an unsocial socialist-第31部分

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habit　of　using　or　listening　to　such　language。　Agatha；　stimulated
by　this；　continued：

〃Here　are　you　and　I；　who　consider　ourselves　twice　as　presentable
and　conversable　as　she；　two　old　maids。〃　Gertrude　winced；　and
Agatha　hastened　to　add：　〃Why；　as　for　you；　you　are　perfectly
lovely！　And　she　has　asked　us　down　expressly　to　marry　us。〃

〃She　would　not　presume〃

〃Nonsense；　my　dear　Gertrude。　She　thinks　that　we　are　a　couple　of
fools　who　have　mismanaged　our　own　business；　and　that　she；　having
managed　so　well　for　herself；　can　settle　us　in　a　jiffy。　Come；　did
she　not　say　to　you；　before　I　came；　that　it　was　time　for　me　to　be
getting　married？〃

〃Well；　she　did。　But〃

〃She　said　exactly　the　same　thing　to　me　about　yon　when　she　invited
me。〃

〃I　would　leave　her　house　this　moment；〃　said　Gertrude；　〃if　I
thought　she　dared　meddle　in　my　affairs。　What　is　it　to　her　whether
I　am　married　or　not？〃

〃Where　have　you　been　living　all　these　years；　if　you　do　not　know
that　the　very　first　thing　a　woman　wants　to　do　when　she　has　made　a
good　match　is　to　make　ones　for　all　her　spinster　friends。　Jane
does　not　mean　any　harm。　She　does　it　out　of　pure　benevolence。〃

〃I　do　not　need　Jane's　benevolence。〃

〃Neither　do　I；　but　it　doesn't　do　any　harm；　and　she　is　welcome　to
amuse　herself　by　trotting　out　her　male　acquaintances　for　my
approval。　Hush！　Here　she　comes。〃

Gertrude　subsided。　She　could　not　quarrel　with　Lady　Brandon
without　leaving　the　house；　and　she　could　not　leave　the　house
without　returning　to　her　home。　But　she　privately　resolved　to
discourage　the　attentions　of　Erskine；　suspecting　that　instead　of
being　in　love　with　her　as　he　pretended；　he　had　merely　been
recommended　by　Jane　to　marry　her。

Chichester　Erskine　had　made　sketches　in　Palestine　with　Sir
Charles；　and　had　tramped　with　him　through　many　European　picture
galleries。　He　was　a　young　man　of　gentle　birth；　and　had　inherited
fifteen　hundred　a　year　from　his　mother；　the　bulk　of　the　family
property　being　his　elder　brother's。　Having　no　profession；　and
being　fond　of　books　and　pictures；　he　had　devoted　himself　to　fine
art；　a　pursuit　which　offered　him　on　the　cheapest　terms　a　high
opinion　of　the　beauty　and　capacity　of　his　own　nature。　He　had
published　a　tragedy　entitled；　〃The　Patriot　Martyrs；〃　with　an
etched　frontispiece　by　Sir　Charles；　and　an　edition　of　it　had　been
speedily　disposed　of　in　presentations　to　the　friends　of　the
artist　and　poet；　and　to　the　reviews　and　newspapers。　Sir　Charles
had　asked　an　eminent　tragedian　of　his　acquaintance　to　place　the
work　on　the　stage　and　to　enact　one　of　the　patriot　martyrs。　But
the　tragedian　had　objected　that　the　other　patriot　martyrs　had
parts　of　equal　importance　to　that　proposed　for　him。　Erskine　had
indignantly　refused　to　cut　these　parts　down　or　out；　and　so　the
project　had　fallen　through。

Since　then　Erskine　had　been　bent　on　writing　another　drama；
without　regard　to　the　exigencies　of　the　stage；　but　he　had　not　yet
begun　it；　in　consequence　of　his　inspiration　coming　upon　him　at
inconvenient　hours；　chiefly　late　at　night；　when　he　had　been
drinking；　and　had　leisure　for　sonnets　only。　The　morning　air　and
bicycle　riding　were　fatal　to　the　vein　in　which　poetry　struck　him
as　being　worth　writing。　In　spite　of　the　bicycle；　however；　the
drama；　which　was　to　be　entitled　〃Hypatia；〃　was　now　in　a　fair　way
to　be　written；　for　the　poet　had　met　and　fallen　in　love　with
Gertrude　Lindsay；　whose　almost　Grecian　features；　and　some
knowledge　of　the　different　calculua　which　she　had　acquired　at
Alton；　helped　him　to　believe　that　she　was　a　fit　model　for　his
heroine。

