道林格雷的画像_奥斯卡·王尔德-第40章

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sur　le　marbre　dun　escalier。　

how　exquisite　they　were！　as　one　read　them；　one　seemed　to　be　floating　down　the　green　water…ways　of　the　pink　and　pearl　city；　seated　in　a　black　gondola　with　silver　prow　and　trailing　curtains。　the　mere　lines　looked　to　him　like　those　straight　lines　of　turquoise…blue　that　follow　one　as　one　pushes　out　to　the　lido。　the　sudden　flashes　of　colour　reminded　him　of　the　gleam　of　the　opal…and…iris…throated　birds　that　flutter　round　the　tall　honeybed　campanile；　or　stalk；　with　such　stately　grace；　through　the　dim；　dust…stained　arcades。　leaning　back　with　half…closed　eyes；　he　kept　saying　over　and　over　to　himself：

devant　une　fa？ade　rose；

sur　le　marbre　dun　escalier。　

the　whole　of　venice　was　in　those　two　lines。　he　remembered　the　autumn　that　he　had　passed　there；　and　a　wonderful　love　that　had　stirred　him　to　mad　delightful　follies。　there　was　romance　in　every　place。　but　venice；　like　oxford；　had　kept　the　background　for　romance；　and；　to　the　true　romantic；　background　was　everything；　or　almost　everything。　basil　had　been　with　him　part　of　the　time；　and　had　gone　wild　over　tintoret。　poor　basil！　what　a　horrible　way　for　a　man　to　die！

he　sighed；　and　took　up　the　volume　again；　and　tried　to　forget。　he　read　of　the　swallows　that　fly　in　and　out　of　the　little　cafe　at　smyrna　where　the　hadjis　sit　counting　their　amber　beads　and　the　turbaned　merchants　smoke　their　long　tasselled　pipes　and　talk　gravely　to　each　other；　he　read　of　the　obelisk　in　the　place　de　la　concorde　that　weeps　tears　of　granite　in　its　lonely　sunless　exile　and　longs　to　be　back　by　the　hot；　lotus…covered　nile；　where　there　are　sphinxes；　and　rose…red　ibises；　and　white　vultures　with　gilded　claws；　and　crocodiles　with　small　beryl　eyes　that　crawl　over　the　green　steaming　mud；　he　began　to　brood　over　those　verses　which；　drawing　music　from　kiss…stained　marble；　tell　of　that　curious　statue　that　gautier　pares　to　a　contralto　voice；　the　〃monstre　charmant〃　that　couches　in　the　porphyry…room　of　the　louvre。　but　after　a　time　the　book　fell　from　his　hand。　he　grew　nervous；　and　a　horrible　fit　of　terror　came　over　him。　what　if　alan　campbell　should　be　out　of　england？　days　would　elapse　before　he　could　e　back。　perhaps　he　might　refuse　to　e。　what　could　he　do　then？　every　moment　was　of　vital　importance。

they　had　been　great　friends　once；　five　years　before　almost　inseparable；　indeed。　then　the　intimacy　had　e　suddenly　to　an　end。　when　they　met　in　society　now；　it　was　only　dorian　gray　who　smiled：　alan　campbell　never　did。

he　was　an　extremely　clever　young　man；　though　he　had　no　real　appreciation　of　the　visible　arts；　and　whatever　little　sense　of　the　beauty　of　poetry　he　possessed　he　had　gained　entirely　from　dorian。　his　dominant　intellectual　passion　was　for　science。　at　cambridge　he　had　spent　a　great　deal　of　his　time　working　in　the　laboratory；　and　had　taken　a　good　class　in　the　natural　science　tripos　of　his　year。　indeed；　he　was　still　devoted　to　the　study　of　chemistry；　and　had　a　laboratory　of　his　own　in　which　he　used　to　shut　himself　up　all　day　long；　greatly　to　the　annoyance　of　his　mother；　who　had　set　her　heart　on　his　standing　for　parliament　and　had　a　vague　idea　that　a　chemist　was　a　person　who　made　up　prescriptions。　he　was　an　excellent　musician；　however；　as　well；　and　played　both　the　violin　and　the　piano　better　than　most　amateurs。　in　fact；　it　was　music　that　had　first　brought　him　and　dorian　gray　togethermusic　and　that　indefinable　attraction　that　dorian　seemed　to　be　able　to　exercise　whenever　he　wished　and；　indeed；　exercised　often　without　being　conscious　of　it。　they　had　met　at　lady　berkshires　the　night　that　rubinstein　played　there；　and　after　that　used　to　be　always　seen　together　at　the　opera　and　wherever　good　music　was　going　on。　for　eighteen　months　their　intimacy　lasted。　campbell　was　always　either　at　selby　royal　or　in　grosvenor　square。　to　him；　as　to　many　others；　dorian　gray　was　the　type　of　everything　that　is　wonderful　and　fascinating　in　life。　whether　or　not　a　quarrel　had　taken　place　between　them　no　one　ever　knew。　but　suddenly　people　remarked　that　they　scarcely　spoke　when　they　met　and　that　campbell　seemed　always　to　go　away　early　from　any　party　at　which　dorian　gray　was　present。　he　had　changed；　toowas　strangely　melancholy　at　times；　appeared　almost　to　dislike　hearing　music；　and　would　never　himself　play；　giving　as　his　excuse；　when　he　was　called　upon；　that　he　was　so　absorbed　in　science　that　he　had　no　time　left　in　which　to　practise。　and　this　was　certainly　true。　every　day　he　seemed　to　bee　more　interested　in　biology；　and　his　name　appeared　once　or　twice　in　some　of　the　scientific　reviews　in　connection　with　certain　curious　experiments。

