brideshead+revisited-第71部分

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　　　　Next　morning　I　asked　her　how　the　night　had　passed。
　　　　'He　went　to　sleep　almost　at　once。　I　came　in　to　see　him　at　two　to　make　up　the　fire；　the　lights　were　on；　but　he　was　asleep　again。　He　must　have　woken　up　and　turned　them　on；　he　had　to　get　out　of　bed　to　do　that。　I　think　perhaps　he　is　afraid　of　the　dark。'
　　　　It　was　natural；　with　her　hospital　experience；　that　Cordelia　should　take　charge　of　her　father。　When　the　doctors　came　that　day　they　gave　their　instructions　to　her；　instinctively。
　　　　'Until　he　gets　worse；'　she　said；　'I　and　the　valet　can　look　after　him。　We　don't　want　nurses　in　the　house　before　they　are　needed。'　At　this　stage　the　doctors　had　nothing　to　remend　except　to　keep　him　fortable　and　administer　certain　drugs　when　his　attacks　came　on。
　　　　'How　long　will　it　be？'
　　　　'Lady　Cordelia；　there　are　men　walking　about　in　hearty　old　age　whom　their　doctors　gave　a　week　to　live。　I　have　learned　one　thing　in　medicine；　never　prophesy。'
　　　　These　two　men　had　made　a　long　journey　to　tell　her　this；　the　local　doctor　was　there　to　accept　the　same　advice　in　technical　phrases。
　　　　That　night　Lord　Marchmain　reverted　to　the　topic　of　his　new　daughter…in…law；　it　had　never　been　long　out　of　his　mind；　finding　expression　in　various　sly　hints　throughout　the　day；　now　he　lay　back　in　his　pillows　and　talked　of　her　at　length。
　　　　'I　have　never　been　much　moved　by　family　piety　until　now；'　he　said；　'but　I　am　frankly　appalled　at　the　prospect　of　…　of　Beryl　taking　what　was　once　my　mother's　place　in　this　house。　Why　should　that　uncouth　pair　sit　here　childless　while　the　place　crumbles　about　their　ears？　I　will　not　disguise　from　you　that　I　have　taken　a　dislike　to　Beryl。
　　　　'Perhaps　it　was　unfortunate　that　we　met　in　Rome。　Anywhere　else　might　have　been　more　sympathetic。　And　yet；　if　one　es　to　consider　it；　where　could　I　have　met　her　without　repugnance？　We　dined　at　Ranieri's；　it　is　a　quiet　little　restaurant　I　have　frequented　for　years　…　no　doubt　you　know　it。　Beryl　seemed　to　fill　the　place。　I；　of　course；　was　host；　though　to　hear　Beryl　press　my　son　with　food　you　might　have　thought　otherwise。　Brideshead　was　always　a　greedy　boy…　a　wife　who　has　his　best　interests　at　heart　should　seek　to　restrain　him。　However；　that　is　a　matter　of　small　importance。
　　　　'She　had　no　doubt　heard　of　me　as　a　man　of　irregular　life。　I　can　only　describe　her　manner　to　me　as　roguish。　A　naughty　old　man；　that's　what　she　thought　I　was。　I　suppose　she　had　met　naughty　old　admirals　and　knew　how　they　should　be　humoured。。。I　could　not　attempt　to　reproduce　her　conversation。　I　will　give　you　one　example。
　　　　'They　had　been　to　an　audience　at　the　Vatican　that　morning；　a　blessing　for　their　marriage　…　I　did　not　follow　attentively　something　of　the　kind　had　happened　before；　I　gathered；　some　previous　husband；　some　previous　Pope。　She　described；　rather　vivaciously；　how　on　this　earlier　occasion　she　had　gone　with　a　whole　body　…　of　newly　married　couples；　mostly　Italians　of　all　ranks；　some　or　the　simpler　girls　in　their　wedding　dresses；　and　how　each　had　appraised　the　other；　the　bridegrooms　looking　the　brides　over；　paring　their　own　with　one　another's；　and　so　forth。　Then　she　said；　〃This　time；　of　course；　we　were　in　private；　…but　do　you　know；　Lord　Marchmain；　I　felt　as　though　it　was　I　who　was　leading　in　the　bride。〃
　　　　'It　was　said　with　great　indelicacy。　I　have　not　yet　quite　fathomed　her　meaning。　Was　she　making　a　play　on　my　son's　name；　or　was　she；　do　you　think；　referring　to　his　undoubted　virginity？　I　fancy　the　latter。　Anyway；　it　was　with　pleasantries　of　that　kind　that　we　passed　the　evening。
　　　　'I　don't　think　she　would　be　quite　in　her　proper　element　here；　do　you？　Who　shall　I　leave　it　to？　The　entail　ended　with　me；　you　know。　Sebastian；　alas；　is　out　of　the　question。　Who　wants　it？　Quis？　Would　you　like　it；　Cara？　No；　of　course　you　would　not。　Cordelia？　I　think　I　shall　leave　it　to　Julia　and　Charles。'
　　　　'Of　course　not；　papa；　it's　Bridey's。'
　　　　'And。。。Beryl's？　I　will　have　Gregson　down　one　day　soon　and　go　over　the　matter。　It　is　time　I　brought　my　will　up　to　date；　it　is　full　of　anomalies　and　anachronisms。。。I　have　rather　a　fancy　for　the　idea　of　installing　Julia　here；　so　beautiful　this　evening；　my　dear；　so　beautiful　always；　much；　much　more　suitable。'