When　the　ladies　came　downstairs　they　found　their　host　and　Erskine
in　the　picture　gallery；　famous　in　the　neighborhood　for　the　sum　it
had　cost　Sir　Charles。　There　was　a　new　etching　to　be　admired；　and
they　were　called　on　to　observe　what　the　baronet　called　its　tones；
and　what　Agatha　would　have　called　its　degrees　of　smudginess。　Sir
Charles's　attention　often　wandered　from　this　work　of　art。　He
looked　at　his　watch　twice；　and　said　to　his　wife：

〃I　have　ordered　them　to　be　punctual　with　the　luncheon。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　it's　all　right；〃　said　Lady　Brandon；　who　had　given
orders　that　luncheon　was　not　to　be　served　until　the　arrival　of
another　gentleman。　〃Show　Agatha　the　picture　of　the　man　in　the〃

〃Mr。　Trefusis；〃　said　a　servant。

Mr。　Trefusis；　still　in　snuff　color；　entered；　coat　unbuttoned　and
attention　unconstrained；　exasperatingly　unconscious　of　any
occasion　for　ceremony。

〃Here　you　are　at　last；〃　said　Lady　Brandon。　〃You　know　everybody；
don't　you？〃

〃How　do　you　do？〃　said　Sir　Charles；　offering　his　hand　as　a　severe
expression　of　his　duty　to　his　wife's　guest；　who　took　it
cordially；　nodded　to　Erskine；　looked　without　recognition　at
Gertrude；　whose　frosty　stillness　repudiated　Lady　Brandon's
implication　that　the　stranger　was　acquainted　with　her；　and　turned
to　Agatha；　to　whom　he　bowed。　She　made　no　sign；　she　was　paralyzed。
Lady　Brandon　reddened　with　anger。　Sir　Charles　noted　his　guest's
reception　with　secret　satisfaction；　but　shared　the　embarrassment
which　oppressed　all　present　except　Trefusis；　who　seemed　quite
indifferent　and　assured；　and　unconsciously　produced　an　impression
that　the　others　had　not　been　equal　to　the　occasion；　as　indeed
they　had　not。

〃We　were　looking　at　some　etchings　when　you　came　in；〃　said　Sir
Charles；　hastening　to　break　the　silence。　〃Do　you　care　for　such
things？〃　And　he　handed　him　a　proof。

Trefusis　looked　at　it　as　if　he　had　never　seen　such　a　thing　before
and　did　not　quite　know　what　to　make　of　it。　〃All　these　scratches
seem　to　me　to　have　no　meaning；〃　he　said　dubiously。

Sir　Charles　stole　a　contemptuous　smile　and　significant　glance　at
Erskine。　He；　seized　already　with　an　instinctive　antipathy　to
Trefusis；　said　emphatically：

〃There　is　not　one　of　those　scratches　that　has　not　a　meaning。〃

〃That　one；　for　instance；　like　the　limb　of　a　daddy…long…legs。　What
does　that　mean？〃

Erskine　hesitated　a　moment；　recovered　himself；　and　said：
〃Obviously　enoughto　me　at　leastit　indicates　the　marking　of
the　roadway。〃

〃Not　a　bit　of　it；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃There　never　was　such　a　mark　as
that　on　a　road。　It　may　be　a　very　bad　attempt　at　a　briar；　but
briars　don't　straggle　into　the　middle　of　roads　frequented　as　that
one　seems　to　bejudging　by　those　overdone　ruts。〃　He　put　the
etching　away；　showing　no　disposition　to　look　further　into　the
portfolio；　and　remarked；　〃The　only　art　that　interests　me　is
photography。〃

Erskine　and　Sir　Charles　again　exchanged　glances；　and　the　former
said：

〃Photography　is　not　an　art　in　the　sense　in　which　I　understand　the
term。　It　is　a　process。〃

