　it　was　good　chance　that　had　made　my　landscape；　and　that　this　elaborate　pastiche　was　too　much　for　me。
　　　　One　day　we　went　down　to　the　cellars　with　Wilcox　and　saw　the　empty　bays　which　had　once　held　a　vast　store　of　wine；　one　transept　only　was　used　now；　there　the　bins　were　well　stocked；　some　of　with　vintages　fifty　years　old。
　　　　'There's　been　nothing　added　since　his　Lordship　went　abroad；'　said　Wilcox。　'A　lot　of　the　old　wine　wants　drinking　up。　We　ought　to　have　laid　down　the　eighteens　and　twenties。　I've　had　several　letters　about　it　from　the　wine　merchants；　but　her　Ladyship　says　to　ask　Lord　Brideshead；　and　he　says　to　ask　his　Lordship；　and　his　Lordship　says　to　ask　the　lawyers。　That's　how　we　get　low。　There's　enough　here　for　ten　years　at　the　rate　it's　going；　but　how　shall　we　be　then？'
　　　　Wilcox　weled　our　interest；　we　had　bottles　brought　up　from　every　bin；　and　it　was　during　those　tranquil　evenings　with　Sebastian　that　I　first　made　a　serious　acquaintance　with　wine　and　sowed　the　seed　of　that　rich　harvest　which　was　to　be　my　stay　in　many　barren　years。　We　would　sit；　he　and　I；　in　the　Painted　Parlour　with　three　bottles　open　on　the　table　and　three　glasses　before　each　of　us；　Sebastian　had　found　a　book　on　wine…tasting；　and　we　followed　its　instructions　in　detail。　We　warmed　the　glass　slightly　at　a　candle；　filled　it　a　third　high；　swirled　the　wine　round；　nursed　it　in　our　hands；　held　it　to　the　light；　breathed　it；　sipped　it；　filled　our　mouths　with　it；　and　rolled　it　over　the　tongue；　ringing　it　on　the　palate　like　a　coin　on　a　counter；　tilted　our　heads　back　and　let　it　trickle　down　the　throat。　Then　we　talked　of　it　and　nibbled　Bath　Oliver　biscuits；　and　passed　on　to　another　wine；　then　back　to　the　first；　then　on　to　another；　until　all　three　were　in　circulation　and　the　order　of　glasses　got　confused；　and　we　fell　out　over　which　was　which；　and　we　passed　the　glasses　to　and　fro　between　us　until　there　were　six　glasses；　some　of　them　with　mixed　wines　in　them　which　we　had　filled　from　the　wrong　bottle；　till　we　were　obliged　to　start　again　with　three　clean　glasses　each；　and　the　bottles　were　empty　and　our　praise　of　them　wilder　and　more　exotic。
　　　　'。。。It　is　a　little　shy　wine　like　a　gazelle。'
　　　　'Like　a　leprechaun。'
　　　　'Dappled；　in　a　tapestry　meadow。'
　　　　'Like　flute　by　still　water。'
　　　　'。。。And　this　is　a　wise　old　wine。'
　　　　'A　prophet　in　a　cave。'
　　　　'。。。And　this　is　a　necklace　of　pearls　on　a　white　neck。'
　　　　'Like　a　swan。'
　　　　'Like　the　last　unicorn。'
　　　　And　we　would　leave　the　golden　candlelight　of　the　dining…room　for　the　starlight　outside　and　sit　on　the　edge　of　the　fountain；　cooling　our　hands　in　the　water　and　listening　drunkenly　to　its　splash　and　gurgle　over　the　rocks。
　　　　'Ought　we　to　be　drunk　every　night？；　Sebastian　asked　one　morning。
　　　　'Yes；　I　think　so。'
　　　　'I　think　so　too。'

　　　　We　saw　few　strangers。　There　was　the　agent；　a　lean　and　pouchy　colonel；　who　crossed　our　path　occasionally　and　once　came　to　tea。　Usually　we　managed　to　hide　from　him。　On　Sundays　a　monk　was　fetched　from　a　neighbouring　monastery　to　say　mass　and　breakfast　with　us。　He　was　the　first　priest　I　ever　met；　I　noticed　how　unlike　he　was　to　a　parson；　but　Brideshead　was　a　place　of　such　enchantment　to　me　that　I　expected　everything　and　everyone　to　be　unique；　Father　Phipps　was　in　fact　a　bland；　bun…faced　man　with；　an　interest　in　county　cricket　which　he　obstinately　believed　us　to　share。
　　　　'You；　know；　father；　Charles　and　I　simply　don't　know　about　cricket。'
　　　　'I　wish　I'd　seen　Tennyson　make　that　fifty…eight　last　Thursday。　That　must　have　been　an　innings。　The　account　in　The　Times　was　excellent。　Did　you　see　him　against　the　South　Africans？'
　　　　'I've　never　seen　him。'
　　　　'Neither　have　I。　I　haven't　seen　a　first…class　match　for　years　not　since　Father　Graves　took　me　when　we　were　passing　through　Leeds；　after　we'd　been　to　the　induction　of　the　Abbot　at　Ampleforth。　Father　Graves　managed　to　look　up　a　train　which　gave　us　three　hours　to　wait　on　the　afternoon　of　the　match　against　Lancashire。　That　was　an　afternoon。　I　remember　every　ball　of　it。　Since　then　I've　had　to　go　by　the　papers。　You　seldom　go　to　see　cricket？'
