brideshead+revisited-第15章

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e　took　a　gold　pencil…case　from　his　watchchain　and　made　an　entry　in　the　margin。　The　windows　were　open　to　the　summer　night；　the　ticking　of　the　clocks；　the　distant　murmur　of　traffic　on　the　Bayswater　Road；　and　my…father's　regular　turning　of　the　pages　were　the　only　sounds。　I　had　thought　it　impolitic　to　smoke　a　cigar　while　pleading　poverty；　now　in　desperation　I　went　to　my　room　and　fetched　one。　My　father　did　not　look　up。　I　pierced　it；　lit　it；　and　with　renewed　confidence　said；　'Father；　you　surely　don't　want　me　to　spend　the　whole　vacation　here　with　you？'
　　　　'Eh？'
　　　　'Won't　you　find　it　rather　a　bore　having　me　at　home　for　so　long？'
　　　　'I　trust　I　should　not　betray　such　an　emotion　even　if　I　felt　it；　said　my　father　mildly　and　turned　back　to　his　book。
　　　　The　evening　passed。　Eventually　all　over　the　room　clocks　of　diverse　pattern　musically　chimed　eleven。　My；　father　closed　his　book　and　removed　his　spectacles。　'You　are　very　wele；　my　dear　boy；'　he　said。　'Stay　as　long　as　you　find　it　convenient。'　At　the　door　he　paused　and　turned　back。　'Your　cousin　Melchior　worked　his　passage　to　Australia　before　the　mast。'　　（Snuffle。）　'What；　I　wonder；　is　〃before　the　mast〃？'

　　　　During　the　sultry　week　that　followed；　my　relations　with　my　father　deteriorated　sharply。　I　saw　little　of　him　during　the　day；　he　spent　hours　on　end　in　the　library；　now　and　then　he　emerged　and　I　would　hear　him　calling　over　the　banisters：　'Hayter；　get　me　a　cab。'　Then　he　would　be　away；　sometimes　for　half　an　hour　or　less；　sometimes　a　whole　day；　his　errands　were　never　explained。　Often　I　saw　trays　going　up　to　him　at　odd　hours；　laden　with　meagre　nursery　snacks　…　rusks；　glasses　of　milk；　bananas；　and　so　forth。　If　we　met　in　a　passage　or　on　the　stairs　he　would　look　at　me　vacantly　and　say　'Ah…ha；'　or　'Very　warm；'　or　'Splendid；　splendid；'　but　in　the　evening；　when　he　came　to　the　garden…room　in　his　velvet　smoking　suit；　he　always　greeted　me　formally。
　　　　The　dinner　table　was　our　battlefield。
　　　　On　the　second　evening　I　took　my　book　with　me　to　the　dining…room。　His　mind　and　wandering　eye　fastened　on　it　with　sudden　attention；　and　as　we　passed　through　the　hall　he　surreptitiously　left　his　own　on　a　side　table。　When　we　sat　down；　he　said　plaintively：　'I　do　think；　Charles；　you　might　talk　to　me。　I've　had　a　very　exhausting　day。　I　was　looking　forward　to　a　little　conversation。'
　　　　'Of　course；　father。　What　shall　we　talk　about？'
　　　　'Cheer　me　up。　Take　me　out　of　myself；'　petulantly；　'tell　me　about　the　new　plays。'
　　　　'But　I　haven't　been　to　any。'
　　　　'You　should；　you　know　you　really　should。　It's　not　natural　in　a　young　man　to　spend　all　his　evenings　at　home。'
　　　　'Well；　father；'　as　I　told　you；　I　haven't　much　money　to　spare　for　theatre…going。'
　　　　'My　dear　boy；　you　must　not　let　money　bee　your　master　in　this　way。　Why；　at　your　age；　your　cousin　Melchior　was　part…owner　of　a　musical　piece。　It　was　one　of　his　few　happy　ventures。　You　should　go　to　the　play　as　part　of　your　education。　If　you　read　the　lives　of　eminent　men　you　will　find　that　quite　half　of　them　made　their　first　acquaintance　with　drama　from　the　gallery。　I　am　told　there　is　no　pleasure　like　it。　It　is　there　that　you　find　the　real　critics　and　devotees。　It　is　called　〃sitting；　with　the　gods〃。　The　expense　is　nugatory；　and　even　while　you　wait　for　admission　in　the　street　you　are　diverted　by　〃buskers〃。　We　will　sit　with　the　gods　together　one　night。　How　do　you　find　Mrs。Abel's　cooking。？'
　　　　'Unchanged。'
　　　　'It　was　inspired　by　your　Aunt　Philippa。　She　gave　Mrs　Abel　ten　menus；　and　they　have　never　been　varied。　When　I　am　alone　I　do　not　notice　what　I　eat；　but　now　that　you　are　here；　we　must　have　a　change。　What　would　you　like？　What　is　in　season？　Are　you　fond　of　lobsters？　Hayter；　tell　Mrs　Abel　to　give　us　lobsters　tomorrow　night。'
　　　　Dinner　that。　evening　consisted　of　a　white；　tasteless　soup；　overfried　fillets　of　sole　with　a　pink　sauce；　lamb　cutlets　propped　against　a　cone　of　mashed　potato；　stewed　pears　in　jelly　standing　on　a　kind　of　sponge　cake。
