the egoist-第40部分

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He　liked　Sir　Willoughby's　tone　in　ordering　the　servant　at　his
heels　to　take　up　〃those　two　bottles〃：　it　prescribed；　without
overdoing　it；　a　proper　amount　of　caution；　and　it　named　an
agreeable　number。

Watching　the　man's　hand　keenly；　he　said：

〃But　here　is　the　misfortune　of　a　thing　super…excellent：not　more
than　one　in　twenty　will　do　it　justice。〃

Sir　Willoughby　replied：　〃Very　true；　sir；　and　I　think　we　may　pass
over　the　nineteen。〃

〃Women；　for　example；　and　most　men。〃

〃This　wine　would　be　a　scaled　book　to　them。〃

〃I　believe　it　would。　It　would　be　a　grievous　waste。〃

〃Vernon　is　a　claret　man；　and　so　is　Horace　De　Craye。　They　are　both
below　the　mark　of　this　wine。　They　will　join　the　ladies。　Perhaps
you　and　I；　sir；　might　remain　together。〃

〃With　the　utmost　good…will　on　my　part。〃

〃I　am　anxious　for　your　verdict；　sir。〃

〃You　shall　have　it；　sir；　and　not　out　of　harmony　with　the　chorus
preceding　me；　I　can　predict。　Cool；　not　frigid。〃　Dr。　Middleton
summed　the　attributes　of　the　cellar　on　quitting　it。　〃North　side
and　South。　No　musty　damp。　A　pure　air。　Everything　requisite。　One
might　lie　down　one's　self　and　keep　sweet　here。〃

Of　all　our　venerable　British　of　the　two　Isles　professing　a
suckling　attachment　to　an　ancient　port…wine；　lawyer；　doctor；
squire；　rosy　admiral；　city　merchant；　the　classic　scholar　is　he
whose　blood　is　most　nuptial　to　the　webbed　bottle。　The　reason　must
be；　that　he　is　full　of　the　old　poets。　He　has　their　spirit　to　sing
with；　and　the　best　that　Time　has　done　on　earth　to　feed　it。　He　may
also　perceive　a　resemblance　in　the　wine　to　the　studious　mind；
which　is　the　obverse　of　our　mortality；　and　throws　off　acids　and
crusty　particles　in　the　piling　of　the　years；　until　it　is　fulgent
by　clarity。　Port　hymns　to　his　conservatism。　It　is　magical：　at　one
sip　he　is　off　swimming　in　the　purple　flood　of　the　ever…youthful
antique。

By　comparison；　then；　the　enjoyment　of　others　is　brutish；　they　have
not　the　soul　for　it；　but　he　is　worthy　of　the　wine；　as　are　poets
of　Beauty。　In　truth；　these　should　be　severally　apportioned　to
them；　scholar　and　poet；　as　his　own　good　thing。　Let　it　be　so。

Meanwhile　Dr。　Middleton　sipped。

After　the　departure　of　the　ladies；　Sir　Willoughby　had　practised　a
studied　curtness　upon　Vernon　and　Horace。

〃You　drink　claret；〃　he　remarked　to　them；　passing　it　round。　〃Port；
I　think；　Doctor　Middleton？　The　wine　before　you　may　serve　for　a
preface。　We　shall　have　your　wine　in　five　minutes。〃

The　claret　jug　empty；　Sir　Willoughby　offered　to　send　for　more。　De
Craye　was　languid　over　the　question。　Vernon　rose　from　the　table。

〃We　have　a　bottle　of　Doctor　Middleton's　port　coming　in；〃
Willoughby　said　to　him。

〃Mine；　you　call　it？〃　cried　the　doctor。

〃It's　a　royal　wine；　that　won't　suffer　sharing；〃　said　Vernon。

〃We'll　be　with　you；　if　you　go　into　the　billiard…room；　Vernon。〃

〃I　shall　hurry　my　drinking　of　good　wine　for　no　man；〃　said　the　Rev。
Doctor。

〃Horace？〃

〃I'm　beneath　it；　ephemeral；　Willoughby。　I　am　going　to　the
ladies。〃

Vernon　and　De　Craye　retired　upon　the　arrival　of　the　wine；　and　Dr。
Middleton　sipped。　He　sipped　and　looked　at　the　owner　of　it。

