the unbearable bassington-第21章

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a　quickening　of　religious　life　such　as　this　generation　has　never　

witnessed。　　But　as　long　as　the　clergy　and　the　religious　

organisations　advertise　their　creed　on　the　lines　of　'Everybody　

ought　to　believe　in　us：　millions　do；'　one　can　expect　nothing　but　

indifference　and　waning　faith。〃



〃Time　is　just　as　exclusive　in　its　way　as　Art；〃　said　Lady　Caroline。



〃In　what　way？〃　said　the　Reverend　Poltimore。



〃Your　pleasantries　about　religion　would　have　sounded　quite　clever　

and　advanced　in　the　early　'nineties。　　To…day　they　have　a　dreadfully　

warmed…up　flavour。　　That　is　the　great　delusion　of　you　would…be　

advanced　satirists；　you　imagine　you　can　sit　down　comfortably　for　a　

couple　of　decades　saying　daring　and　startling　things　about　the　age　

you　live　in；　which；　whatever　other　defects　it　may　have；　is　

certainly　not　standing　still。　　The　whole　of　the　Sherard　Blaw　school　

of　discursive　drama　suggests；　to　my　mind；　Early　Victorian　furniture　

in　a　travelling　circus。　　However；　you　will　always　have　relays　of　

people　from　the　suburbs　to　listen　to　the　Mocking　Bird　of　yesterday；　

and　sincerely　imagine　it　is　the　harbinger　of　something　new　and　

revolutionising。〃



〃WOULD　you　mind　passing　that　plate　of　sandwiches；〃　asked　one　of　the　

trio　of　young　ladies；　emboldened　by　famine。



〃With　pleasure；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　deftly　passing　her　a　nearly　

empty　plate　of　bread…and…butter。



〃I　meant　the　place　of　caviare　sandwiches。　　So　sorry　to　trouble　

you；〃　persisted　the　young　lady



Her　sorrow　was　misapplied；　Lady　Caroline　had　turned　her　attention　

to　a　newcomer。



〃A　very　interesting　exhibition；〃　Ada　Spelvexit　was　saying；　

〃faultless　technique；　as　far　as　I　am　a　judge　of　technique；　and　

quite　a　master…touch　in　the　way　of　poses。　　But　have　you　noticed　how　

very　animal　his　art　is？　　He　seems　to　shut　out　the　soul　from　his　

portraits。　　I　nearly　cried　when　I　saw　dear　Winifred　depicted　simply　

as　a　good…looking　healthy　blonde。〃



〃I　wish　you　had；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃the　spectacle　of　a　strong；　

