brideshead+revisited-第62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！


　　　　'War；'　she　said；　'this　year；　next　year；　sometime　soon。　I　want　a　day　or　two　with　you　of　real　peace。'
　　　　'Isn't　this　peace？'
　　　　The　sun　had　sunk　now　to　the　line　of　woodland　beyond　the　valley；　all　the　opposing　slope　was　already　in　twilight；　but　the　lakes　below　us　were　aflame；　the　light　grew　in　strength　and　splendour　as　it　neared　death；　drawing　long　shadows　across　the　pasture；　falling　full　on　the　rich　stone　spaces　of　the　house；　firing　the　panes　in　the　windows；　glowing　on　cornices　and　colonnade　and　dome；　spreading　out　all　the　stacked　merchandise　of　colour　and　scent　from　earth　and　stone　and　leaf；　glorifying　the　head　and　golden　shoulders　of　the　woman　beside　me。
　　　　'What　do　you　mean　by　〃peace〃；　if　not　this？'
　　　　'So　much　more'；　and　then　in　a　chill；　matter…of…fact　tone　she　continued：　'Marriage　isn't　a　thing　we　can　take　when　the　impulse　moves　us。　There　must　be　a　divorce　…　two　divorces。　We　must　make　plans。'
　　　　'Plans；　divorce；　war　…　on　an　evening　like　this。'
　　　　'Sometimes　said　Julia；　'I　feel　the　past　and　the　future　pressing　so　hard　on　either　side　that　there's　no　room　for　the　present　at　all。'　Then　Wilcox　came　down　the　steps　into　the　sunset　to　tell　us　that　dinner　was　ready。

　　　　Shutters　were　up；　curtains　drawn；　candles　lit；　in　the　Painted　Parlour。
　　　　'Hullo；　it's　laid　for　three；'
　　　　'Lord　Brideshead　arrived　half　an　hour　ago；　my　lady。　He　sent　a　message　would　you　please　not　wait　dinner　for　him　as　he　may　be　a　little　late。'
　　　　'It　seems　months　since　he　was　here　last；'　said　Julia。　'What　does　he　do　in　London？'
　　　　It　was　often　a　matter　for　speculation　between　us　…　giving　birth　to　many　fantasies；　for　Bridey　was　a　mystery；　a　creature　from　underground；　a　hard…snouted；　burrowing；　hibernating　animal　who　shunned　the　light。　He　had　been　pletely　without　action　in　all　his　years　of　adult　life；　the　talk　of　his　going　into　the　army　and　into　parliament　and　into　a　monastery；　had　all　e　to　nothing。　All　that　he　was　known　with　certainty　to　have　done　and　this　because　in　a　season　of　scant　news　it　had　formed　the　subject　of　a　newspaper　article　entitled　'Peer's　Unusual　Hobby'　…　was　to　form　a　collection　of　match…boxes；　he　kept　them　mounted　on　boards；　card…indexed；　yearly　occupying　a　larger　and　larger　space　in　his　small　house　in　Westminster。　At　first　he　was　bashful　about　the　notoriety　which　the　newspaper　caused；　but　later　greatly　pleased；　for　he　found　it　the　means　of　his　getting　into　touch　with　other　collectors　in　all　parts　of　the　world　with　whom　he　now　corresponded　and　swapped　duplicates。　Other　than　this　he　was　not　known　to　have　any　interests。　He　remained　joint　Master　of　the　Marchmain　and　hunted　with　them　dutifully　on　their　two　days　a　week　when　he　was　at　home；　he　never　hunted　with　the　neighbouring　pack；　who　had　the　better　country。　He　had　no　real　zest　for　sport；　and　had　not　been　out　a　dozen　times　that　season；　he　had　few　friends；　he　visited　his　aunts；　he　went　to　public　dinners　held　in　the　Catholic　interest。　At　Brideshead　he　performed　all　unavoidable　local　duties；　bringing　with　him　to　platform　and　f阾e　and　mittee　room　his　own　thin　mist　of　clumsiness　and　…　aloofness。
　　　　'There　was　a　girl　found　strangled　with　a　piece　of　barbed　wire　at　Wandsworth　last　week；'　I　said；　reviving　an　old　fantasy。
　　　　'That　must　be　Bridey。　He　is　naughty。'
　　　　When　we　had　been　a　quarter　of　an　hour　at　the　table；　he　joined　us；　ing　ponderously　into　the　room　in　the　bottle…green　velvet　smoking　suit　which　he　kept　at　Brideshead　and　always　wore　when　he　was　there。　At　thirty…eight　he　had　grown　heavy　and　bald；　and　might　have　been　taken　for　forty…five。
　　　　'Well；'　he　said；　'well；　only　you　two；　I　hoped　to　find　Rex　here。'
