brideshead+revisited-第43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！


　　　　There　was　trouble　about　the　marriage　settlement　with　which　Julia　refused　to　interest　herself。　The　lawyers　were　in　despair。　Rex　absolutely　refused　to　settle　any　capital。　'What　do　I　want　with　trustee　stock？'　he　asked。
　　　　'I　don't　know；　darling。'
　　　　'I　make　money　work　for　me；'　he　said。　'I　expect　fifteen；　twenty　per　cent　and　I　get　it。　It's　pure　waste　tying　up　capital　at　three　and　a　half'
　　　　'I'm　sure　it　is；　darling。'
　　　　'These　fellows　talk　as　though　I　were　trying　to　rob　you。　It's　they　who　are　doing　the　robbing。　They　want　to　rob　you　of　two　thirds　of　the　ine　I　can　make　you。'
　　　　'Does　it　matter；　Rex？　We've　got　heaps；　haven't　we？'
　　　　Rex　hoped　to　have　the　whole　of　Julia's　dowry　in　his　hands；　to　make　it　work　for　him。　The　lawyers　insisted　on　tying　it　up；　but　they　could　not　get；　as　they　asked；　a　like　sum　from　him。　Finally；　grudgingly；　he　agreed　to　insure　his　life；　after　explaining　at　length　to　the　lawyers　that　this　was　merely　a　device　for　putting　part　of　his　legitimate　profits　into　other　people's　pockets；　but　he　had　some　connection　with　an　insurance　office　which　made　the　arrangement　slightly　less　painful　to　him；　by　which　he　took　for　himself　the　agent's　mission　which　the　lawyers　were　themselves　expecting。
　　　　Last　and　least　came　the　question　of　Rex's　religion。　He　had　once　attended　a　royal　wedding　in　Madrid；　and　he　wanted　something　of　the　kind　for　himself。
　　　　'That's　one　thing　your　Church　can　do；'　he　said；　'put　on　a　good　show。　You　never　saw　anything　to　equal　the　cardinals。　How　many　do　you　have　in　England？'
　　　　'Only　one；　darling。'
　　　　'Only　one？　Can　we　hire　some　others　from　abroad？'
　　　　It　was　then　explained　to　him　that　a　mixed　marriage　was　a　very　unostentatious　affair。
　　　　'How　d'you　mean　〃mixed〃；'　I'm　not　a　nigger　or　anything。'
　　　　'No；　darling；　between　a　Catholic　and　a　Protestant。'
　　　　'Oh；　that？　Well；　if　that's　all；　it's　soon　unmixed。　I'll　bee　a　Catholic。　What　does　one　have　to　do？'
　　　　Lady　Marchmain　was　dismayed　and　perplexed　by　this　new　development；　it　was　no　good　her　telling　herself　that　in　charity　she　must　assume　his　good　faith；　it　brought　back　memories　of　another　courtship　and　another　conversion。
　　　　'Rex；'　she　said。　'I　sometimes　wonder　if　you　realize　how　big　a　thing　you　are　taking　on　in　the　Faith。　It　would　be　very　wicked　to　take　a　step　like　this　without　believing　sincerely。'
　　　　He　was　masterly　in　his　treatment　of　her。
　　　　'I　don't　pretend　to　be　a　very　devout　man；'　he　said；　'nor　much　of　a　theologian；　but　I　know　it's　a　bad　plan　to　have　two　religions　in　one　house。　A　man　needs　a　religion。　If　your　Church　is　good　enough　for　Julia；　it's　good　enough　for　me。'
　　　　'Very　well；'　she　said；　'I　will　see　about　having　you　instructed。'
　　　　'Look；　Lady　Marchmain；　I　have　the　time。　Instruction　will　be　wasted　on　me。　Just　you　give　me　the　form　and　I'll　sign　on　the　dotted　line。'
　　　　'It　usually　takes　some　months　…　often　a　lifetime。'
　　　　'Well；　I'm　a　quick　learner。　Try　me。'
　　　　So　Rex　was　sent　to　Farm　Street　to　Father　Mowbray；　a　priest　renowned　for　his　triumphs　with　obdurate　catechumens。　After　the　third　interview　he　came　to　tea　with　Lady　Marchmain。
　　　　'Well；　how　do　you　find　my　future　son…in…law？'
　　　　'He's　the　most　difficult　convert　I　have　ever　met。'
　　　　'Oh　dear；　I　thought　he　was　going　to　make　it　so　easy。'
　　　　'That's　exactly　it。　I　can't　get　anywhere　near　him。　He　doesn't　seem　to　have　the　least　intellectual　curiosity　or　natural　piety。
　　　　'The　first　day　I　wanted　to　find　out　what　sort　of　religious　life　he　had　till　now；　so　I　asked　him　what　he　meant　by　prayer。　He　said：　〃I　don't　mean　anything。　You　tell　me。〃　I　tried　to；　in　a　few　words；　and　he　said：　〃Right。　So　much　for　prayer；　What's　the　next　thing？〃　I　gave　him　the　catechism　to　take　away。　Yesterday　I　asked　him　whether　Our　Lord　had　more　than　one　nature。　He　said：　〃Just　as　many　as　you　say；　Father。〃
　　　　'Then　again　I　asked　him：　〃Supposing　the　Pope　looked　up　and　saw　a　cloud　and　said　'It's　going　to　rain'；　would　that　be　bound　to　happen？〃　〃Oh；　yes；　Father。〃　〃But　supposing　it　didn't？〃　He　thought　a　moment　and　said；　〃I　suppose　it　would　be　sort　of　raining　spiritually；　only　we　were　too　sinful　to　see　it。〃
