the unbearable bassington-第33章

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and　she'll　take　you　back　any　time　you　like；　I'm　quite　unreliable　

when　I　get　into　fancy　dress。　　I　shall　probably　keep　going　till　some　

unearthly　hour　of　the　morning。〃



A　masquerade　ball　in　a　strange　city　hardly　represented　Elaine's　

idea　of　enjoyment。　　Carefully　to　disguise　one's　identity　in　a　

neighbourhood　where　one　was　entirely　unknown　seemed　to　her　rather　

meaningless。　　With　Courtenay；　of　course；　it　was　different；　he　

seemed　to　have　friends　and　acquaintances　everywhere。　　However；　the　

matter　had　progressed　to　a　point　which　would　have　made　a　refusal　to　

go　seem　rather　ungracious。　　Elaine　finished　her　pancake　and　began　

to　take　a　polite　interest　in　her　costume。



〃What　is　your　character？〃　asked　Madame　Kelnicort　that　evening；　as　

they　uncloaked；　preparatory　to　entering　the　already　crowded　ball…

room。



〃I　believe　I'm　supposed　to　represent　Marjolaine　de　Montfort；　

whoever　she　may　have　been；〃　said　Elaine。　　〃Courtenay　declares　he　

only　wanted　to　marry　me　because　I'm　his　ideal　of　her。〃



〃But　what　a　mistake　to　go　as　a　character　you　know　nothing　about。　　

To　enjoy　a　masquerade　ball　you　ought　to　throw　away　your　own　self　

and　be　the　character　you　represent。　　Now　Courtenay　has　been　

Harlequin　since　half…way　through　dinner；　I　could　see　it　dancing　in　

his　eyes。　　At　about　six　o'clock　to…morrow　morning　he　will　fall　

asleep　and　wake　up　a　member　of　the　British　House　of　Parliament　on　

his　honeymoon；　but　to…night　he　is　unrestrainedly　Harlequin。〃



Elaine　stood　in　the　ball…room　surrounded　by　a　laughing　jostling　

throng　of　pierrots；　jockeys；　Dresden…china　shepherdesses；　Roumanian　

peasant…girls　and　all　the　lively　make…believe　creatures　that　form　

the　ingredients　of　a　fancy…dress　ball。　　As　she　stood　watching　them　

she　experienced　a　growing　feeling　of　annoyance；　chiefly　with　

herself。　　She　was　assisting；　as　the　French　say；　at　one　of　the　

gayest　scenes　of　Europe's　gayest　capital；　and　she　was　conscious　of　

being　absolutely　unaffected　by　the　gaiety　around　her。　　The　costumes　

were　certainly　interesting　to　look　at；　and　the　music　good　to　listen　

to；　and　to　that　extent　she　was　amused；　but　the　ABANDON　of　the　scene　

made　no　appeal　to　her。　　It　was　like　watching　a　game　of　which　you　

did　not　know　the　rules；　and　in　the　issue　of　which　you　were　not　

interested。　　Elaine　began　to　wonder　what　was　the　earliest　moment　at　

which　she　could　drag　Madame　Kelnicort　away　from　the　revel　without　

being　guilty　of　sheer　cruelty。　　Then　Courtenay　wriggled　out　of　the　

crush　and　came　towards　her；　a　joyous　laughing　Courtenay；　looking　

younger　and　handsomer　than　she　had　ever　seen　him。　　She　could　

scarcely　recognise　in　him　to…night　the　rising　young　debater　who　

made　embarrassing　onslaughts　on　the　Government's　foreign　policy　

before　a　crowded　House　of　Commons。　　He　claimed　her　for　the　dance　

that　was　just　starting；　and　steered　her　dexterously　into　the　heart　

of　the　waltzing　crowd。



〃You　look　more　like　Marjolaine　than　I　should　have　thought　a　mortal　

woman　of　these　days　could　look；〃　he　declared；　〃only　Marjolaine　did　

smile　sometimes。　　You　have　rather　the　air　of　wondering　if　you'd　

left　out　enough　tea　for　the　servants'　breakfast。　　Don't　mind　my　

teasing；　I　love　you　to　look　like　that；　and　besides；　it　makes　a　

splendid　foil　to　my　Harlequin　…　my　selfishness　coming　to　the　fore　

again；　you　see。　　But　you　really　are　to　go　home　the　moment　you're　

bored；　the　excellent　Kelnicort　gets　heaps　of　dances　throughout　the　

winter；　so　don't　mind　sacrificing　her。〃



A　little　later　in　the　evening　Elaine　found　herself　standing　out　a　

dance　with　a　grave　young　gentleman　from　the　Russian　Embassy。



〃Monsieur　Courtenay　enjoys　himself；　doesn't　he？〃　he　observed；　as　

the　youthful…looking　harlequin　flashed　past　them；　looking　like　some　

restless　gorgeous…hued　dragonfly；　〃why　is　it　that　the　good　God　has　

given　your　countrymen　the　boon　of　eternal　youth？　　Some　of　your　

countrywomen；　too；　but　all　of　the　men。〃



