brideshead+revisited-第18章

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ensuing　month。　It　lay　on　the　side　of　the　house　that　overlooked　the　lakes；　the　windows　were　open　to　the　stars　and　the　scented　air；　to　the　indigo　and　silver；　moonlit　landscape　of　the　valley　and　the　sound　of　water　falling　in　the　fountain。
　　　　'We'll　have　a　heavenly　time　alone；'　said　Sebastian　　and　when　next　morning；　while　I　was　shaving；　I　saw　from　my　bathroom　window　Julia；　with　luggage　at　her　back；　drive　from　the　forecourt　and　disappear　at　the　hill's　crest；　without　a　backward　glance；　I　felt　a　sense　of　liberation　and　peace　such　as　I　was；　to　know　years　later　when；　after　a　night　of　unrest；　the　sirens　sounded　the　'All　Clear'。　

＇4＇

THE　languor　of　Youth　…　how　unique　and　quintessential　it　is！　How　quickly；　how　irrecoverably；　lost！　The　zest；　the　generous　affections；　the　illusions；　the　despair；　all　the　traditional　attributes　of　Youth　…　all　save　this　…　e　and　go　with　us　through　life。　These　things　are　a　part　of　life　itself；　but　languor　…　the　relaxation　of　yet　unwearied　sinews；　the　mind　sequestered　and　self…regarding　that　belongs　to　Youth　alone　and　dies　with　it。　Perhaps　in　the　mansions　of　Limbo　the　heroes　enjoy　some　such　pensation　for　their　loss　of　the　Beatific　Vision；　perhaps　the　Beatific　Vision　itself　has　some　remote　kinship　with　this　lowly　experience；　I；　at　any　rate；　believed　myself　very　near　heaven；　during　those　languid　days　at　Brideshead。

　　　　'Why　is　this　house　called　a　〃Castle〃？'
　　　　'It　used　to　be　one　until　they　moved　it。'
　　　　'What　can　you　mean？'
　　　　'Just　that。　We　had　a　castle　a　mile　away；　down　by　the　village。　Then　we　took　a　fancy　to　the　valley　and。　pulled　the　castle　down；　carted　the　stones　up　here；　and　built　a　new　house。　I'm　glad　they　did；　aren't　you？'
　　　　'If　it　was　mine　I'd　never　live　anywhere　else。'
　　　　'But　you　sec。　Charles；　it　isn't　mine。　Just　at　the　moment　it　is；　but　usually　it's　full　of　ravening　beasts。　If　it　could　only　be　like　this　always　…　always　summer；　always　alone；　the　fruit　always　ripe；　and　Aloysius　in　a　good　temper。。。'
　　　　It　is　thus　I　like　to　remember　Sebastian；　as　he　was　that　summer；　when　we　wandered　alone　together　through　that　enchanted　palace；　Sebastian　in　his　wheel　chair　spinning　down　the　box…edged　walks　of　the　kitchen　gardens　in　search　of　alpine　strawberries　and　warm　figs；　propelling　himself　through　the　succession　of　hothouses；　from　scent　to　scent　and　climate　to　climate；　to　cut　the　muscat　grapes　and　choose　orchids　for　our　button…holes；　Sebastian　hobbling　with　a　pantomime　of　difficulty　to　the　old　nurseries；　sitting　beside　me　on　the　threadbare；　flowered　carpet　with　the　toy…cupboard　empty　about　us　and　Nanny　Hawkins　stitching　placently　in　the　er；　saying；　'You're　one　as　bad　as　the　other；　a　pair　of　children　the　two　of　you。　Is　that　what　they　teach　you　at　College？'　Sebastian　supine　on　the　sunny　seat　in　the　colonnade；　as　he　was　now；　and　I　in　a　hard　chair　beside　him；　trying　to　draw　the　fountain。
　　　　'Is　the　dome　by　Inigo　Jones；　too？　It　looks　later。'
　　　　'Oh；　Charles；　don't　be　such　a　tourist。　What　does　it　matter　when　it　was　built　if　it's　pretty？'
　　　　'It's　the　sort　of　thing　I　like　to　know。'
　　　　'Oh　dear；　I　thought　I'd　cured　you　of　all　that　…　the　terrible　Mr　Collins。'
　　　　It　was　an　aesthetic　education　to　live　within　those　walls；　to　wander　from　room　to　room；　from　the　Soanesque　library　to　the　Chinese　drawing；　adazzle　with　gilt　pagodas　and　nodding　mandarins；　painted　paper　and　Chippendale　fretwork；　from　the　Pompeian　parlour　to　the　great　tapestry…hung　hall　which　stood　unchanged；　as　it　had　been　designed　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　before；　to　sit；　hour　after　hour；　in　the　shade　looking　out　on　the　terrace。
　　　　This　terrace　was　the　final　consummation　of　the　house's　plan；　it　stood　on　massive　stone　ramparts　above　the　lakes；　so　that　from　the　hall　steps　it　seemed　to　overhang　them；　as　though；　standing　by　the　balustrade；　one　could　have　dropped　a　pebble　into　the　first　of　them　immediately　below　one's　feet。　It　was　embraced　by　the　two　arms　of　the　colonnade；　beyond　the　pavilions　groves　of　lime　led　to　the　wooded　hillsides。　Part　of　the　terrace　was　paved；　part　planted　with　flower…beds　and　arabesques　of　dwarf　box；　taller　box　grew　in　a　dense　hedge；　making　a　wide　oval；　cut　into　niches　and　interspersed　with　statuary；　and；　in　the　centre；　dominating　the；　whole　splendid　space　rose　the　fountain；　such　a　fountain　as　one　might　expect　to　find　in　a　piazza　of　southern　Italy；　such　a　fountain　as　was；　indeed；　found　there　a　century　ago　by　one　of　Sebasian's　ancestors；　found；　purchased；　imported；　and　re…erected　in　an　alien　but　weling　climate。
　　　　Sebastian　set　me　to　draw　it。　It　was　an　ambitious　subject　for　an　amateur　…　an　oval　basin　with　an　island　of　sculptured　rocks　at　its　centre；　on　the　rocks　grew；　in　stone；　formal　tropical　vegetation；　and　wild　English　fem　in　its　natural　fronds；　through　them　ran　a　dozen　streams　that　counterfeited　springs；　and　round　them　sported　fantastic　tropical　animals；　camels　and　camelopards　and　an　ebullient　lion；　all　vomiting　water；　on　the　rocks；　to　the　height　of　the　pediment；　stood　an　Egyptian　obelisk　of　red　sandstone　…　but；　by　some　odd　chance；　for　the　thing　was　far　beyond　me；　I　brought　it　off　and；　by　judicious　omissions　and　some　stylish　tricks；　produced　a　very　passable　echo　of　Piranesi。　'Shall　I　give　it　to　your　mother？'　I　asked。
　　　　'Why？　You　don't　know　her。'
　　　　'It　seems　polite。　I'm　staying　in　her　house。'
　　　　'Give　it　to　nanny；'　said　Sebastian。
　　　　I　did　so；　and　she　put　it　among　the　collection　on　the　top　of　her　chest　of　drawers；　remarking　that　it　had　quite　a　look　of　the　thing；　which　she　had　often　heard　admired　but　could　never　see　the　beauty　of；　herself。
　　　　For　me　the　beauty　was　new…found。
　　　　Since　the　days　when；　as　a　schoolboy；　I　used　to　bicycle　round　the　neighbouring　parishes；　rubbing　brasses　and　photographing　fonts；　I　had　nursed　a　love　of　architecture；　but；　though　in　opinion　I　had　made　that　easy　leap；　characteristic　of　my　generation；　from　the　puritanism　of　Ruskin　to　the　puritanism　of　Roger　Fry；　my　sentiments　at　heart　were　insular　and　medieval。
　　　　This　was　my　conversion　to　the　Baroque。　Here　under　that　high　and　insolent　dome；　under　those　coffered　ceilings；　here；　as　I　passed　through　those　arches　and　broken　pediments　to　the　pillared　shade　beyond　and　sat；　hour　by　hour；　before　the　fountain；　probing　its　shadows；　tracing　its　lingering　echoes；　rejoicing　in　all　its　clustered　feats　of　daring　and　invention；　I　felt　a　whole　new　system　of　nerves　alive　within　me；　as　though　the　water　that　spurted　and　bubbled　among　its　stones；　was　indeed　a　life…giving　spring。