　　　　I　often　wondered　what　he　made　of　me　and　of　my　continual　presence；　he　seemed　to　accept　me；　without　curiosity；　as　one　of　the　household。　Twice　in　the　past　two　years　he　had　surprised　me　by　what　seemed　to　be　acts　of　friendship；　that　Christmas　he　had　sent　me　a　photograph　of　himself　in　the　robes　of　a　Knight　of　Malta；　and　shortly　afterwards　asked　me　to　go　with　him　to　a　dining　club。　Both　acts　had　an　explanation：　he　had　had　more　copies　of　his　portrait　printed　than　he　knew　what　to　do　with；　he　was　proud　of　his　club。　It　was　a　surprising　association　of　men　quite　eminent　in　their　professions　who　met　once　a　month　for　an　evening　of　ceremonious　buffoonery；　each　had　his　sobriquet　Bridey　was　called　'Brother　Grandee'　…　and　a　specially　designed　jewel　worn　like　an　order　of　chivalry；　symbolizing　it；　they　had　club　buttons　for　their　waistcoats　and　an　elaborate　ritual　for　the　introduction　of　guests；　after　dinner　a　paper　was　read　and　facetious　speeches　were　made。　There　was　plainly　some　petition　to　bring　guests　of　distinction　and　since　Bridey　had　few　friends；　and　since　I　was　tolerably　well　known；　I　was　invited。　Even　on　that　convivial　evening　I　could　feel　my　host　emanating　little　magnetic　waves　of　social　uneasiness；　creating；　rather；　a　pool　of　general　embarrassment　about　himself　in　which；　he　floated　with　log…like　calm。
　　　　He　sat　down　opposite　me　and　bowed　his　sparse；　pink　head　over　his　plate。
　　　　'Well；　Bridey。　What's　the　news？'
　　　　'As　a　matter　of　fact；'　he　said；　'I　have　some　news。　But　it　can　wait。'
　　　　'Tell　us　now。'
　　　　He　made　a　grimace　which　I　took　to　mean　'not　in　front　of　the　servants'；　and　said；　'How　is　the　painting；　Charles？'
　　　　'Which　painting？'
　　　　'Whatever　you　have　on　the　stocks。'
　　　　'I　began　a　sketch　of　Julia；　but　the　light　was　tricky　all　today。'
　　　　'Julia？　I　thought　you'd　done　her　before。　I　suppose　it's　a　change　from　architecture；　and　much　more　difficult。'
　　　　His　conversation　abounded　in　long　pauses　during　which　his　mind　seemed　to　remain　motionless；　he　always　brought　one　back　with　a　start　to　the　exact　point　where　he　had　stopped。　Now　after　more　than　a　minute　he　said：　'The　world　is　full　of　different　subjects。'
　　　　'Very　true；　Bridey。'
　　　　'If　I　were　a　painter；'　he　said；　'I　should　choose　an　entirely　different　subject　every　time；　subjects　with　plenty　of　action　in　them　like。。。'　Another　pause。　What；　I　wondered　was　ing？　The　Flying　Scotsman？　The　Charge　of　the　Light　Brigade？　Henley　Regatta？　Then　surprisingly　he　said：　'。。。like　Macbeth。'　There　was　something　supremely　preposterous　in　the　idea　of　Bridey　as　a　painter　of　action　pictures；　he　was　usually　preposterous　yet　somehow　achieved　a　certain　dignity　by　his　remoteness　and　agelessness；　he　was　still　half…child；　already　half…veteran；　there　seemed　no　spark　of　contemporary　life　in　him；　he　had　a　kind　of　massive　rectitude　and　impermeability；　an　indifference　to　the　world；　which　pelled　respect。　Though　we　often　laughed　at　him；　he　was　never　wholly　ridiculous；　at　times　he　was　even　formidable。
　　　　We　talked　of　the　news　from　central　Europe　until；　suddenly　cutting　across　this　barren　topic；　Bridey　asked：　'Where　are　mummy's　jewels？'
　　　　'This　was　hers；'　said　Julia；　'and　this。　Cordelia　and　I　had　all　her　own　things。　The　family　jewels　went　to　the　bank。'
　　　　'It's　so　long　since　I've　seen　them　…　I　don't　know　that　I　ever　saw　them　all。　What　is　there？　Aren't　there　some　rather　famous　rubies；　someone　was　telling　me？'
　　　　'Yes；　a　necklace。　Mummy　used　often　to　wear　it；　don't　you　remember？　And　there　are　the　pearls　…　she　always　had　those　out。　But　most　of　it　stayed　in　the　bank　year　after　year。　There　are　some　hideous　diamond　fenders；　I　remember；　and　a　Victorian　diamond　collar　no　one　could　wear　now。　There's　a　mass　of　good　stones。　Why？'
　　　　'I'd　like　to　have　a　took　at　them　some　day。'
　　　　'I　say；　papa　isn't　going　to　pop　them；　is　he？　He　hasn't　got　into　debt　again？'
　　　　'No；　no；　nothing　like　that。'
　　　　Bridey　was　a　slow　and　copious　eater。　Julia　and　I　watched　him　between　the　candles。　Presently　he　said：　'If　I　was　Rex'　…　his　mind　seemed　full　of　such　suppositions：　'If　I　was　Archbishop　of　Westminster'；　'If　I　was　head　of　the　Great　Western　Railway'；　'If　I　was　an　actress'；　as　though　it　were　a　mere　trick　of　fate　that　he　was　none　of　these　things；　and　he　might　awake　any　morning　to　find　the　matter　adjusted　…　'if　I　was　Rex　I　should　want　to　live　in　my　constituency。'
　　　　'Rex　says　it　saves　four　days'　work　a　week　not　to。'
　　　　'I'm　so　he's　not　here。　I　have　a　little　announcement　to　make。'
　　　　'Bridey；　don't　be　so　mysterious。　Out　with　it。'
　　　　He　made　the　grimace　which　seemed　to　mean　'not　before　the　servants。'
　　　　Later　when　port　was　on　the　table　and　we　three　were　alone　Juli