brideshead+revisited-第39部分

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　　　　'Eh？'
　　　　'A　saying。'
　　　　'Ah。'　The　cream　and　hot　butter　mingled　and　overflowed；　separating　each　glaucous　bead　of　caviar　from　its　fellows；　capping　it　in　white　and　gold。
　　　　'I　like　a　bit　of　chopped　onion　with　mine；　'　said　Rex。　'Chap　who…knew　told　me　it　brought　out　the　flavour。'
　　　　'Try　it　without　first　I　said。　'And　tell　me　more　news　of　myself。'
　　　　'Well；　of　course；　Greenacre；　or　whatever　he　was　called　…　the　snooty　don　…　he　came　a　cropper。　That　was　well　received　by　all。
　　　　He　was　the　blue…eyed　boy　for　a　day　or　two　after　you　left。　Shouldn't　wonder　if　he　hadn't　put　the　old　girl　up　to　pitching　you　out。　He　was　always　being　pushed　down　our　throats；　so　in　the　end　Julia　couldn't　bear　it　any　more　and　gave　him　away。'
　　　　'Julia　did？　'
　　　　'Well；　he'd　begun　to　stick　his　nose　into　our　affairs；　you　see。　Julia　spotted　he　was　a　fake；　and　one　afternoon　when　Sebastian　was　tight　…　he　was　tight　most　of　the　time　…　she　got　the　whole　story　of　the　Grand　Tour　out　of　him。　And　that　was　the　end　of　Mr　Samgrass。　After　that　the　Marchioness　began　to　think　she　might　have　been　a　bit　rough　with　you。'
　　　　'And　what　about　the　row　with　Cordelia？'
　　　　'That　eclipsed　everything。　That　kid's　a　walking　marvel　…　she'd　been　feeding　Sebastian　whisky　right　under　our　noses　for　a　week。　We　couldn't　think　where　he　was　getting　it。　That's　when　the　Marchioness　finally　crumbled。'
　　　　The　soup　was　delicious　after　the　rich　blinis　…　hot；　thin；　bitter；　frothy。
　　　　'I'll　tell　you　a　thing；　Charles；　that　Ma　Marchmain　hasn't　let　on　to　anyone。　She's　a　very　sick　woman。　Might　peg　out　any　minute。　George　Anstruther　saw　her　in　the　autumn　and　put　it　at　two　years。'
　　　　'How　on　earth　do　you　know？'
　　　　'It's　the　kind　of　thing　I　hear。　With　the　way　her　family　are　going　on　at　the　moment；　I　wouldn't　give　her　a　year。　I　know　just　the　man　for　her　in　Vienna。　He　put　Sonia　Bamfshire　on　her　feet　when　everyone　including　Anstruther　had　despaired　of　her。　But　Ma　Marchmain　won't　do　anything　about　it。　I　suppose　it's　something　to　do　with　her　crackbrain　religion；　not　to　take　care　of　the　body。'
　　　　The　sole　was　so　simple　and　unobtrusive　that　Rex　failed　to　notice　it。　We　ate　to　the　music　of　the　press　…　the　crunch　of　the　bones；　the　drip　of　blood　and　marrow　the　tap　of　the　spoon　basting　the　thin　slices　of　breast。　There　was　a　pause　here　of　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　while　I　drank　the　first　glass　of　the　Clos　de　B鑪e　and　Rex　smoked　his　first　cigarette。　He　leaned　back；　blew　a　cloud　of　smoke　across　the　table；　and　remarked；　'You　know；　the　food　here　isn't　half　bad；　someone　ought　to　take　this　place　up　and　make　something　of　it。'
　　　　Presently　he　began　again　on　the　Marchmains：
　　　　'I'll　tell　you　another　thing；　too　…　they'll　get　a　jolt　financially　soon　if　they　don't　look　out。'
　　　　'I　thought　they　were　enormously　rich。'
　　　　'Well；　they　are　rich　in　the　way　people　are　who　just　let　their　money　sit　quiet。　Everyone　of　that　sort　is　poorer　than　they　were　in　1914；　and　the　Flytes　don't　seem　to　realize　it。　I　reckon　those　lawyers　who　manage　their　affairs　find　it　convenient　to　give　them　all　the　cash　they　want　and　no　questions　asked。　Look　at　the　way　they　live　…　Brideshead　and　Marchmain　House　both　going　full　blast；　pack　of　foxhounds；　no　rents　raised；　nobody　sacked；　dozens　of　old　servants　doing　damn　all；　being　waited　on　by　other　servants；　and　then　besides　all　that　there's　the　old　boy　setting　up　a　separate　establishment　…　and　setting　it　up　on　no　humble　scale　either。　D'you　know　how　much　they're　overdrawn？'
　　　　'Of　course　I　don't。'
　　　　'Jolly　near　a　hundred　thousand　in　London。　I　don't　know　what　they　owe　elsewhere。　Well；　that's　quite　a　packet；　you　know；　for　people　who　aren't　using　their　money。　Ninety…eight　thousand　last　November。　It's　the　kind　of　thing　I　hear。'
　　　　Those　were　the　kind　of　things　he　heard；　mortal　illness　and　debt；　I　thought。
　　　　I　rejoiced　in　the　Burgundy。　It　seemed　a；　reminder　that　the　world　was　an　older；　and　better　place　than　Rex　knew；　that　mankind　in　its　long　passion　had　learned　another　wisdom　than　his。　By　chance　I　met　this　same　wine　again；　lunching　with　my　wine　merchant　in　St　James's　Street；　in　the　first　autumn　of　the　war；　it　had　softened　and　faded　in　the　intervening　years；　but　it　still　spoke　in　the　pure；　authentic　accent　of　its　prime；　the　same　words　of　hope。
