the egoist-第39部分

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〃Name　it；　my　dear　boy。〃

He　mumbled；　〃。　。　。　kiss　me。〃

Clara　plumped　down　on　him；　enveloped　him　and　kissed　him。

The　affectionately　remorseful　impulse　was　too　quick　for　a
conventional　note　of　admonition　to　arrest　her　from　paying　that
portion　of　her　debt。　When　she　had　sped　him　off　to　Mrs　Montague；
she　was　in　a　blush。

〃Dear；　dear　Crossjay！〃　she　said；　sighing。

〃Yes；　he's　a　good　lad；〃　remarked　the　colonel。　〃The　fellow　may　well
be　a　faithful　soldier　and　stick　to　his　post；　if　he　receives　
promise　of　such　a　solde。　He　is　a　great　favourite　with　you。〃

〃He　is。　You　will　do　him　a　service　by　persuading　Willoughby　to　send
him　to　one　of　those　men　who　get　boys　through　their　naval
examination。　And；　Colonel　De　Craye；　will　you　be　kind　enough　to　ask
at　the　dinner…table　that　Crossjay　may　come　in　to　dessert？〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　he；　wondering。

〃And　will　you　look　after　him　while　you　are　here？　See　that　no　one
spoils　him。　If　you　could　get　him　away　before　you　leave；　it　would
he　much　to　his　advantage。　He　is　born　for　the　navy　and　should　be
preparing　to　enter　it　now。〃

〃Certainly；　certainly；〃　said　De　Craye；　wondering　more。

〃I　thank　you　in　advance。〃

〃Shall　I　not　be　usurping　。。。

〃No；　we　leave　to…morrow。〃

〃For　a　day？〃

〃For　longer。〃

〃Two？〃

〃It　will　be　longer。〃

〃A　week？　I　shall　not　see　you　again？〃

〃I　fear　not。〃

Colonel　De　Craye　controlled　his　astonishment；　he　smothered　a
sensation　of　veritable　pain；　and　amiably　said：　〃I　feel　a　blow；　but
I　am　sure　you　would　not　willingly　strike。　We　are　all　involved　in
the　regrets。〃

Miss　Middleton　spoke　of　having　to　see　Mrs。　Montague；　the
housekeeper；　with　reference　to　the　bath　for　Crossjay；　and　stepped
off　the　grass。　He　bowed；　watched　her　a　moment；　and　for　parallel
reasons；　running　close　enough　to　hit　one　mark；　he　commiserated　his
friend　Willoughby。　The　winning　or　the　losing　of　that　young　lady
struck　him　as　equally　lamentable　for　Willoughby。



CHAPTER　XX

An　Aged　and　a　Great　Wine

THE　leisurely　promenade　up　and　down　the　lawn　with　ladies　and
deferential　gentlemen；　in　anticipation　of　the　dinner…bell；　was　Dr。
Middleton's　evening　pleasure。　He　walked　as　one　who　had　formerly
danced　（in　Apollo's　time　and　the　young　god　Cupid's）；　elastic　on
the　muscles　of　the　calf　and　foot；　bearing　his　broad　iron…grey　head
in　grand　elevation。　The　hard　labour　of　the　day　approved　the
cooling　exercise　and　the　crowning　refreshments　of　French　cookery
and　wines　of　known　vintages。　He　was　happy　at　that　hour　in
dispensing　wisdom　or　nugae　to　his　hearers；　like　the　Western　sun
whose　habit　it　is；　when　he　is　fairly　treated；　to　break　out　in
quiet　splendours；　which　by　no　means　exhaust　his　treasury。　Blessed
indeed　above　his　fellows；　by　the　height　of　the　bow…winged　bird　in
a　fair　weather　sunset　sky　above　the　pecking　sparrow；　is　he　that
ever　in　the　recurrent　evening　of　his　day　sees　the　best　of　it　ahead
and　soon　to　come。　He　has　the　rich　reward　of　a　youth　and　manhood　of
virtuous　living。　Dr。　Middleton　misdoubted　the　future　as　well　as　the
past　of　the　man　who　did　not；　in　becoming　gravity；　exult　to　dine。
That　man　he　deemed　unfit　for　this　world　and　the　next。

An　example　of　the　good　fruit　of　temperance；　he　had　a　comfortable　
pride　in　his　digestion；　and　his　political　sentiments　were　attuned
by　his　veneration　of　the　Powers　rewarding　virtue。　We　must　have　a
stable　world　where　this　is　to　be　done。