〃Some　thirty　dozen？〃　he　said。

〃Fifty。〃

The　doctor　nodded　humbly。

〃I　shall　remember；　sir；〃　his　host　addressed　him。　〃whenever　I　have
the　honour　of　entertaining　you；　I　am　cellarer　of　that　wine。〃

The　Rev。　Doctor　set　down　his　glass。　〃You　have；　sir；　in　some　sense。
an　enviable　post。　It　is　a　responsible　one；　if　that　be　a　blessing。
On　you　it　devolves　to　retard　the　day　of　the　last　dozen。〃

〃Your　opinion　of　the　wine　is　favourable；　sir？〃

〃I　will　say　this：shallow　souls　run　to　rhapsody：I　will　say；
that　I　am　consoled　for　not　having　lived　ninety　years　back；　or　at
any　period　but　the　present；　by　this　one　glass　of　your　ancestral　
wine。〃

〃I　am　careful　of　it；〃　Sir　Willoughby　said；　modestly；　〃still　its
natural　destination　is　to　those　who　can　appreciate　it。　You　do；
sir。〃

〃Still　my　good　friend；　still！　It　is　a　charge；　it　is　a　possession；
but　part　in　trusteeship。　Though　we　cannot　declare　it　an　entailed　
estate；　our　consciences　are　in　some　sort　pledged　that　it　shall　be
a　succession　not　too　considerably　diminished。〃

〃You　will　not　object　to　drink　it；　sir；　to　the　health　of　your
grandchildren。　And　may　you　live　to　toast　them　in　it　on　their
marriage…day！〃

〃You　colour　the　idea　of　a　prolonged　existence　in　seductive　hues。
Ha！　It　is　a　wine　for　Tithonus。　This　wine　would　speed　him　to　the
rosy　Morningaha！〃

〃I　will　undertake　to　sit　you　through　it　up　to　morning；〃　said　Sir
Willoughby；　innocent　of　the　Bacchic　nuptiality　of　the　allusion。

Dr　Middleton　eyed　the　decanter。　There　is　a　grief　in　gladness；　for
a　premonition　of　our　mortal　state。　The　amount　of　wine　in　the
decanter　did　not　promise　to　sustain　the　starry　roof　of　night　and
greet　the　dawn。　〃Old　wine；　my　friend；　denies　us　the　full　bottle！〃

〃Another　bottle　is　to　follow。〃

〃No！〃

〃It　is　ordered。〃

〃I　protest。〃

〃It　is　uncorked。〃

〃I　entreat。〃

〃It　is　decanted。〃

〃I　submit。　But；　mark；　it　must　be　honest　partnership。　You　are　my
worthy　host；　sir；　on　that　stipulation。　Note　the　superiority　of
wine　over　Venus！I　may　say；　the　magnanimity　of　wine；　our
jealousy　turns　on　him　that　will　not　share！　But　the　corks；
Willoughby。　The　corks　excite　my　amazement。〃

〃The　corking　is　examined　at　regular　intervals。　I　remember　the
occurrence　in　my　father's　time。　I　have　seen　to　it　once。〃

〃It　must　be　perilous　as　an　operation　for　tracheotomy；　which　I
should　assume　it　to　resemble　in　surgical　skill　and　firmness　of
hand；　not　to　mention　the　imminent　gasp　of　the　patient。〃