　　　　'I　don't　mean　that　they'll　be　paupers；　the　old　boy　will　always　be　good　for　an　odd　thirty　thousand　a　year；　but　there'll　be　a　shakeup　ing　soon；　and　when　the　upper…classes　get　the　wind　up；　their　first　idea　is　usually　to　cut　down　on　the　girls。　I'd　like　to　get　the　little　matter　of　a　marriage　settlement　through；　before　it　es。'
　　　　We　had　by　no　means　reached　the　cognac；　but　here　we　were　on　the　subject　of　himself。　In　twenty　minutes　I　should　have　been　ready　for　all　he　had　to　tell。　I　closed　my　mind　to　him　as　best　I　could　and　gave　myself　to　the　food　before　me；　but　sentences　came　breaking　in　on　my　happiness；　recalling　me　to　the　harsh；　acquisitive　world　which　Rex　inhabited。　He　wanted　a　woman；　he　wanted　the　best　on　the　market；　and　he　wanted　her　at　his　own　price；　that　was　what　it　amounted　to。
　　　　'。。。Ma　Marchmain　doesn't　like　me。　Well；　I'm　not　asking　her　to。　It's　not　her　I　want　to　marry。　She　hasn't　the　guts　to　say　openly：　〃You're　not　a　gentleman。　You're　an　adventurer　from　the　Colonies。〃　She　says　we　live　in　different　atmospheres。　That's　all　right；　but　Julia　happens　to　fancy　my　atmosphere。。。Then　she　brings　up　religion。　I've　nothing　against　her　Church；　we　don't　take　much　account　of　Catholics　in　Canada；　but　that's　different；　in　Europe　you've　got　some　very　posh　Catholics。　All　right；　Julia　can　go　to　church　whenever　she　wants　to。　I　shan't　try　and　stop　her。　It　doesn't　mean　two　pins　to　her；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　but　I　like　a　girl　to　have　religion。　What's　more；　she　can　bring　the　children　up　Catholic。　I'll　make　all　the　〃promises〃　they　want。。。Then　there's　my　past。　〃We　know　so　little　about　you。〃　She　knows　a　sight　too　much。　You　may　know　I've　been　tied　up　with　someone　else　for　a　year　or　two。'
　　　　I　knew；　everyone　who　had　ever　met　Rex　knew　of　his　affair　with　Brenda　Champion；　knew　also　that　it　was　from　this　affair　that　he　derived　everything　which　distinguished　him　from　every　other　stock…jobber；　his　golf　with　the　Prince　of　Wales；　his　membership　of　Bratt's；　even　his　smoking…room　radeship　at　the　House　of　mons；　for；　when　he　first　appeared　there；　his　party　chiefs　did　not　say　of　him；　'Look；　there　is　the　promising　young　member　for　north　Gridley　who　spoke　so　well　on　Rent　Restrictions。'　They　said：　'There's　Brenda　Champion's　latest'；　it　had　done　him　a　great　deal　of　good　with　men；　women　he　could　usually　charm。
　　　　'Well；　that's　all　washed　up。　Ma　Marchmain　was　too　delicate　to　mention　the　subject；　all　she　said　was　that　I　had　〃notoriety〃。　Well；　what　does　she　expect　as　a　son…in…law　…　a　sort　of　half…baked　monk　like　Brideshead？　Julia　knows　all　about　the　other　thing；　if　she　doesn't　care；　I　don't　see　it's　anyone　else's　business。'
　　　　After　the　duck　came　a　salad　of　watercress　and　chicory　in　a　faint　mist　of　chives。　I　tried　to　think　only　of　the　salad。　I　succeeded　for　a　time　in　thinking　only　of　the　souffl？　Then　came　the　cognac　and　the　proper　hour　for　these　confidences。　'。。。Julia's　just　rising　twenty。　I　don't　want　to　wait　till　she's　of　age。　Anyway；　I　don't　want　to　marry　without　doing　the　thing　properly。。。nothing　hole…in…corner。。。I　have　to　see　she　isn't　jockeyed　out　of　her　proper　settlement。　So　as　the　Marchioness　won't　play　ball　I'm　off　to　see　the　old　man　and　square　him。　I　gather　he's　likely　to　agree　to　anything　he　knows　will　upset　her。　He's　at　Monte　Carlo　at　the　moment。　I'd　planned　to　go　there　after　dropping　Sebastian　off　at　Zurich。　That's　why　it's　such　a　bloody　bore　having　lost　him。'
　　　　The　cognac　was　not　to　Rex's　taste。　It　was　clear　and　pale　and　it　came　to　us　in　a　bottle　free　from　grime　and　Napoleonic　cyphers。　It　was　only　a　year　or　two　older　than　Rex　and　lately　bottled。　They　gave　it　to　us　in　very　thin　tulip…shaped　glasses　of　modest　size。
　　　　'Brandy's　one　of　the　things　I　do　know　a　bit　about；'　said　Rex。　'This　is　a　bad　colour。　What's　more；　I　can't　taste　it　in　this　thimble。'
　　　　They　brought　him　a　balloon　the　size　of　his　head。　He　made　them　warm　it　over　the　spirit　lamp。　Then　he　rolled　the　splendid　spirit　round；　buried　his　face　in　the　fumes；　and　pronounced　it　the　sort；　of　stuff　he　put　soda　in　at　home。