brideshead+revisited-第16章

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uliarly　English　terms　that　occurred　in　the　conversation；　translating　pounds　into　dollars　and　courteously　deferring　to　him　with　such　phrases　as　'Of　course；　by　your　standards。。。'；　'All　this　must　seem　very　parochial　to　Mr　Jorkins'；　'In　the　vast　spaces　to　which　you　are　accustomed。。。'　so　that　my　guest　was　left　with　the　vague　sense　that　there　was　a　misconception　somewhere　as　to　his　identity；　which　he　never　got　the　chance　of　explaining。　Again　and　again　during　dinner　he　sought　my　father's　eye；　thinking　to　read　there　the　simple　statement　that　this　form　of　address　was　an　elaborate　joke；　but　met　instead　a　look　of　such　mild　benignity　that　he　was　left　baffled。
　　　　Once　I　thought　my　father　had　gone　too　far；　when　he　said：　'I　am　afraid　that；　living　in　London；　you　must　sadly　miss　your　national　game。'
　　　　'My　national　game？'　asked　Jorkins；　slow　in　the　uptake；　but　scenting　that　here；　at　last；　was　the　opportunity　for　clearing　the　matter　up。
　　　　My　father　glanced　from　him　to　me　and　his　expression　changed　from　kindness　to　malice　then　back　to　kindness　again　as　he　turned　once　more　to　Jorkins。　It　was　the　look　of　a　gambler　who　lays　down　fours　against　a　full　house。　'Your　national　game；'　he　said　gently；　'cricket；'　and　he　snuffled　uncontrollably；　shaking　all　over　and　wiping　his　eyes　with　his　napkin。　'Surely；　working　in　the　City；　you　find　your　time　on　the　cricket…field；　greatly　curtailed？'
　　　　At　the　door　of　the　dining…room　he　left　us。　'Good　night；　Mr　Jorkins；'　he　said。　'I　hope　you　will　pay　us　another　visit　when　you　next　〃cross　the　herring　pond〃。'
　　　　'I　say；　what　did。your　governor　mean　by　that？'　He　seemed　almost　to　think　I　was；　American。'
　　　　'He's　rather　odd　at　times。'
　　　　'I　mean　all　that　about　advising　me　to　visit　Westminster　Abbey。　It　seemed　rum。'
　　　　'Yes。　I　can't　quite　explain。'
　　　　'I　almost　thought　he　was　pulling　my　leg；'　said　Jorkins　in　puzzled　tones。

　　　　My　father's　counter…attack　was　delivered　a　few　days　later。　He　sought　me　out　and　said；　'Mr　Jorkins　is　still　here？'
　　　　'No；　father；　of　course　not。　He　only　came　to　dinner。'
　　　　'Oh；　I　hoped　he　was　staying　with　us。　Such　a　versatile　young　man。　But　you　will　be　dining　in？'
　　　　'Yes。'
　　　　'I　am　giving　a　little　dinner　party　to　diversify　the　rather　monotonous　series　of　your　evenings　at　home。　You　think　Mrs　Abel　is　up　to　it？　No。　But　our　guests　are　not　exacting。　Sir　Cuthbert　and　Lady　Orme…Herrick　are　what　might　be　called　the　nucleus。　I　hope　for　a　little　music　afterwards。　I　have　included　in　the　invitations　some　young　people　for　you。'
　　　　My　presentiments　of　my　father's　plan　were　surpassed　by　the　actuality。　As　the　guests　assembled　in　the　room　which　my　father；　without　self…consciousness；　called　'the　Gallery'；　it　was　plain　to　me　that　they　had　been　carefully　chosen　for　my　disfort。　The　'young　people'　were　Miss　Gloria　Orme…Herrick　a　student　of　the　cello；　her　fianc？　a　bald　young　man　。from　the　British　Museum；　and　a　monoglot　Munich　publisher。　I　saw　my　father　snuffling　at　me　from　behind　a　case　of　ceramics　as　he　stood　with　them。　That　evening　he　wore；　like　a　chivalric　badge　of　battle；　a　small　red　rose　in　his　button…hole。
　　　　Dinner　was　long　and　chosen；　like　the　guests；　in　a　spirit　of　careful　mockery。　It　was　not　of　Aunt　Philippa's　choosing；　but　had　been　reconstructed　from　a　much　earlier　period；　long　before　he　was　of　an　age　to　dine　downstairs。　The　dishes　were　ornamental　in　appearance　and　regularly　alternated　in　colour　between　red　and　white。　They　and　the　wine　were　equally　tasteless。　After　dinner　my　father　led　the　German　publisher　to　the　piano　and　then；　while　he　played；　left　the　drawing…room　to　show　Sir　Cuthbert　Orme…Herrick　the　Etruscan　bull　in　the　gallery。
　　　　It　was　a　gruesome　evening；　and　I　was　astonished　to　find；　when　at　last　the　party　broke　up；　that　it　was　only　a　few　minutes　after　eleven。　My　father　helped　himself　to　a　glass　of　barley…water　and　said：　'What　very　dull　friends　I　have！　You　know；　without　the　spur　of　your　presence　I　should　never　have　roused　myself　to　invite　them。　I　have　been　very　negligent　about　entertaining　lately。　Now　that　you　are　paying　me　such　a　long　visit；　I　will　have　many　such　evenings。　You　liked　Miss　Gloria　Orme…Herrick？'
　　　　'No。'
　　　　'No？　Was　it　her　little　moustache　you　objected　to　or　her　very　large　feet？　Do　you　think　she　enjoyed　herself。'
　　　　'No。'
　　　　'That　was　my　impression　also。　I　doubt　if　any　of　our　guests　will　count　this　as　one　of　their　happiest　evenings。　That　young　foreigner　played　atrociously；　I　thought。　Where　can　I　have　met　him？　And　Miss　Constantia　Smethwick　…　where　can　I　have　met　her？　But　the　obligations　of　hospitality　must　be　observed。　As　long　as　you　are　here；　you　shall　not　be　dull。'
　　　　Strife　was　internecine　during　the　next　fortnight；　but　I　suffered　the　more；　for　my　father　had　greater　reserves　to　draw　on　and　a　wider　territory　for　manoeuvre；　while　I　was　pinned　to　my　bridgehead　between。　the　uplands　and　the　sea。　He　never　declared　his　war　aims；　and　I　do　not　to　this　day　know　whether　they；　were　purely　punitive　…　whether　he　had　really　at　the　back　of　his　mind　some　geopolitical　idea　of　getting　me　out　of　the　country；　as　my　Aunt　Philippa　had　been　driven　to　Bordighera　and　cousin　Melchior　to　Darwin；　or　whether；　as　seems　most　likely；　he　fought　for　the　sheer　love　of　a　battle　in　which　indeed　he　shone。
　　　　I　received　one　letter　from　Sebastian；　a　conspicuous　object　which　was　brought　to　me　in　my　father's　presence　one　day　when　he　was　lunching　at　home；　I　saw　him　look　curiously　at　it　and　bore　it　away　to　read　in　solitude。　It　was　written　on；　and　enveloped　in；　heavy　late…Victorian　mourning　paper；　black…coroneted　and　black…bordered。　I　read　it　eagerly：

