brideshead+revisited-第14章

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　　　　'Well；　he　did　most　of　the　talking。　Tell　me；　did　you　know　him　at　Eton？'
　　　　'He　was　sacked　my　first　half。　I　remember　seeing　him　about。　He　always　has　been　a　noticeable　figure。'
　　　　'Did　he　go　to　church　with　you？'
　　　　'I　don't　think　so；　why？'
　　　　'Has　he　met　any　of　your　family？'
　　　　'Charles；　how　very　peculiar　you're　being　today。　No。　I　don't　suppose　so。
　　　　'Not　your　mother　at　Venice？'
　　　　'I　believe　she　did　say　something　about　it。　I　forget　what。　I　think　she　was　staying　with　some　Italian　cousins　of　ours；　the　Foglieres；　and　Anthony　turned　up　with　his　family　at　the　hotel；　and　there　was　some　party　the　Foglieres　gave　that　they　weren't　asked　to。　I　know　Mummy　said　something　about　it　when　I　told　her　he　was　a　friend　of　mine。　I　can't　think　why　he　should　want　to　go　to　a　party　at　the　Foglieres　…　the　princess　is　so　proud　of　her　English　blood　that　she　talks　of　nothing　else。　Anyway；　no　one　objected　to　Antoine　…　much；　I　gather。　It　was　his　mother　they　thought　difficult。'
　　　　'And　who　is　the　Duchesse　of　Vincennes？'
　　　　'Poppy？'
　　　　'Stefanie。'
　　　　'You　must　ask　Antoine　that。　He　claims　to　have　had　an　affair　with　her。'
　　　　'Did　he？'
　　　　'I　dare　say。　I　think　it's　more　or　less　pulsory　at　Cannes。　Why　all　this　interest？'
　　　　'I　just　wanted　to　find　out　how　much　truth　there　was　in　what　Anthony　said　last　night。'
　　　　'I　shouldn't；　think　a　word。　That's　his　great　charm。'
　　　　'You　may　think　it　charming。　I　think　it's　devilish。　Do　you　know　he　spent　the　whole　of　yesterday　evening　trying　to　turn　me　against　you；　and　almost　succeeded？'
　　　　'Did　he？　How　silly。　Aloysius　wouldn't　approve　of　that　at　all；　would　you；　you　pompous　old　bear？'
　　　　And　then　Boy　Mulcaster　came　into　the　room。