　　　　'Never；'　I　said；　and　he　looked　at　me　with　the　expression　I　have　seen　since　in　the　religious；　of　innocent　wonder　that　those　who　expose　themselves　to　the　dangers　of　the　world　should　avail　themselves　so　little　of　its　varied　solace。
　　　　Sebastian　always　heard　his　mass；　which　was　ill…attended。　Brideshead　was　not　an　old…established　centre　of　Catholicism。　Lady　Marchmain　had　introduced　a　few　Catholic　servants；　but　the　majority　of　them；　and　all　the　cottages；　prayed；　if　anywhere；　among　the　Flyte　tombs　in　the　little　grey　church　at　the　gates。
　　　　Sebastian's　faith　was　an　enigma　to　me　at　that　time；　but　not　one　which　I　felt　particularly　concerned　to　solve。　I　had　no　religion。　I　was　taken　to　church　weekly　as　a　child；　and　at　school　attended　chapel　daily；　but；　as　though　in　pensation；　from　the　time　I　went　to　my　public　school　I　was　excused　church　in　the　holidays。　The　masters　who　taught　me　Divinity　told　me　that　biblical　texts　were　highly　untrustworthy。　They　never　suggested　I　should　try　to　pray。　My　father　did　not　go　to　church　except　on　family　occasions　and　then　with　derision。　My　mother；　I　think；　was　devout。　It　once　seemed　odd　to　me　that　she　should　have　thought　it　her　duty　to　leave　my　father　and　me　and　go　off　with　an　ambulance；　to　Serbia；　to　die　of　exhaustion　in　the　snow　in　Bosnia。　But　later　I　recognized　some　such　spirit　in　myself。　Later；　too；　I　have　e　to　accept　claims　which　then；　in　1923；　I　never　troubled　to　examine；　and　to　accept　the　supernatural　as　the　real。　I　was　aware　of　no　such　needs　that　summer　at　Brideshead。
　　　　Often；　almost　daily；　since　I　had　known　Sebastian；　some　chance　word　in　his　conversation　had　reminded　me　that　he　was　a　Catholic；　but　I　took　it　as　a　foible；　like　his　teddy…bear。　We　never　discussed　the　matter　until　on　the　second　Sunday　at　Brideshead；　when　Father　Phipps　had　left　us　and　we　sat　in　the　colonnade　with　the　papers；　he　surprised　me　by　saying：　'Oh　dear；　it's　very　difficult　being　a　Catholic。'
　　　　'Does　it　make　much　difference　to　you？'
　　　　'Of　course。　All　the　time。'
　　　　'Well；　I　can't　say　I've　noticed　it。　Are　you　struggling　against　temptation？　You　don't　seem　much　more　virtuous　than　me。'
　　　　'I'm　very；　very　much　wickeder；'　said　Sebastian　indignantly。
　　　　'Well　then？'
　　　　'Who　was　it　used　to　pray；　〃O　God；　make　me　good；　but　not　yet〃？'
　　　　'I　don't　know。　You；　I　should　think。'
　　　　'Why；　yes；　I　do；　every　day。　But　it　isn't　that。'　He　turned　back　to　the　pages　of　the　News　of　the　World　and　said；　'Another　naughty　scout…master。'
　　　　'I　suppose　they　try　and　make　you　believe　an　awful　lot　of　nonsense？'
　　　　'Is　it　nonsense？　I　wish　it　were。　It　sometimes　sounds　terribly　sensible　to　me。'
　　　　'But　my　dear　Sebastian；　you　can't　seriously　believe　it　all。'
　　　　'Can't　I？'
　　　　'I　mean　about　Christmas　and　the　star　and　the　three　kings　and　the　ox　and　the　ass。'
　　　　'Oh　yes；　I　believe　that。　It's　a　lovely　idea。'
　　　　'But　you　can't　believe　things　because　they're　a　lovely　idea。'
　　　　'But　I　do。　That's　how　I　believe。'
　　　　'And　in　prayers？　Do　you　think　you　can　kneel　down　in　front　of　a　statue　and　say　a　few　words；　not　even　out　loud；　just　in　your　mind；　and　change　the　weather；　or　that　some　saints　are　more　influential　than　others；　and　you　must　get　hold　of　the　right　one　to　help　you　on　the　right　problem？'
　　　　'Oh　yes。　Don't　you　remember　last　term　when　I　took　Aloysius　and　left　him　behind　I　didn't　know　where。　I　prayed　like　mad　to　St　Anthony　of　Padua　that　morning；　and　immediately　after　lunch　there　was　Mr　Nichols　at　Canterbury　Gate　with　Aloysius　in　his　arms；　saying　I'd　left　him　in　his　cab。'
　　　　'Well；'　I　said；　'if　you　can　believe　all　that　and　you　don't　want　to　be　good；　where's　the　difficulty　about　your　religion？'
　　　　'If　you　can't　see；　you　can't。'
　　　　'Well；　where？'
　　　　'Oh；　don't　be　a　bore；　Charles。　I　want　to　read　about　a　woman　in　Hull　who's　been　using　an　instrument。'
　　　　'You　started　the　subject。　I　was　just　getting　interested。'
　　　　'I'll　never　mention　it　again。。。thirty…eight　other　cases　were　taken　into　consideration　in　sentencing　her　to　six　months　…　golly！'　But　he　did　mention　it　again；　some　ten　days　later；　as　we　were　lying　on　the　roof　of　the　hous