the unbearable bassington-第28章

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No　one　can　effectively　defend　a　Government　when　it's　been　in　office　

several　years。　　The　Archdeacon　took　refuge　in　light　skirmishing。



〃I　believe　Lady　Caroline　sees　the　makings　of　a　great　Socialist　

statesman　in　you；　Youghal；〃　he　observed。



〃Great　Socialist　statesmen　aren't　made；　they're　stillborn；〃　replied　

Youghal。



〃What　is　the　play　about　to…night？〃　asked　a　pale　young　woman　who　had　

taken　no　part　in　the　talk。



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃but　I　hope　it's　dull。　　If　

there　is　any　brilliant　conversation　in　it　I　shall　burst　into　

tears。〃



In　the　front　row　of　the　upper　circle　a　woman　with　a　restless　

starling…voice　was　discussing　the　work　of　a　temporarily　fashionable　

composer；　chiefly　in　relation　to　her　own　emotions；　which　she　seemed　

to　think　might　prove　generally　interesting　to　those　around　her。



〃Whenever　I　hear　his　music　I　feel　that　I　want　to　go　up　into　a　

mountain　and　pray。　　Can　you　understand　that　feeling？〃



The　girl　to　whom　she　was　unburdening　herself　shook　her　head。



〃You　see；　I've　heard　his　music　chiefly　in　Switzerland；　and　we　were　

up　among　the　mountains　all　the　time；　so　it　wouldn't　have　made　any　

difference。〃



〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　woman；　who　seemed　to　have　emergency　

emotions　to　suit　all　geographical　conditions；　〃I　should　have　wanted　

to　be　in　a　great　silent　plain　by　the　side　of　a　rushing　river。〃



〃What　I　think　is　so　splendid　about　his　music　…　〃　commenced　another　

starling…voice　on　the　further　side　of　the　girl。　　Like　sheep　that　

feed　greedily　before　the　coming　of　a　storm　the　starling…voices　

seemed　impelled　to　extra　effort　by　the　knowledge　of　four　imminent　

intervals　of　acting　during　which　they　would　be　hushed　into　

constrained　silence。



In　the　back　row　of　the　dress　circle　a　late…comer；　after　a　cursory　

glance　at　the　programme；　had　settled　down　into　a　comfortable　

narrative；　which　was　evidently　the　resumed　thread　of　an　unfinished　

taxi…drive　monologue。



〃We　all　said　'it　can't　be　Captain　Parminter；　because　he's　always　

been　sweet　on　Joan；'　and　then　Emily　said　…　〃



The　curtain　went　up；　and　Emily's　contribution　to　the　discussion　had　

to　be　held　over　till　the　entr'acte。



The　play　promised　to　be　a　success。　　The　author；　avoiding　the　

pitfall　of　brilliancy；　had　aimed　at　being　interesting　and　as　far　as　

possible；　bearing　in　mind　that　his　play　was　a　comedy；　he　had　

striven　to　be　amusing。　　Above　all　he　had　remembered　that　in　the　

laws　of　stage　proportions　it　is　permissible　and　generally　desirable　

that　the　part　should　be　greater　than　the　whole；　hence　he　had　been　

careful　to　give　the　leading　lady　such　a　clear　and　commanding　lead　

over　the　other　characters　of　the　play　that　it　was　impossible　for　

any　of　them　ever　to　get　on　level　terms　with　her。　　The　action　of　the　

piece　was　now　and　then　delayed　thereby；　but　the　duration　of　its　run　

would　be　materially　prolonged。



The　curtain　came　down　on　the　first　act　amid　an　encouraging　

instalment　of　applause；　and　the　audience　turned　its　back　on　the　

stage　and　began　to　take　a　renewed　interest　in　itself。　　The　

authoress　of　〃The　Woman　who　wished　it　was　Wednesday〃　had　swept　like　

a　convalescent　whirlwind；　subdued　but　potentially　tempestuous；　into　

Lady　Caroline's　box。



〃I've　just　trodden　with　all　my　weight　on　the　foot　of　an　eminent　

publisher　as　I　was　leaving　my　seat；〃　she　cried；　with　a　peal　of　

delighted　laughter。　　〃He　was　such　a　dear　about　it；　I　said　I　hoped　I　

hadn't　hurt　him；　and　he　said；　'I　suppose　you　think；　who　drives　hard　

bargains　should　himself　be　hard。'　　Wasn't　it　pet…lamb　of　him？〃



〃I've　never　trodden　on　a　pet　lamb；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃so　I've　no　

idea　what　its　behaviour　would　be　under　the　circumstances。〃



〃Tell　me；〃　said　the　authoress；　coming　to　the　front　of　the　box；　the　

better　to　survey　the　house；　and　perhaps　also　with　a　charitable　

desire　to　make　things　easy　for　those　who　might　pardonably　wish　to　

survey　her；　〃tell　me；　please；　where　is　the　girl　sitting　whom　

Courtenay　Youghal　is　engaged　to？〃



Elaine　was　pointed　out　to　her；　sitting　in　the　fourth　row　of　the　

stalls；　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　house　to　where　Comus　had　his　