　　　　Shortly　after　this　he　sent　to　London　for　his　solicitor；　but；　on　the　day　he　came；　Lord　Marchmain　was　suffering　from　an　attack　and　would　not　see　him。　'Plenty　of　time；'　he　said；　between　painful　gasps　for　breath；　'another　day；　when　I　am　stronger；'　but　the　choice　of　his　heir　was　constantly　in　his　mind；　and　he　referred　often　to　the　time　when　Julia　and　I　should　be　married　and　in　possession。
　　　　'Do　you　think　he　really　means　to　leave　it　to　us？'　I　asked　Julia。
　　　　'Yes；　I　think　he　does。'
　　　　'But　it's　monstrous　for　Bridey。'
　　　　'Is　it？　I　don't　think　he　cares　much　for　the　place。　I　do；　you　know。　He　and　Beryl　would　be　much　more　content　in　some　little　house　somewhere。'
　　　　'You　mean　to　accept　it？'
　　　　'Certainly。　It's　papa's　to　leave　as　he　likes。　I　think　you　and　I　could　be　very　happy　here。'
　　　　It　opened　a　prospect；　the　prospect　one　gained　at　the　turn　of　the　avenue；　as　I　had　first　seen　it　with　Sebastian；　of　the　secluded　valley；　the　lakes　falling　away　one　below　the　other；　the　old　house　in　the　foreground；　the　rest　of　the　world　abandoned　and　forgotten；　a　world　of　its　own　of　peace　and　love　and　beauty；　a　soldier's　dream　in　a　foreign　bivouac；　such　a　prospect　perhaps　as　a　high　pinnacle　of　the　temple　afforded　after　the　hungry　days　in　the　desert　and　the　jackal…haunted　nights。　Need　I　reproach　myself　if　sometimes　I　was　taken　by　the　vision？
　　　　The　weeks　of　illness　wore　on　and　the　life　of　the　house　kept　pace　with　the　faltering　strength　of　the　sick　man。　There　were　days　when　Lord　Marchmain　was　dressed；　when　he　stood　at　the　window　or　moved　on　his　valet's　arm　from　fire　to　fire　through　the　rooms　of　the　ground　floor；　when　visitors　came　and　went　neighbours　and　people　from　the　estate；　men　of　business　from　London　…　parcels　of　new　books　were　opened　and　discussed；　a　piano　was　moved　into　the　Chinese　drawing…room；　once　at　the　end　of　February；　on　a　single；　unexpected　day　of　brilliant　sunshine；　he　called　for　a　car　and　got　as　far　as　the　hall；　had　on　his　fur　coat；　and　reached　the　front　door。　Then　suddenly　he　lost　interest　in　the　drive；　said　'Not　now。　Later。　One　day　in　the　summer；'　took　his　man's　arm　again　and　was　led　back　to　his　chair。　Once　he　had　the　humour　of　changing　his　room　and　gave　detailed　orders　for　a　move　to　the　Painted　Parlour；　the　chinoiserie；　he　said；　disturbed　his　rest　…　he　kept　the　lights　full　on　at　night　…　but　again　lost　heart；　countermanded　everything；　and　kept　his　room。
　　　　On　other　days　the　house　was　hushed　as　he　sat　high　in　bed；　propped　by　his　pillows；　with　labouring　breath；　even　then　he　wanted　to　have　us　round　him；　night　or　day　he　could　not　bear　to　be　alone；　when　he　could　not　speak　his　eyes　followed　us；　and　if　anyone　left　the　room　he　would　look　distressed；　and　Cara；　sitting　often　for　hours　at　a　time　by　his　side　against　the　pillows　with　an　arm　in　his；　would　say；　'It's　all　right；　Alex；　she's　ing　back。'
　　　　Brideshead　and　his　wife　returned　from　their　honeymoon　and　stayed　a　few　nights；　it　was　one　of　the　bad　times；　and　Lord　Marchmain　refused　to　have　them　near　him。　It　was　Beryl's　first　visit；　and　she　would　have　been　unnatural　if　she　had　shown　no　curiosity　about　what　had　nearly　been；　and　now　again　promised　soon　to　be；　her　home。　Beryl　was　natural　enough；　and　surveyed　the　place　fairly　thoroughly　in　the　days　she　was　there。　In　the　strange　disorder　caused　by　Lord　Marchmain's　illness；　it　must　have　seemed　capable　of　much　improvement；　she　referred　once　or　twice　to　the　way　in　which　establishments　of　similar　size　had　been　managed　at　various　Government　Houses　she　had　visited。　Brideshead　took　her　visiting　among　the　tenants　by　day；　and　in　the　evenings；　she　talked　to　me　of　painting；　or　to　Cordelia　of　hospitals；　or　to　Julia　of　clothes；　with　cheerful　assurance。　The　shadow　of　betrayal；　the　knowledge　of　how　precarious　were　their　just　expectations；　was　all　one…sided。　I　was　not　easy　with　them；　but　that　was　no　new　thing　to　Brideshead；　in　the　little　circle　of　shyness　in　which　he　was　used　to　move；　my　guilt　passed　unseen。
　　　　Eventually　it　became　clear　that　Lord　Marchmain　did　not　intend　to　see　more　of　them。　Brideshead　was　admitted