this　was　the　man　dorian　gray　was　waiting　for。　every　second　he　kept　glancing　at　the　clock。　as　the　minutes　went　by　he　became　horribly　agitated。　at　last　he　got　up　and　began　to　pace　up　and　down　the　room；　looking　like　a　beautiful　caged　thing。　he　took　long　stealthy　strides。　his　hands　were　curiously　cold。

the　suspense　became　unbearable。　time　seemed　to　him　to　be　crawling　with　feet　of　lead；　while　he　by　monstrous　winds　was　being　swept　towards　the　jagged　edge　of　some　black　cleft　of　precipice。　he　knew　what　was　waiting　for　him　there；　saw　it；　indeed；　and；　shuddering；　crushed　with　dank　hands　his　burning　lids　as　though　he　would　have　robbed　the　very　brain　of　sight　and　driven　the　eyeballs　back　into　their　cave。　it　was　useless。　the　brain　had　its　own　food　on　which　it　battened；　and　the　imagination；　made　grotesque　by　terror；　twisted　and　distorted　as　a　living　thing　by　pain；　danced　like　some　foul　puppet　on　a　stand　and　grinned　through　moving　masks。　then；　suddenly；　time　stopped　for　him。　yes：　that　blind；　slow…breathing　thing　crawled　no　more；　and　horrible　thoughts；　time　being　dead；　raced　nimbly　on　in　front；　and　dragged　a　hideous　future　from　its　grave；　and　showed　it　to　him。　he　stared　at　it。　its　very　horror　made　him　stone。

at　last　the　door　opened　and　his　servant　entered。　he　turned　glazed　eyes　upon　him。

〃mr。　campbell；　sir；〃　said　the　man。

a　sigh　of　relief　broke　from　his　parched　lips；　and　the　colour　came　back　to　his　cheeks。

〃ask　him　to　e　in　at　once；　francis。〃　he　felt　that　he　was　himself　again。　his　mood　of　cowardice　had　passed　away。

the　man　bowed　and　retired。　in　a　few　moments；　alan　campbell　walked　in；　looking　very　stern　and　rather　pale；　his　pallor　being　intensified　by　his　coal…black　hair　and　dark　eyebrows。

〃alan！　this　is　kind　of　you。　i　thank　you　for　ing。〃

〃i　had　intended　never　to　enter　your　house　again；　gray。　but　you　said　it　was　a　matter　of　life　and　death。〃　his　voice　was　hard　and　cold。　he　spoke　with　slow　deliberation。　there　was　a　look　of　contempt　in　the　steady　searching　gaze　that　he　turned　on　dorian。　he　kept　his　hands　in　the　pockets　of　his　astrakhan　coat；　and　seemed　not　to　have　noticed　the　gesture　with　which　he　had　been　greeted。

〃yes：　it　is　a　matter　of　life　and　death；　alan；　and　to　more　than　one　person。　sit　down。〃

campbell　took　a　chair　by　the　table；　and　dorian　sat　opposite　to　him。　the　two　mens　eyes　met。　in　dorians　there　was　infinite　pity。　he　knew　that　what　he　was　going　to　do　was　dreadful。

after　a　strained　moment　of　silence；　he　leaned　across　and　said；　very　quietly；　but　watching　the　effect　of　each　word　upon　the　face　of　him　he　had　sent　for；　〃alan；　in　a　locked　room　at　the　top　of　this　house；　a　room　to　which　nobody　but　myself　has　access；　a　dead　man　is　seated　at　a　table。　he　has　been　dead　ten　hours　now。　dont　stir；　and　dont　look　at　me　like　that。　who　the　man　is；　why　he　died；　how　he　died；　are　matters　that　do　not　concern　you。　what　you　have　to　do　is　this〃

〃stop；　gray。　i　dont　want　to　know　anything　further。　whether　what　you　have　told　me　is　true　or　not　true　doesnt　concern　me。　i　entirely　decline　to　be　mixed　up　in　your　life。　keep　your　horrible　secrets　to　yourself。　they　dont　interest　me　any　more。〃

〃alan；　they　will　have　to　interest　you。　this　one　will　have　to　interest　you。　i　am　awfully　sorry　for　you；　alan。　but　i　cant　help　myself。　you　are　the　one　man　who　is　able　to　save　me。　i　am　forced　to　bring　you　into　the　matter。　i　have　no　option。　alan；　you　are　scientific。　you　know　about　chemistry　and　things　of　that　kind。　you　have　made　experiments。　what　you　have　got　to　do　is　to　destroy　the　thing　that　is　upstairs　to　destroy　it　so　that　not　a　vestige　of　it　will　be　left。　nobody　saw　this　person　e　into　the　house。　indeed；　at　the　present　moment