Brideshead　Castle；
Wiltshire

I　wonder　what　the　date　is

Dearest　Charles；

　　　　I　found　a　box　of　this　paper　at　the　back　of　a　bureau　so　I　must　write　to　you　as　I　am　mourning　for　my　lost　innocence。　It　never　looked　like　living。　The　doctors　despaired　of　it　from　the　start。
　　　　Soon　I　am　off　to　Venice　to　stay　with　my　papa　in　his　palace　of　sin。　I　wish　you　were　ing。　I　wish　you　were　here。
　　　　I　am　never　quite　alone。　Members　of　my　family　keep　turning　up　and　collecting　luggage　and　going　away　　again　but　the　white　raspberries　are　ripe。
　　　　I　have　a　good　mind　not　to　take　Aloysius　to　Venice。　I　don't　want　him　to　meet　a　lot　of　horrid　Italian　bears　and　pick　up　bad　habits。
　　　　Love　or　what　you　will。

S。

　　　　I　knew　his　letters　of　old；　I　had　had　them　at　Ravenna；　I　should　not　have　been　disappointed；　but　that　day　as　I　tore　the　stiff　sheet　across　and　let　it　fall　into　the　basket；　and　gazed　resentfully　across　the　grimy　gardens　and　irregular　backs　of　Bayswater；　at　the　jumble　of　soil…pipes　and　fire…escapes　and　protuberant　little　conservatories；　I　saw；　in　my　mind's　eye；　the　pale　face　of　Anthony　Blanche；　peering　through　the　straggling　leaves　as　it　had　peered　through　the　candle　flames　at　Thame；　and　heard；　above　the　murmur　of　traffic；　his　clear　tones。。。'You　mustn't　blame　Sebastian　if　at　times　he　seems　a　little　insipid。。。When　I　hear　him　talk　I　am　reminded　of　that　in　some　ways　nauseating　picture　of　〃Bubbles〃。'
　　　　For　days　after　that　I　thought　I　hated　Sebastian；　then　one　Sunday　afternoon　a　telegram　came　from　him；　which　dispelled　that　shadow；　adding　a　new　and　darker　one　of　its　own。
　　　　My　father　was　out　and　returned　to　find　me　in　a　condition　of　feverish　anxiety。　He　stood　in　the　hall　with　his　panama　hat　still　on　his　head　and　beamed　at　me。
　　　　'You'll　never　guess　how　I　have　spent　the　day；　I　have　been　to　the　Zoo。　It　was　most　agreeable；　the　animals　seem　to　enjoy　the　sunshine　so　much。'
　　　　'Father；　I've　got　to　leave　at　once。'
　　　　'Yes？'
　　　　'A；　great　friend　of　mine　…　he's　had　a　terrible　accident。　I　must　go　to　him　at　once。　Hayter's　packing　for　me；　now。　There's　a　train　in　half　an　hour。'
　　　　I　showed　him　the　telegram；　which　read　simply：　'Gravely　injured　e　at　once　Sebastian。'
　　　　'Well；'　said　my　father。　'I'm　sorry　you　are　upset。　Reading　this　message　I　should　not　say　that　the　accident　was　as　serious　as　you　seem　to　think　…　otherwise　it　would　hardly　be　signed　by　the　victim　himself。　Still；　of　course；　he　may　well　be　fully　conscious　but　blind　or　paralysed　with　a　broken　back。　Why　exactly　is　your　presence　so　necessary？　You　have　no　medical　knowledge。　You　are　not　in　holy　orders。　Do　you　hope　for　a　legacy？'
　　　　'I　told　you；　he　is　a　great　friend。'
　　　　'Well；　Orme…Herrick　is　a　g