Elaine　could　think　of　many　of　her　countrymen　who　were　not　and　never　

could　have　been　youthful；　but　as　far　as　Courtenay　was　concerned　she　

recognised　the　fitness　of　the　remark。　　And　the　recognition　carried　

with　it　a　sense　of　depression。　　Would　he　always　remain　youthful　and　

keen　on　gaiety　and　revelling　while　she　grew　staid　and　retiring？　　

She　had　thrust　the　lively　intractable　Comus　out　of　her　mind；　as　by　

his　perverseness　he　had　thrust　himself　out　of　her　heart；　and　she　

had　chosen　the　brilliant　young　man　of　affairs　as　her　husband。　　He　

had　honestly　let　her　see　the　selfish　side　of　his　character　while　he　

was　courting　her；　but　she　had　been　prepared　to　make　due　sacrifices　

to　the　selfishness　of　a　public　man　who　had　his　career　to　consider　

above　all　other　things。　　Would　she　also　have　to　make　sacrifices　to　

the　harlequin　spirit　which　was　now　revealing　itself　as　an　

undercurrent　in　his　nature？　　When　one　has　inured　oneself　to　the　

idea　of　a　particular　form　of　victimisation　it　is　disconcerting　to　

be　confronted　with　another。　　Many　a　man　who　would　patiently　undergo　

martyrdom　for　religion's　sake　would　be　furiously　unwilling　to　be　a　

martyr　to　neuralgia。



〃I　think　that　is　why　you　English　love　animals　so　much；〃　pursued　the　

young　diplomat；　〃you　are　such　splendid　animals　yourselves。　　You　are　

lively　because　you　want　to　be　lively；　not　because　people　are　

looking　on　at　you。　　Monsieur　Courtenay　is　certainly　an　animal。　　I　

mean　it　as　a　high　compliment。〃



〃Am　I　an　animal？〃　asked　Elaine。



〃I　was　going　to　say　you　are　an　angel；〃　said　the　Russian；　in　some　

embarrassment；　〃but　I　do　not　think　that　would　do；　angels　and　

animals　would　never　get　on　together。　　To　get　on　with　animals　you　

must　have　a　sense　of　humour；　and　I　don't　suppose　angels　have　any　

sense　of　humour；　you　see　it　would　be　no　use　to　them　as　they　never　

hear　any　jokes。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Elaine；　with　a　tinge　of　bitterness　in　her　voice；　

〃perhaps　I　am　a　vegetable。〃



〃I　think　you　most　remind　me　of　a　picture；〃　said　the　Russian。



It　was　not　the　first　time　Elaine　had　heard　the　simile。



〃I　know；〃　she　said；　〃the　Narrow　Gallery　at　the　Louvre；　attributed　

to　Leonardo　da　Vinci。〃



Evidently　the　impression　she　made　on　people　was　solely　one　of　

externals。



Was　that　how　Courtenay　regarded　her？　　Was　that　to　be　her　function　

and　place　in　life；　a　painted　background；　a　decorative　setting　to　

other　people's　triumphs　and　tragedies？　　Somehow　to…night　she　had　

the　feeling　that　a　general　might　have　who　brought　imposing　forces　

into　the　field　and　could　do　nothing　with　them。　　She　possessed　youth　

and　good　looks；　considerable　wealth；　and　had　just　made　what　would　

be　thought　by　most　people　a　very　satisfactory　marriage。　　And　

already　she　seemed　to　be　standing　aside　as　an　onlooker　where　she　

had　expected　herself　to　be　taking　a　leading　part。



〃Does　this　sort　of　thing　appeal　to　you？〃　she　asked　the　young　

Russian；　nodding　towards　the　gay　scrimmage　of　masqueraders　and　

rather　prepared　to　hear　an　amused　negative。〃



〃But　yes；　of　course；〃　he　answered；　〃costume　balls；　fancy　fairs；　

cafe　chantant；　casino；　anything　that　is　not　real　life　appeals　to　us　

Russians。　　Real　life　with　us　is　the　sort　of　thing　that　Maxim　Gorki　

deals　in。　　It　interests　us　immensely；　but　we　like　to　get　away　from　

it　sometimes。〃



Madame　Kelnicort　came　up　with　another　prospective　partner；　and　

Elaine　delivered　her　ukase：　one　more　dance　and　then　back　to　the　

hotel。　　Without　any　special　regret　she　made　her　retreat　from　the　

revel　which　Courtenay　was　enjoying　under　the　impression　that　it　was　

life　and　the　young　Russian　under　the　firm　conviction　that　it　was　

not。



Elaine　breakfasted　at　her　aunts'　table　the　next　morning　at　much　her　

usual　hour。　　Courtenay　was　sleeping　the　sleep　of　a　happy　tired　

animal。　　He　had　given　instructions　to　be　called　at　eleven　o'clock；　

from　which　time　onward　the　NEUE　FREIE　PRESSE；　the　ZEIT；　and　his　

toilet　would　occupy　his　attention　till　he　appeared　at　the　luncheon　

table。　　There　were　not　many　peo