The　Rev。　Doctor　was　a　fine　old　picture；　a　specimen　of　art
peculiarly　English；　combining　in　himself　piety　and　epicurism；
learning　and　gentlemanliness；　with　good　room　for　each　and　a　seat　at
one　another's　table：　for　the　rest；　a　strong　man；　an　athlete　in　his
youth；　a　keen　reader　of　facts　and　no　reader　of　persons；　genial；　a
giant　at　a　task；　a　steady　worker　besides；　but　easily　discomposed。
He　loved　his　daughter　and　he　feared　her。　However　much　he　liked
her　character；　the　dread　of　her　sex　and　age　was　constantly　present
to　warn　him　that　he　was　not　tied　to　perfect　sanity　while　the
damsel　Clara　remained　unmarried。　Her　mother　had　been　an　amiable
woman；　of　the　poetical　temperament　nevertheless；　too　enthusiastic；
imaginative；　impulsive；　for　the　repose　of　a　sober　scholar；　an
admirable　woman；　still；　as　you　see；　a　woman；　a　fire…work。　The　girl
resembled　her。　Why　should　she　wish　to　run　away　from　Patterne　Hall
for　a　single　hour？　Simply　because　she　was　of　the　sex　born　mutable
and　explosive。　A　husband　was　her　proper　custodian；　justly
relieving　a　father。　With　demagogues　abroad　and　daughters　at　home；
philosophy　is　needed　for　us　to　keep　erect。　Let　the　girl　be
Cicero's　Tullia：　well；　she　dies！　The　choicest　of　them　will　furnish
us　examples　of　a　strange　perversity。

Miss　Dale　was　beside　Dr。　Middleton。　Clara　came　to　them　and　took　the
other　side。

〃I　was　telling　Miss　Dale　that　the　signal　for　your　subjection　is　my
enfranchisement；〃　he　said　to　her；　sighing　and　smiling。　〃We　know
the　date。　The　date　of　an　event　to　come　certifies　to　it　as　a　fact
to　be　counted　on。〃

〃Are　you　anxious　to　lose　me？〃　Clara　faltered。

〃My　dear；　you　have　planted　me　on　a　field　where　I　am　to　expect　the
trumpet；　and　when　it　blows　I　shall　be　quit　of　my　nerves；　no　more。〃

Clara　found　nothing　to　seize　on　for　a　reply　in　these　words。　She
thought　upon　the　silence　of　Laetitia。

Sir　Willoughby　advanced；　appearing　in　a　cordial　mood。

〃I　need　not　ask　you　whether　you　are　better；〃　he　said　to　Clara；
sparkled　to　Laetitia；　and　raised　a　key　to　the　level　of　Dr。
Middleton's　breast；　remarking；　〃I　am　going　down　to　my　inner
cellar。〃

〃An　inner　cellar！〃　exclaimed　the　doctor。

〃Sacred　from　the　butler。　It　is　interdicted　to　Stoneman。　Shall　I
offer　myself　as　guide　to　you？　My　cellars　are　worth　a　visit。〃

〃Cellars　are　not　catacombs。　They　are；　if　rightly　constructed；
rightly　considered；　cloisters；　where　the　bottle　meditates　on　joys
to　bestow；　not　on　dust　misused！　Have　you　anything　great？〃

〃A　wine　aged　ninety。〃

〃Is　it　associated　with　your　pedigree　that　you　pronounce　the　age
with　such　assurance？〃

〃My　grandfather　inherited　it。〃

〃Your　grandfather；　Sir　Willoughby；　had　meritorious　offspring；　not
to　speak　of　generous　progenitors。　What　would　have　happened　had　it
fallen　into　the　female　line！　I　shall　be　glad　to　accompany　you。
Port？　Hermitage？〃

〃Port。〃

〃Ah！　We　are　in　England！〃

〃There　will　just　be　time；〃　said　Sir　Willoughby；　inducing　Dr。
Middleton　to　step　out。

