brideshead+revisited-第9部分

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…roses；　flower…spangled　meadows；　frisking　lambs；　texts　in　Celtic　script；　saints　in　armour；　covered　the　walls　in　an　intricate　pattern　of　clear；　bright　colours。　There　was　a　triptych　of　pale　oak；　carved　so　as　to　give　it　the　peculiar　property　of　seeming　to　have　been　moulded　in　Plasticine。　The　sanctuary　lamp　and　all　the　metal　furniture　were　of　bronze；　hand…beaten　to　the　patina　of　a　pock…marked　skin；　the　altar　steps　had　a　carpet　of　grass…green；　strewn　with　white　and　gold　daisies。
　　　　'Golly；'　I　said。
　　　　'It　was　papa's　wedding　present　to　mama。　Now；　if　you've　seen　enough；　we'll　go。'
　　　　On　the　drive　we　passed　a　closed　Rolls…Royce　driven　by　a　chauffeur；　in　the　back　was　a　vague；　girlish　figure　who　looked　round　at　us　through　the　window。
　　　　'Julia；'　said　Sebastian。　'We　only　just　got　away　in　time。'
　　　　We　stopped　to　speak　to　a　man　with　a　bicycle　…　'That　was　old　Bat；'　said　Sebastian　…　and　then　were　away；　past　the　wrought　iron；gates；　past　the　lodges；　and　out　on　the　road　heading　back　to　Oxford。
　　　　'I'm　sorry　said　Sebastian　after　a　time。　'I'm　afraid　I　wasn't　very　nice　this　afternoon。　Brideshead　often　has　that　effect　on　me。　But　I　had　to　take　you　to　see　nanny。'
　　　　Why？　I　wondered；　but　said　nothing　…　Sebastian's　life　was　governed　by　a　code　of　such　imperatives。　'I　must　have　pillar…box　red　pyjamas；'　'I　have　to　stay　in　bed　until　the　sun　works　round　to　the　windows；'　'I've　absolutely　got　to　drink　champagne　tonight！'　…　except；　'It　had　quite　the　reverse　effect　on　me。'
　　　　After　a　long　pause　he　said　petulantly；　'I　don't　keep　asking　you　questions　about　your　family。'
　　　　'Neither　do　I　about　yours。'
　　　　'But　you　look　inquisitive。'
　　　　'Well；　you're　so　mysterious　about　them。'
　　　　'I　hoped　I　was　mysterious　about　'everything。'
　　　　'Perhaps　I　am　rather　curious　about　people's　families　…　you　see；　it's　not　a　thing　I　know　about。　There　is　only　my　father　and　myself。　An　aunt　kept　an　eye　on　me　for　a　time　but　my　father　drove　her　abroad。　My　mother　was　killed　in　the　war。'
　　　　'Oh。。。how　very　unusual。'
　　　　'She　went　to　Serbia　with　the　Red　Cross。　My　father　has　been　rather　odd　in　the　head　ever　since。　He　just　lives　alone　in　London　with　no　friends　and　footles　about　collecting　things。'
　　　　Sebastian　said；　'You　don't　know　what　you've　been　saved。　There　are　lots　of　us。　Look　them　up　in　Debrett。'
　　　　His　mood　was　lightening；　now。　The　further　we　drove　from　Brideshead；　the　more　he　seemed　to　cast　off　his　uneasiness　…　the　almost　furtive　restlessness　and　irritability　that　had　possessed　him。　The　sun　was　behind　us　as　we　drove；　so　that　we　seemed　to　be　in　pursuit　of　our　own　shadows。
　　　　'It's　half　past　five。　We'll　get　to　Godstow　in　time　for　dinner；　drink　at　the　Trout；　leave　Hardcastle's　motor…car；　and　walk　back　by　the　river。　Wouldn't　that　be　best？'
　　　　That　is　the　full　account　of　my　first　brief　visit　to　Brideshead；　could　I　have　known　then　that　it；　would　one　day　be　remembered　with　tears　by　a　middle…aged　captain　of　infantry？