　　　　'It　is　purely　out　of　respect　for　your　Aunt　Philippa　that　I　dine　at　this　length。　She　laid　it　down　that　a　three…course　dinner　was　middle…class。　〃If　you　once　let　the　servants　get　their　way；〃　she　said；　〃you　will　find　yourself　dining　nightly　off　a　single　chop。〃　There　is　nothing　I　should　like　more。　In　fact；　that　is　exactly　what　I　do　when　I　go　to　my　club　on　Mrs　Abel's　evening　out。　But　your　aunt　ordained　that　at　home　I　must　have　soup　and　three　courses；　some　nights　it　is　fish；　meat；　and　savoury；　on　others　it　is　meat；　sweet；　savoury　…　there　are　a　number　of　possible　permutations。
　　　　It　is　remarkable　how　some　people　are　able　to　put　their　opinions　in　lapidary　form；　your　aunt　had　that　gift。
　　　　'It　is　odd　to　think　that　she　and　I　once　dined　together　nightly　just　as　you　and　I　do；　my　boy。　Now　she　made　unremitting　efforts　to　take　me　out　of　myself。　She　used　to　tell　me　about　her　reading。　It　was　in　her　mind　to　make　a　home　with　me；　you　know。　She　thought　I　should　get　into　funny　ways　if　I　was　left　on　my　own。　Perhaps　I　have　got　into　funny　ways。　Have　I？　But　it　didn't　do。　I　got　her　out　in　the　end。'
　　　　There　was　an　unmistakable　note　of　menace　in　his　voice　as　he　said　this。
　　　　It　was　largely　by　reason　of　my　Aunt　Philippa　that　I　now　found　myself　so　much　a　stranger　in　my　father's　house。　After　my　mother's　death　she　came　to　live　with　my　father　and　me；　no　doubt；　as　he　said；　with　the　idea　of　making　her　home　with　us。　I　knew　nothing；　then；　of　the　nightly　agonies　at　the　dinner　table。　My　aunt　made　herself　my　panion；　and　I　accepted　her　without　question。　That　was　for　a　year。　The　first　change　was　that　she　reopened　her　house　in　Surrey　which　she　had　meant　to　sell；　and　lived　there　during　my　school　terms；　ing　to　London　only　for　a　few　days'　shopping　and　entertainment。　In　the　summer　we　went　to　lodgings　together　at　the　seaside。　Then　in　my　last　year　at　school　she　left　England。　'I　got　her　out　in　the　end；'　he　said　with　derision　and　triumph　of　that　kindly　lady；　and　he　knew　that　I　heard　in　the　words　a　challenge　to　myself。
　　　　As　we　left　the　dining…room　my　father　said；　'Hayter；　have　you　yet　said　anything　to　Mrs　Abel　about　the　lobsters　I　ordered　for　tomorrow？'
　　　　'No；　sir。'
　　　　'Do　not　do　so。'
　　　　'Very　good；　sir。'
　　　　And　when　we　reached　our　chairs　in　the　garden…room　he　said：　'I　wonder　whether　Hayter　had　any　intention　of　mentioning；　lobsters；　I　rather　think　not。　Do　you　know；　I　believe　he　thought　I　was　joking？　'
　　　　Next　day　by　chance；　a　weapon　came　to　hand。　I　met　an　old　acquaintance　of　school…days；　a　contemporary　of　mine　named　Jorkins。　I　never　had　much　liking　for　Jorkins。　Once；　in　my　Aunt　Philippa's　day；　he　had　e　to　tea；　and　she　had　condemned　him　as　being　probably　charming　at　heart；　but　unattractive　at　first　sight。　Now　I　greeted　him　with　enthusiasm　and　asked　him　to　dinner。　He　came　and　showed　little　alteration。　My　father　must　have　been　warned　by　Hayter　that　there　was　a　guest；　for　instead　of　his　velvet　suit　he　wore　a　tail　coat；　this；　with　a　black　waistcoat；　very　high　collar；　and　very　narrow　white　tie；　was　his　evening　dress；　he　wore　it　with　an　air　of　melancholy　as　though　it　were　court　mourning；　which　he　had　assumed　in　early　youth　and；　finding　the　style　sympathetic；　had　retained。　He　never　possessed　a　dinner　jacket。
　　　　'Good　evening；　good　evening。　So　nice　of　you　to　e　all　this　way。'
　　　　'Oh；　it　wasn't　far；　said　Jorkins；　who　lived　in　Sussex　Square。
　　　　'Science　annihilates　distance；'　said　my　father　disconcertingly。　'You　are　over　here　on　business？'
　　　　'Well；　I'm　in　business；　if　that's　what　you　mean。'
　　　　'I　had　a　cousin　who　was　in　business　…　you　wouldn't　know　him；　it　was　before　your　time。　I　was　telling　Charles　about　him　only　the　other　night。　He　has　been　much　in　my　mind。　He　came；'　my　father　paused　to　give　full　weight　to　the　bizarre　word　…　'a　cropper。'
　　　　Jorkins　giggled　nervously。　My　father　fixed　him　with　a　look　of　reproach。
　　　　'You　find　his　misfortune　the　subject　of　mirth？　Or　perhaps　the　word　I　used　was　unfamiliar；　you　no　doubt　would　say　that　he　〃folded　up〃。'
　　　　My　father　was　master　of　the　situation。　He　had　made　a　little　fantasy　for　himself；　that　Jorkins　should　I　be　an　American　and　throughout　the　evening　he　played　a　delicate　one…sided　parlour…game　with　him；　explaining　any　peculiarly　English　terms　that　occurred　in　the　conversation；　translating　pounds　into　dollars　and　courteo