＇3＇

I　RETURNED　home　for　the　Long　Vacation　without　plans　and　without　money。　To　cover　end…of…term　expenses　I　had　sold　my　Omega　screen　to　Collins　for　ten　pounds；　of　which　I　now　kept　four；　my　last　cheque　overdrew　my　account　my　a　few　shillings；　and　I　had　been　told　that；　without　my　father's　authority；　I　must　draw　no　more。　My　next　allowance　was　not　due　until　October。　I　was　thus　faced　with　a　bleak　prospect　and；　turning　the　matter　over　in　my　mind；　I　felt　something　not　far　off　remorse　for　the　prodigality；of　the　preceding　weeks。
　　　　I　had　started　the　term　with　my　battels　paid　and　over　a　hundred　pounds　in　hand。　All　that　had　gone；　and　not　a　penny　paid　out　where　I　could　get　credit。　There　had　been　no　reason　for　it；　no　great　　pleasure　unattainable　else；　it　had　gone　in　ducks　and　drakes。　Sebastian　used　to　tease　me　…　'You　spend　money；　like　a　bookie'　…　but　all　of　it　went　on　and　with　him。　His　own　finances　were　perpetually；　vaguely　distressed。　'It's　all　done　by　lawyers；'　he　said　helplessly；　'and　I　suppose　they　embezzle　a　lot。　Anyway；　I　never　seem　to　get　much。　Of　course；　mummy　would　give　me　anything　I　asked　for。'
　　　　'Then　why　don't　you　ask　her　for　a　proper　allowance？'
　　　　'Oh；　mummy　likes　everything　to　be　a　present。　She's　so　sweet；'　he　said；　adding　one　more　line　to　the　picture　I　was　forming　of　her。
　　　　Now　Sebastian　had　disappeared　into　that　other　life　of　his　where　I　was　not　asked　to　follow；　and　I　was　left；　instead；　forlorn　and　regretful。
　　　　How　ungenerously　in　later　life　we　disclaim　the　virtuous　moods　of　our　youth；　living　in　retrospect　long；　summer　days　of　unreflecting　dissipation。　There　is　no　candour　in　a　story　of　early　manhood　which　leaves　out　of　account　the　home…sickness　for　nursery　morality；　the　regrets　and　resolutions　of　amendment；　the　black　hours　which；　like　zero　on　the　roulette　table；　turn　up　with　roughly　calculable　regularity。
　　　　Thus　I　spent　the　first　afternoon　at　home；　wandering　from　room　to　room；　looking　from　the　plate…glass　windows　in　turn　on　the　garden　and　the　street；　in　a　mood　of　vehement　self…reproach。
　　　　My　father；　I　knew；　was　in　the　house；　but　his　library　was　inviolable；　and　it　was　not　until　just　before　dinner　that　he　appeared　to　greet　me。　He　was　then　in　his　late　fifties；　but　it　was　his　idiosyncrasy　to　seem　much　older　than　his　years；　to　see　him　one　might　have　put　him　at　seventy；　to　hear　him　speak　at　nearly　eighty。　He　came　to　me　now；　with　the　shuffling；　mandarin…tread　which　he　affected；　and　a　shy　smile　of　wele。　When　he　dined　at　home　…　and　he　seldom　dined　elsewhere　…　he　wore　a　frogged　velvet　smoking　suit　of　the　kind　which　had　been　fashionable　many　years　before　and　was　to　be　so　again；　but；　at　that　time；　was　a　deliberate　archaism。
　　　　'My　dear　boy；　I　they　never　told　me　you　were　here。'　Did　you　have　a　very　exhausting　journey？　They　gave　you　tea？　You　are　well？　I　have　just　made　a　somewhat　audacious　I　purchase　from　Sonerscheins　…　a　terra…cotta　bull　of　the　fifth　century。　I　was　examining　it　and　forgot　your　arrival。　Was　the　carriage　very　full？　　You　had　a　corner　seat？　（He　travelled　so　rarely　himself　that　to　hear　of　others　doing　so　always　excited　his　solicitude。）　'Hayter　brought　you　the　evening　paper？　There　is　no　news；　of　course　…　such　a　lot　of　nonsense。'
　　　　Dinner　was　announced。　My　father　from　long　habit　took　a　book　with　him　to　the　table　and　then；　remembering　my　presence；　furtively　dropped　it　under　his　chair。　'What　do　you　like　to　drink？　Hayter；　what　have　we　for　Mr　Charles　to　drink？'
　　　　'There's　some　whisky。'
　　　　'There's　whisky。　Perhaps　you　like　something；　else？　What　else　have　we？'
　　　　'There　isn't　anything　else　in　the　house；　sir。'
　　　　'There's　nothing　else。　You　must　tell　Hayter　what　you　would　like　and　he　will　get　it　in。　I　never　keep　any　wine　now。　I　am　forbidden　it　and　no　one　es　to　see　me。　But　while　you　are　here；　you　must　have　what　you　like。　You　are　here　for　long。？'
　　　　'I'm　not　quite　sure；　father。'
　　　　'It's　a　very　long　vacation；'　he　said　wistfully。　'In　my　day　we　used　to　go　on　what　were　called　reading　parties；　always　in　mountainous　areas。　Why？。　Why；'　he　repeated　petulantly；　'should　alpine　scenery　be　thought　conducive　to　study？'
　　　　'I　thought　of　putting　in　some　time　at　an　art　school　…　in　the　life　class。'
　　　　'My　dear　boy；　you'll　find　them　all　shut。　The　students　go　to　Barbizon　or　such　places　and　paint　in　the　open　air。　There　was　an　institution　in　my　day　called　a　〃sketching　club〃'　…　mixed　sexes'　（snuffle）；　'bicycles'　（snuffle）；　'pepper…and…salt　knickerbockers；　holland　umbrellas；　and；　it　was　popularly　thought；　free　love'　（snuffle）；　such　a　lot　of　nonsense。　I　expect　they　still　go　on。　You　might　try　that。'
　　　　'One　of　the　problems　of　the　vacation　is　money；　father。'
　　　　'Oh；　I　shouldn't　worry　about　a　thing　like　that　at　your　age。'
　　　　'You　see；　I've　run　rather　short。'
　　　　'Yes？'　said　my　father　without　any　sound　of　interest。
　　　　'In　fact　I　don't　quite　know　how　I'm　going　to　get　through　the　next　two　months。'
　　　　'Well；　I'm　the　worst　person　to　e　to　for　advice。　I've　never　been　〃short〃　as　you　so　painfully　call　it。　And　yet　what　else　could　you　say？　Hard　up？　Penurious？　Distressed？　Embarrassed？　Stonybroke？'　（snuffle）。　'On　the　rocks？　In　Queer　Street？　Let　us　say　you　are　in　Queer　Street　and　leave　it　at　that。　Your　grandfather　once　said　to　me；　〃Live　within　your　means；　but　if　you　do　get　into　difficulties；　e　to　me。　Don't　go　to　the　Jews。〃　Such　a　lot　of　nonsense。　You　try。　Go　to　those　gentlemen　in　Jermyn　Street　who　offer　advances　on　note　of　hand　only。　My　dear　boy；　they　won't　give　you　a　sovereign。'
　　　　'Then　what　do　you　suggest　my　doing？'
　　　　'Your　cousin　Melchior　was　imprudent　with　his　investments　and　got　into　a　very　queer　street。　He　went　to　Australia。'　I　had　not　seen　my　father　so　gleeful　since　he　found　two　pages　of　second…century　papyrus　between　the　leaves　of　a　Lombardic　breviary。
　　　　'Hayter；　I've　dropped　my　book。'
　　　　It　was　recovered　for　him　from　under　his　feet　and　propped　　against　the　閜ergne。　For　the　rest　of　dinner　he　was　silent　save　for　an　occasional　snuffle　of　merriment　which　could　not；　I　thought　be　provoked　by　the　work　he　read。
　　　　Presently　we　left　the　table　and　sat　in　I　the　garden…room；　and　there；　plainly；　he　put　me　out　of　his　mind；　his　thoughts；　I　knew；　were　far　away；　in　those　distant　ages　where　he　moved　at　ease；　where　time　passed　in　centuries　and　all　the　figures　were　defaced　and　the　names　of　his　panions　were　corrupt　readings　of　words　of　quite　other　meaning。　He　sat　in　an　attitude　which　to　anyone　else　would　have　been　one　of　extreme　disfort；　askew　in　his　upright　armchair；　with　his　book　held　high　and　obliquely　to　the　light。　Now　and　then　he　took　a　gold　pencil…case　from　his　wa