brave　woman　weeping　at　a　private　view　in　the　Rutland　Galleries　

would　have　been　so　sensational。　　It　would　certainly　have　been　

reproduced　in　the　next　Drury　Lane　drama。　　And　I'm　so　unlucky；　I　

never　see　these　sensational　events。　　I　was　ill　with　appendicitis；　

you　know；　when　Lulu　Braminguard　dramatically　forgave　her　husband；　

after　seventeen　years　of　estrangement；　during　a　State　luncheon　

party　at　Windsor。　　The　old　queen　was　furious　about　it。　　She　said　it　

was　so　disrespectful　to　the　cook　to　be　thinking　of　such　a　thing　at　

such　a　time。〃



Lady　Caroline's　recollections　of　things　that　hadn't　happened　at　the　

Court　of　Queen　Victoria　were　notoriously　vivid；　it　was　the　very　

widespread　fear　that　she　might　one　day　write　a　book　of　

reminiscences　that　made　her　so　universally　respected。



〃As　for　his　full…length　picture　of　Lady　Brickfield；〃　continued　Ada；　

ignoring　Lady　Caroline's　commentary　as　far　as　possible；　〃all　the　

expression　seems　to　have　been　deliberately　concentrated　in　the　

feet；　beautiful　feet；　no　doubt；　but　still；　hardly　the　most　

distinctive　part　of　a　human　being。〃



〃To　paint　the　right　people　at　the　wrong　end　may　be　an　eccentricity；　

but　it　is　scarcely　an　indiscretion；〃　pronounced　Lady　Caroline。



One　of　the　portraits　which　attracted　more　than　a　passing　flutter　of　

attention　was　a　costume　study　of　Francesca　Bassington。　　Francesca　

had　secured　some　highly　desirable　patronage　for　the　young　artist；　

and　in　return　he　had　enriched　her　pantheon　of　personal　possessions　

with　a　clever　piece　of　work　into　which　he　had　thrown　an　unusual　

amount　of　imaginative　detail。　　He　had　painted　her　in　a　costume　of　

the　great　Louis's　brightest　period；　seated　in　front　of　a　tapestry　

that　was　so　prominent　in　the　composition　that　it　could　scarcely　be　

said　to　form　part　of　the　background。　　Flowers　and　fruit；　in　exotic　

profusion；　were　its　dominant　note；　quinces；　pomegranates；　passion…

flowers；　giant　convolvulus；　great　mauve…pink　roses；　and　grapes　that　

were　already　being　pressed　by　gleeful　cupids　in　a　riotous　Arcadian　

vintage；　stood　out　on　its　woven　texture。　　The　same　note　was　struck　

in　the　beflowered　satin　of　the　lady's　kirtle；　and　in　the　

pomegranate　pattern　of　the　brocade　that　draped　the　couch　on　which　

she　was　seated。　　The　artist　had　called　his　picture　〃Recolte。〃　　And　

after　one　had　taken　in　all　the　details　of　fruit　and　flower　and　

foliage　that　earned　the　composition　its　name；　one　noted　the　

landscape　that　showed　through　a　broad　casement　in　the　left…hand　

corner。　　It　was　a　landscape　clutched　in　the　grip　of　winter；　naked；　

bleak；　black…frozen；　a　winter　in　which　things　died　and　knew　no　

rewakening。　　If　the　picture　typified　harvest；　it　was　a　harvest　of　

artificial　growth。



〃It　leaves　a　great　deal　to　the　imagination；　doesn't　it？〃　said　Ada　

Spelvexit；　who　had　edged　away　from　the　range　of　Lady　Caroline's　

tongue。



〃At　any　rate　one　can　tell　who　it's　meant　for；〃　said　Serena　

Golackly。



〃Oh；　yes；　it's　a　good　likeness　of　dear　Francesca；〃　admitted　Ada；　

〃of　course；　it　flatters　her。〃



〃That；　too；　is　a　fault　on　the　right　side　in　portrait　painting；〃　

said　Serena；　〃after　all；　if　posterity　is　going　to　stare　at　one　for　

centuries　it's　only　kind　and　reasonable　to　be　looking　just　a　little　

better　than　one's　best。〃



〃What　a　curiously　unequal　style　the　artist　has；〃　continued　Ada；　

almost　as　if　she　felt　a　personal　grievance　against　him；　〃I　was　just　

noticing　what　a　lack　of　soul　there　was　in　most　of　his　portraits。　　

Dear　Winifred；　you　know；　who　speaks　so　beautifully　and　feelingly　at　

my　gatherings　for　old　women；　he's　made　her　look　just　an　ordinary　

dairy…maidish　blonde；　and　Francesca；　who　is　quite　the　most　soulless　

woman　I've　ever　met；　well；　he's　given　her　quite　…　〃



〃Hush；〃　said　Serena；　〃the　Bassington　boy　is　just　behind　you。〃



Comus　stood　looking　at　the　portrait　of　his　mother　with　the　feeling　

of　one　who　comes　suddenly　across　a　once…familiar　half…forgotten　

acquaintance　in　unfamiliar　surroundings。　　The　likeness　was　

undoubtedly　a　good　one；　but　the　artist　had　caught　an　expression　in　

Francesca's　eyes　which　few　people　had　ever　seen　there。　　It　was　the　

expression　of　a　woman　who　had　forgotten　for　one　short　moment　to　be　

absorbed　in　the　small　cares　and　excitements　of　her　life；　the　money　

worries　and　little　social　plannings；　and　had　found　time　to　send　a　

look　of　half…wistful　friendliness　to　some　sympathetic　companion。　　

Comus　could　recall　that　look；　fitful　and　fleeting；　in　his　mother's　

eyes　when　she　had　been　a　few　years　younger；　before　her　world　had　

grown　to　be　such　a　committee…room　of　ways　and　means。　　Almost　as　a　

re…discovery　he　remembered　that　she　had　once　figured　in　his　boyish　

mind　as　a　〃rather　good　sort；〃　more　ready　to　see　the　laughable　side　

of　a　piece　of　mischief　than　to　labour　forth　a　reproof。　　That　the　

bygone　feeling　of　good　fellowship　had　been　stamped　out　was；　he　

knew；　probably　in　great　part　his　own　doing；　and　it　was　possible　

that　the　old　friendliness　was　still　there　under　the　surface　of　

things；　ready　to　show　itself　again　if　he　willed　it；　and　friends　

were　becoming　scarcer　with　him　than　enemies　in　these　days。　　Looking　

at　the　picture　with　its　wistful　hint　of　a　long　ago　comradeship；　

Comus　made　up　his　mind　that　he　very　much　wanted　things　to　be　back　

on　their　earlier　footing；　and　to　see　again　on　his　mother's　face　the　

look　that　the　artist　had　caught　and　perpetuated　in　its　momentary　

flitting。　　If　the　projected　Elaine…marriage　came　off；　and　in　spite　

of　recent　maladroit　behaviour　on　his　part　he　still　counted　it　an　

assured　thing；　much　of　the　immediate　cause　for　estrangement　between　

himself　and　his　mother　would　be　removed；　or　at　any　rate；　easily　

removable。　　With　the　influence　of　Elaine's　money　behind　him　he　

promised　himself　that　he　would　find　some　occupation　that　would　

remove　from　himself　the　reproach　of　being　a　waster　and　idler。　　

There　were　lots　of　careers；　he　told　himself；　that　were　open　to　a