〃And　a　much　less　troublesome　and　more　perfect　process　than　that；〃
said　Trefusis；　pointing　to　the　etching。　〃The　artists　are　sticking
to　the　old　barbarous；　difficult；　and　imperfect　processes　of
etching　and　portrait　painting　merely　to　keep　up　the　value　of
their　monopoly　of　the　required　skill。　They　have　left　the　new；
more　complexly　organized；　and　more　perfect；　yet　simple　and
beautiful　method　of　photography　in　the　hands　of　tradesmen；
sneering　at　it　publicly　and　resorting　to　its　aid　surreptitiously。
The　result　is　that　the　tradesmen　are　becoming　better　artists　than
they；　and　naturally　so；　for　where；　as　in　photography；　the　drawing
counts　for　nothing；　the　thought　and　judgment　count　for
everything；　whereas　in　the　etching　and　daubing　processes；　where
great　manual　skill　is　needed　to　produce　anything　that　the　eye　can
endure；　the　execution　counts　for　more　than　the　thought；　and　if　a
fellow　only　fit　to　carry　bricks　up　a　ladder　or　the　like　has
ambition　and　perseverance　enough　to　train　his　hand　and　push　into
the　van；　you　cannot　afford　to　put　him　back　into　his　proper　place；
because　thoroughly　trained　hands　are　so　scarce。　Consider　the
proof　of　this　that　you　have　in　literature。　Our　books　are　manually
the　work　of　printers　and　papermakers；　you　may　cut　an　author's
hand　off　and　he　is　as　good　an　author　as　before。　What　is　the
result？　There　is　more　imagination　in　any　number　of　a　penny
journal　than　in　half…a…dozen　of　the　Royal　Academy　rooms　in　the
season。　No　author　can　live　by　his　work　and　be　as　empty…headed　as
an　average　successful　painter。　Again；　consider　our　implements　of
musicour　pianofortes；　for　example。　Nobody　but　an　acrobat　will
voluntarily　spend　years　at　such　a　difficult　mechanical　puzzle　as
the　keyboard；　and　so　we　have　to　take　our　impressions　of
Beethoven's　sonatas　from　acrobats　who　vie　with　each　other　in　the
rapidity　of　their　prestos；　or　the　staying　power　of　their　left
wrists。　Thoughtful　men　will　not　spend　their　lives　acquiring
sleight…of…hand。　Invent　a　piano　which　will　respond　as　delicately
to　the　turning　of　a　handle　as　our　present　ones　do　to　the　pressure
of　the　fingers；　and　the　acrobats　will　be　driven　back　to　their
carpets　and　trapezes；　because　the　sole　faculty　necessary　to　the
executant　musician　will　be　the　musical　faculty；　and　no　other　will
enable　him　to　obtain　a　hearing。〃

The　company　were　somewhat　overcome　by　this　unexpected　lecture。
Sir　Charles；　feeling　that　such　views　bore　adversely　on　him；　and
were　somehow　iconoclastic　and　low…lived；　was　about　to　make　a
peevish　retort；　when　Erskine　forestalled　him　by　asking　Trefusis
what　idea　he　had　formed　of　the　future　of　the　arts。　He　replied
promptly。　〃Photography　perfected　in　its　recently　discovered　power
of　reproducing　color　as　well　as　form！　Historical　pictures
replaced　by　photographs　of　tableaux　vivants　formed　and　arranged
by　trained　actors　and　artists；　and　used　chiefly　for　the
instruction　of　children。　Nine…tenths　of　painting　as　we　understand
it　at　present　extinguished　by　the　competition　of　these
photographs；　and　the　remaining　tenth　only　holding　its　own　against
them　by　dint　of　extraordinary　excellence！　Our　mistuned　and
unplayable　organs　and　pianofortes　replaced　by　harmonious
instruments；　as　manageable　as　barrel　organs！　Works　of　fiction
superseded　by　interesting　company　and　conversation；　and　made
obsolete　by　the　human　mind　outgrowing　the　childishness　that
delights　in　the　tales　told　by　grownup　children　such　as　novelists
and　their　like！　An　end　to　the　silly　confusion；　under　the　one　name
of　Art；　of　the　tomfoolery　and　make…believe　of　our　play…hours　with
the　higher　methods　of　teaching　men　to　know　themselves！　Every
artist　an　amateur；　and　a　consequent