＇2＇

TOWARDS　the　end　of　that　summer　term　I　received　the　last　visit　and　Grand　Remonstrance　of　my　cousin　Jasper。　I　was　just　free　of　the　schools；　having　taken　the　last　paper　of　History　Previous　on　the　afternoon　before；　Jasper's　subfuse　suit　and　white　tie　proclaimed　him　still　in　the　thick　of　it；　he　had；　too；　the　exhausted　but　resentful　air　of　one　who　fears　he　has　failed　to　do　himself　full　justice　on　the　subject　of　Pindar's　Orphism。　Duty　alone　had　brought　him　to　my　rooms；　that　afternoon　at　great　inconvenience　to　himself　and；　as　it　happened；　to　me；　who；　when　he　caught　me　in　the　door；　was　on　my　way　to　make　final　arrangements　about　a　dinner　I　was　giving　that　evening。　It　was　one　of　several　parties　designed　to　fort　Hardcastle　…　one　of　the　tasks　that　had　lately　fallen　to　Sebastian　and　me　since；　by　leaving　his　car　out；　we　had　got　him　into　grave　trouble　with　the　proctors。
　　　　Jasper　would　not　sit　down；　this　was　to　be　no　cosy　chat；　he　stood　with　his　back　to　the　fireplace　and；　in　his　own　phrase；　talked　to　me　'like　an　uncle'。
　　'。。。I've　tried　to　get　in　touch　with　you　several　times　in　the　last　week　or　two。　In　fact；　I　have　the　impression　you　are　avoiding　me。　If　that　is　so；　Charles；　I　can't　say　I'm　surprised。
　　'You　may　think　it　none　of　my　business；　but　I　feel　a　sense　of　responsibility。　You　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　since　your　…　well；　since　the　war；　your　father　has　not　been　really　in　touch　with　things　lives　in　his　own　world。　I　don't　want　to　sit　back　and　see　you　making　mistakes　which　a　word　in　season　might　save　you　from。
　　'I　expected　you　to　make　mistakes　your　first　year。　We　all　do。　I　got　in　with　some　thoroughly　objectionable　O。S。C。U。　men　who　ran　a　mission　to　hop…pickers　during　the　long　vac。　But　you；　my　dear　Charles；　whether　you　realize　it　or　not；　have　gone　straight；　hook　line　and　sinker；　into　the　very　worst　set　in　the　University。　You　may　think　that；　living　in　digs；　I　don't　know　what　goes　on　in　college；　but　I　hear　things。　In　fact；　I　hear　all　too　much。　I　find　that　I've　bee　a　figure　of　mockery　on　your　account　at　the　Dining　Club。　There's　that　chap　Sebastian　Flyte　you　seem　inseparable　from。　He　may　be　all　right；　I　don't　know。　His　brother　Brideshead　was　a　very　sound　fellow。　But　this　friend　of　yours　looks　odd　to　me　and　he　gets　himself　talked　about。　Of　course；　they're　an　odd　family。　The　Marchmains　have　lived　apart　since　the　war；　you　know。　An　extraordinary　thing；　everyone　thought　they　were　a　devoted　couple。　Then　he　went　off　to　France　with　his　Yeomanry　and　just　never　came；　back。　It　was　as　if　he'd　been　killed。　She's　a　Roman　Catholic；　so　she　can't　get　a　divorce　…　or　won't；　I　expect。　You　can　do　anything　at　Rome　with　money；　and　they're　enormously　rich。　Flyte；　may　be　all　right；　but　Anthony　Blanche　…　now　there's　a　man　there's　absolutely　no　excuse　for。'
　　　　'I　don't；　particularly　like　him　myself；'　I　said。
　　　　'Well；　he's　always　hanging　round　here；　and　the　stiffer　element　in　college　don't　like　it。　They　can't　stand　him　at　the　House。　He　was　in　Mercury　again　last　night。　None　of　these　people　you　go　about　with　pull　any　weight　in　their　own　colleges；　and　that's　the　real　test。　They　think　because　they've　got　a　lot　of　money　to　throw　about；　they　can　do　anything。
　　　　'And　that's　another　thing。　I　don't　know　what　allowance　my　uncle　makes　you；　but　I　don't　mind　betting　you're　spending　double。　All　this；'　he　said；　including　in　a　wide　sweep　of　his　hand　the　evidence　of　profligacy　about　him。　It　was　true；　my　room　had　cast　its　austere　winter　garments；　and；　by　not　very　slow　stages；　assumed　a　richer　wardrobe。　'Is　that　paid　for？'　（the　box　of　a　hundred　cabinet　Partagas　on　the　sideboard）　'or　those？'　（a　dozen　frivolous；　new　books　on　the　table）　'or　those？'　（a　Lalique　decanter　and　glasses）　'or　that　peculiarly　noisome　object？'　（a　human　skull　lately　purchased　from　the　School　of　Medicine；　which；　resting　in　a　bowl　of　roses；　formed；　at　the　moment；　the　chief　decoration　of　my　table。　It　bore　the　motto　'Et　in　Arcadia　ego'　inscribed　on　its　forehead。）
　　　　'Yes；'　I　said；　glad　to　be　clear　of　one　charge。　'I　had　to　pay　cash　for　the　skull。'
　　　　'You　can't　be　doing　any　work。　Not　that　that　matters；　particularly　if　you're　making　something　of　your　career　elsewhere　…　but　are　you？　Have　you　spoken　at　the　Union　or　at　any　of　the　clubs？　Are　you　connected　with　any　of　the　magazines？　Are　you　even　making　a　position　in　the　O。U。D。S。？　And　your　clothes！'　continued　my　cousin。　'When　you　came　up　I　remember　advising　you　to　dress　as　you　would　in　a　country　house。　Your　present　get…up　seems　an　unhappy　promise　between　the　correct　wear　for　a　theatrical　party　at　Maidenhead　and　a　glee…singing　petition　in　a　garden　suburb。
　　　　'And　drink　…　no　one　minds　a　man　getting　tight　once　or　twice　a　term。　In　fact；　he　ought　to；　on　certain　occasions。　But　I　hear　you're　constantly　seen　drunk　in　the　middle　of　the　afternoon。'
　　　　He　paused；　his　duty　discharged。　Already　the　perplexities　of　the　examination　school　were　beginning　to　reassert　themselves　in　his　mind。
　　　　'I'm　sorry；　Jasper；'　I　said。　'I　know　it　must　be　embarrassing　for　you；　but　I　happen　to　like　this　bad　set。　I　like　getting　drunk　at　luncheon；　and　though　I　haven't　yet　spent　quite　double　my　allowance；　I　undoubtedly　shall　before　the　end　of　term。　I　usually　have　a　glass　of　champagne　about　this　time。　Will　you　join　me？'
　　　　So　my　cousin　Jasper　despaired　and；　I　learned　later；　wrote　to　his　father　on　the　subject　of　my　excess