　　　　'Lady　Marchmain；　he　doesn't　correspond　to　any　degree　of　paganism　known　to　the　missionaries。'
　　　　'Julia；'　said　Lady　Marchmain；　when　the　priest　had　gone；　'are　you　sure　that　Rex　isn't　doing　this　thing　purely　with　the　idea　of　pleasing　us？'
　　　　'I　don't　think　it　enters　his　head；'　said　Julia。
　　　　'He's　really　sincere　in　his　conversion？'
　　　　'He's　absolutely　determined　to　bee　a　Catholic；　mummy；'　and　to　herself　she　said：　'In　her　long　history　the　Church　must　have　had　some　pretty　queer　converts。　I　don't　suppose　all　Clovis's　army　were　exactly　Catholic…minded。　One　more　won't　hurt。'
　　　　Next　week　the　Jesuit　came　to　tea　again。　It　was　the　Easter　holidays　and　Cordelia　was　there；　too。
　　　　'Lady　Marchmain；'　he　said。　'You　should　have　chosen　one　of　the　younger　fathers　for　this　task。　I　shall　be　dead　long　before　Rex　is　a　Catholic。'
　　　　'Oh　dear；　I　thought　it　was　going　so　well。'
　　　　'It　was；　in　a　sense。　He　was　exceptionally　docile；　and　he　accepted　everything　I　told　him；　remembered　bits　of　it；　asked　no　questions。　I　wasn't　happy　about　him。　He　seemed　to　have　no　sense　of　reality；　but　I　knew　he　was　ing　under　a　steady　Catholic　influence；　so　I　was　willing　to　receive　him。　One　has　to　take　a　chance　sometimes　with　semi…imbeciles；　for　instance。　You　never　know　quite　how　much　they　have　understood。　As　long　as　you　know　there's　someone　to　keep　an　eye　on　them；　you　do　take　the　chance。'
　　　　'How　I　wish　Rex　could　hear　this！'　said　Cordelia。
　　　　'But　yesterday　I　got　a　regular　eye…opener。　The　trouble　with　modern　education　is　you　never　know　how　ignorant　people　are。　With　anyone　over　fifty　you　can　be　fairly　confident　what's　been　taught　and　what's　been　left　out。　But　these　young　people　have　such　an　intelligent；　knowledgeable　surface；　and　then　the　crust　suddenly　breaks　and　you　look　down　into　the　depths　of　confusion　you　didn't　know　existed。　Take　yesterday。　He　seemed　to　be　doing　very　well。　He　learned　large　bits　of　the　catechism　by　heart；　and　the　Lord's　Prayer；　and　the　Hail　Mary。　Then　I　asked　him　as　usual　if　there　was　anything　troubling　him；　and　he　looked　at　me　in　a　crafty　way　and　said；　〃Look；　Father；　I　don't　think　you're　being　straight　with　me。　I　want　to　join　your　Church　and　I'm　going　to　join　your　Church；　but　you're　holding　too　much　back。〃　I　asked　what　he　meant；　and　he　said：　〃I've　had　a　long　talk　with　a　Catholic　…　a　very　pious　well…educated　one　and　I've　learned　a　thing　or　two。　For　instance；　that　you　have　to　sleep　with　your　feet　pointing　East　because　that's　the　direction　of　heaven；　and　if　you　die　in　the　night　you　can　walk　there。　Now　I'll　sleep　with　my　feet　pointing　any　way　that　suits　Julia；　but　d'you　expect　a　grown　man　to　believe　about　walking　to　heaven？　And　what　about　the　Pope　who　made　one　of　his　horses　a　Cardinal？　And　what　about　the　box　you　keep　in　the　church　porch；　and　if　you　put　in　a　pound　note　with　someone's　name　on　it；　they　get　sent　to　hell。　I　don't　say　there　mayn't　be　a　good　reason　for　all　this；〃　he　said；　〃but　you　ought　to　tell　me　about　it　and　not　let　me　find　out　for　myself。〃'
　　　　'What　can　the　poor　man　have　meant？'　said　Lady　Marchmain。
　　　　'You　see　he's　a　long　way　from　the　Church　yet；'　said　Father　Mowbray。
　　　　'But　who　can　he　have　been　talking　to？　Did　he　dream　it　all？　Cordelia；　what's　the　matter？'
　　　　'What　a　chump！　Oh；　mummy；　what　a　glorious　chump！'
　　　　'Cordelia；　it　was　you。'
　　　　'Oh；　mummy；　who　could　have　dreamed　he'd　swallow　it？　I　told　him　such　a　lot　besides。　About　the　sacred　monkeys　in　the　Vatican　…　all　kinds　of　things。'
　　　　'Well；　you've　very　considerably　increased　my　work；'　said　Father　Mowbray。
　　　　'Poor　Rex；'　said　Lady　Marchmain。　'You　know；　I　think　it　makes　him　rather　lovable。　You　must　treat　him　like　an　idiot　child；　Father　Mowbray。'
　　　　So　the　instruction　was　continued；　and　Father　Mowbray　at　length　consented　to　receive　Rex　a　week　before　his　wedding。
　　　　'You'd　think　they'd　be　all　over　themselves　to　have　me　in；'　Rex　plained。　'I　can　be　a　lot　of　help　to　them　one　way　and　another；　instead　they're　like　the　chaps　who　issue；　cards　for　a　casino。　What's　more；'　he　added；　'Cordelia's　got　me　so　muddled　I　don't　know　what's　in　the　catechism　and　what　she's　invented。'　Thus　things　stood　three　weeks　before　the　wedding；　the