seat。　　Once　during　the　interval　she　had　turned　to　give　him　a　

friendly　nod　of　recognition　as　he　stood　in　one　of　the　side　

gangways；　but　he　was　absorbed　at　the　moment　in　looking　at　himself　

in　the　glass　panel。　　The　grave　brown　eyes　and　the　mocking　green…

grey　ones　had　looked　their　last　into　each　other's　depths。



For　Comus　this　first…night　performance；　with　its　brilliant　

gathering　of　spectators；　its　groups　and　coteries　of　lively　talkers；　

even　its　counterfoil　of　dull　chatterers；　its　pervading　atmosphere　

of　stage　and　social　movement；　and　its　intruding　undercurrent　of　

political　flutter；　all　this　composed　a　tragedy　in　which　he　was　the　

chief　character。　　It　was　the　life　he　knew　and　loved　and　basked　in；　

and　it　was　the　life　he　was　leaving。　　It　would　go　on　reproducing　

itself　again　and　again；　with　its　stage　interest　and　social　interest　

and　intruding　outside　interests；　with　the　same　lively　chattering　

crowd；　the　people　who　had　done　things　being　pointed　out　by　people　

who　recognised　them　to　people　who　didn't　…　it　would　all　go　on　with　

unflagging　animation　and　sparkle　and　enjoyment；　and　for　him　it　

would　have　stopped　utterly。　　He　would　be　in　some　unheard…of　sun…

blistered　wilderness；　where　natives　and　pariah　dogs　and　raucous…

throated　crows　fringed　round　mockingly　on　one's　loneliness；　where　

one　rode　for　sweltering　miles　for　the　chance　of　meeting　a　collector　

or　police　officer；　with　whom　most　likely　on　closer　acquaintance　one　

had　hardly　two　ideas　in　common；　where　female　society　was　

represented　at　long　intervals　by　some　climate…withered　woman　

missionary　or　official's　wife；　where　food　and　sickness　and　

veterinary　lore　became　at　last　the　three　outstanding　subjects　on　

which　the　mind　settled　or　rather　sank。　　That　was　the　life　he　

foresaw　and　dreaded；　and　that　was　the　life　he　was　going　to。　　For　a　

boy　who　went　out　to　it　from　the　dulness　of　some　country　rectory；　

from　a　neighbourhood　where　a　flower　show　and　a　cricket　match　formed　

the　social　landmarks　of　the　year；　the　feeling　of　exile　might　not　be　

very　crushing；　might　indeed　be　lost　in　the　sense　of　change　and　

adventure。　　But　Comus　had　lived　too　thoroughly　in　the　centre　of　

things　to　regard　life　in　a　backwater　as　anything　else　than　

stagnation；　and　stagnation　while　one　is　young　he　justly　regarded　as　

an　offence　against　nature　and　reason；　in　keeping　with　the　perverted　

mockery　that　sends　decrepit　invalids　touring　painfully　about　the　

world　and　shuts　panthers　up　in　narrow　cages。　　He　was　being　put　

aside；　as　a　wine　is　put　aside；　but　to　deteriorate　instead　of　

gaining　in　the　process；　to　lose　the　best　time　of　his　youth　and　

health　and　good　looks　in　a　world　where　youth　and　health　and　good　

looks　count　for　much　and　where　time　never　returns　lost　possessions。　　

And　thus；　as　the　curtain　swept　down　on　the　close　of　each　act；　Comus　

felt　a　sense　of　depression　and　deprivation　sweep　down　on　himself；　

bitterly　he　watched　his　last　evening　of　social　gaiety　slipping　away　

to　its　end。　　In　less　than　an　hour　it　would　be　over；　in　a　few　

months'　time　it　would　be　an　unreal　memory。



In　the　third　interval；　as　he　gazed　round　at　the　chattering　house；　

someone　touched　him　on　the　arm。　　It　was　Lady　Veula　Croot。



〃I　suppose　in　a　week's　time　you'll　be　on　the　high　seas；〃　she　said。　　

〃I'm　coming　to　your　farewell　dinner；　you　know；　your　mother　has　just　

asked　me。　　I'm　not　going　to　talk　the　usual　rot　to　you　about　how　

much　you　will　like　it　and　so　on。　　I　sometimes　think　that　one　of　the　

advantages　of　Hell　will　be　that　no　one　will　have　the　impertinence　

to　point　out　to　you　that　you're　really　better　off　than　you　would　be　

anywhere　else。　　What　do　you　think　of　the　play？　　Of　course　one　can　

foresee　the　end；　she　will　come　to　her　husband　with　the　announcement　

that　their　longed…for　child　is　going　to　be　born；　and　that　will