　　　　One　day　in　a　cupboard　we　found　a　large　japanned…tin　box　of　oil…paints　still　in　workable　condition。
　　　　'Mummy　bought　them　a　year　or　two　ago。　Someone　told　her　that　you　could　only　appreciate　the　beauty　of　the　world　by　trying　to　paint　it。　We　laughed　at　her　a　great　deal　about　it。　She　couldn't　draw　at　all；　and　however　bright；　the　colour　were　in　the　tubes；　by　the　time　mummy　had　mixed　them　up；　they　came　out　a　kind　of　khaki。　Various　dry；　muddy　smears　on　the　palette　confirmed　this　statement。　'Cordelia　was…　always　made　to　wash　the　brushes。　In　the　end　we　all　protested　and　made　mummy　stop。'
　　　　The　paints　gave　us　the　idea　of　decorating　the　office；　this　was　a　small　room　opening　on　the　colonnade；　it　had　once　been　used　for　estate　business；　but　was　now　derelict；　holding　only　some　garden　games　and　a　tub　of　dead　aloes；　it　had　plainly　been　designed　for　a　softer　use；　perhaps　as　a　tea…room　or　study；　for　the　plaster　walls　were　decorated　with　delicate　Rococo　panels　and　the　roof　was　prettily　groined。　Here；　in　one　of　the　smaller　oval　frames；　I　sketched　a　romantic　landscape；　and　in　the　days　that　followed　filled　it　out　in　colour；　and；　by　luck　and　the　happy　mood　of　the　moment；　made　a　success　of　it。　The　brush　seemed　somehow　to　do　what　was　wanted　of　it。　It　was　a　landscape　without　figures；　a　summer　scene　of　white　cloud　and　blue　distances；　with　an　ivy…clad　ruin　in　the　foreground；　rocks　and　a　waterfall　affording　a　rugged　introduction　to　the　receding　parkland　behind。　I　knew　little　of　oil…painting　and　learned　its　ways　as　I　worked。　When；　in　a　week；　it　was　finished；　Sebastian　was　eager　for　me　to　start　on　one　of　the　larger　panels。　I　made　some　sketches。　He　called　for　a　f阾e　champ阾re　with　a　ribboned　swing　and　a　Negro　page　and　a　shepherd　playing　the　pipes；　but　the　thing　languished。　I　knew　it　was　good　chance　t