A　chirrup　was　in　the　reverend　doctor's　tone：　〃Hocks；　too；　have
compassed　age。　I　have　tasted　senior　Hocks。　Their　flavours　are　as　a
brook　of　many　voices；　they　have　depth　also。　Senatorial　Port！　we
say。　We　cannot　say　that　of　any　other　wine。　Port　is　deep…sea　deep。
It　is　in　its　flavour　deep；　mark　the　difference。　It　is　like　a
classic　tragedy；　organic　in　conception。　An　ancient　Hermitage　has
the　light　of　the　antique；　the　merit　that　it　can　grow　to　an　extreme
old　age；　a　merit。　Neither　of　Hermitage　nor　of　Hock　can　you　say
that　it　is　the　blood　of　those　long　years；　retaining　the　strength
of　youth　with　the　wisdom　of　age。　To　Port　for　that！　Port　is　our
noblest　legacy！　Observe；　I　do　not　compare　the　wines；　I　distinguish
the　qualities。　Let　them　live　together　for　our　enrichment；　they　are
not　rivals　like　the　Idaean　Three。　Were　they　rivals；　a　fourth
would　challenge　them。　Burgundy　has　great　genius。　It　does　wonders
within　its　period；　it　does　all　except　to　keep　up　in　the　race；　it
is　short…lived。　An　aged　Burgundy　runs　with　a　beardless　Port。　I
cherish　the　fancy　that　Port　speaks　the　sentences　of　wisdom；
Burgundy　sings　the　inspired　Ode。　Or　put　it；　that　Port　is　the
Homeric　hexameter；　Burgundy　the　pindaric　dithyramb。　What　do　you
say？〃

〃The　comparison　is　excellent；　sir。〃

〃The　distinction；　you　would　remark。　Pindar　astounds。　But　his　elder
brings　us　the　more　sustaining　cup。　One　is　a　fountain　of　prodigious
ascent。　One　is　the　unsounded　purple　sea　of　marching　billows。〃

〃A　very　fine　distinction。〃

〃I　conceive　you　to　be　now　commending　the　similes。　They　pertain　to
the　time　of　the　first　critics　of　those　poets。　Touch　the　Greeks；
and　you　can　nothing　new；　all　has　been　said：　'Graiis　。。。　praeter；
laudem　nullius　avaris。'　Genius　dedicated　to　Fame　is　immortal。　We；
sir；　dedicate　genius　to　the　cloacaline　floods。　We　do　not　address
the　unforgetting　gods；　but　the　popular　stomach。〃

Sir　Willoughby　was　patient。　He　was　about　as　accordantly　coupled
with　Dr。　Middleton　in　discourse　as　a　drum　duetting　with　a
bass…viol；　and　when　he　struck　in　he　received　correction　from　the
paedagogue…instrument。　If　he　thumped　affirmative　or　negative；　he
was　wrong。　However；　he　knew　scholars　to　be　an　unmannered　species；
and　the　doctor's　learnedness　would　be　a　subject　to　dilate　on。

In　the　cellar；　it　was　the　turn　for　the　drum。　Dr。　Middleton　was
tongue…tied　there。　Sir　Willoughby　gave　the　history　of　his　wine　in
heads　of　chapters；　whence　it　came　to　the　family　originally；　and
how　it　had　come　down　to　him　in　the　quantity　to　be　seen。
〃Curiously；　my　grandfather；　who　inherited　it；　was　a　water…drinker。
My　father　died　early。〃

〃Indeed！　Dear　me！〃　the　doctor　ejaculated　in　astonishment　and
condolence。　The　former　glanced　at　the　contrariety　of　man；　the
latter　embraced　his　melancholy　destiny。

He　was　impressed　with　respect　for　the　family。　This　cool　vaulted
cellar；　and　the　central　square　block；　or　enceinte；　where　the　thick
darkness　was　not　penetrated　by　the　intruding　lamp；　but　rather　took
it　as　an　eye；　bore　witness　to　forethoughtful　practical　solidity　in
the　man　who　had　built　the　house　on　such　foundations。　A　house
having　a　great　wine　stored　below　lives　in　our　imaginations　as　a
joyful　house；　fast　and　splendidly　rooted　in　the　soil。　And
imagination　has　a　place　for　the　heir　of　the　house。　His　grandfather
a　water…drinker；　his　father　dying　early；　present　circumstances　to
us　arguing　predestination　to　an　illustrious　heirship　and　career。
Dr　Middleton's　musings　were　coloured　by　the　friendly　vision　of
glasses　of　the　great　wine；　his　mind　was　festive；　it　pleased　him；
and　he　chose　to　indulge　in　his　whimsical；　robustious；
grandiose…airy　style　of　thinking：　from　which　the　festive　mind　will
sometimes　take　a　certain　print　that　we　cannot　obliterate
immediately。　Expectation　is　grateful；　you　know；　in　the　mood　of
gratitude　we　are　waxen。　And　he　was　a　self…humouring　gentleman。

He　liked　Sir　Willoughby's　tone　in　ordering　the