A　fresh　decanter　was　placed　before　the　doctor。

He　said：　〃I　have　but　a　girl　to　give！〃　He　was　melted。

Sir　Willoughby　replied：　〃I　take　her　for　the　highest　prize　this
world　affords。〃

〃I　have　beaten　some　small　stock　of　Latin　into　her　head；　and　a　note
of　Greek。　She　contains　a　savour　of　the　classics。　I　hoped　once　。。。
But　she　is　a　girl。　The　nymph　of　the　woods　is　in　her。　Still　she
will　bring　you　her　flower…cup　of　Hippocrene。　She　has　that
aristocracythe　noblest。　She　is　fair；　a　Beauty；　some　have　said；
who　judge　not　by　lines。　Fair　to　me；　Willoughby！　She　is　my　sky。
There　were　applicants。　In　Italy　she　was　besought　of　me。　She　has　no
history。　You　are　the　first　heading　of　the　chapter。　With　you　she
will　have　her　one　tale；　as　it　should　be。　'Mulier　tum　bene　olet'；
you　know。　Most　fragrant　she　that　smells　of　naught。　She　goes　to　you
from　me；　from　me　alone；　from　her　father　to　her　husband。　'Ut　flos
in　septis　secretus　nascitur　hortis。'〃　He　murmured　on　the　lines　to；
〃'Sic　virgo；　dum　。　。　。'　　I　shall　feel　the　parting。　She　goes　to　one
who　will　have　my　pride　in　her；　and　more。　I　will　add；　who　will　be
envied。　Mr。　Whitford　must　write　you　a　Carmen　Nuptiale。〃

The　heart　of　the　unfortunate　gentleman　listening　to　Dr。　Middleton
set　in　for　irregular　leaps。　His　offended　temper　broke　away　from
the　image　of　Clara；　revealing　her　as　he　had　seen　her　in　the
morning　beside　Horace　De　Craye；　distressingly　sweet；　sweet　with
the　breezy　radiance　of　an　English　soft…breathing　day；　sweet　with
sharpness　of　young　sap。　Her　eyes；　her　lips；　her　fluttering　dress
that　played　happy　mother　across　her　bosom；　giving　peeps　of　the
veiled　twins；　and　her　laughter；　her　slim　figure；　peerless
carriage；　all　her　terrible　sweetness　touched　his　wound　to　the
smarting　quick。

Her　wish　to　be　free　of　him　was　his　anguish。　In　his　pain　he　thought
sincerely。　When　the　pain　was　easier　he　muffled　himself　in　the　idea
of　her　jealousy　of　Laetitia　Dale；　and　deemed　the　wish　a　fiction。
But　she　had　expressed　it。　That　was　the　wound　he　sought　to　comfort；
for　the　double　reason；　that　he　could　love　her　better　after
punishing　her；　and　that　to　meditate　on　doing　so　masked　the　fear　of
losing　herthe　dread　abyss　she　had　succeeded　in　forcing　his
nature　to　shudder　at　as　a　giddy　edge　possibly　near；　in　spite　of
his　arts　of　self…defence。

〃What　I　shall　do　to…morrow　evening！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃I　do　not　care
to　fling　a　bottle　to　Colonel　De　Craye　and　Vernon。　I　cannot　open
one　for　myself。　To　sit　with　the　ladies　will　be　sitting　in　the　cold
for　me。　When　do　you　bring　me　back　my　bride；　sir？〃

〃My　dear　Willoughby！〃　The　Rev。　Doctor　puffed；　composed　himself；
and　sipped。　〃The　expedition　is　an　absurdity。　I　am　unable　to　see
the　aim　of　it。　She　had　a　headache；　vapours。　They　are　over；　and
she　will　show　a　return　of　good　sense。　I　have　ever　maintained　that
nonsense　is　not　to　be　encouraged　in　girls。　I　can　put　my　foot　on
it。　My　arrangements　are　for　staying　here　a　further　ten　days；　in
the　terms　of　your　hospitable　invitation。　And　I　stay。〃

〃I　applaud　your　resolution；　sir。　Will　you　prove　firm？〃

〃I　am　never　false　to　my　engagement；　Willoughby。〃

〃Not　under　pressure？〃

〃Under　no　pressure。〃

〃Persuasion；　I　should　have　said。〃

〃Certainly　not。　The　weakness　is　in　the　yielding；　either　to
persuasion　or　to　pressure。　The　latter　brings　weight　to　bear　on　us；
the　former　blows　at　our　want　of　it。〃

〃You　gratify　me；　Doctor　Middleton；　and　relieve　me。〃

〃I　cordially　dislike　a　breach　in　good　habits；　Willoughby。　But　I
do　rememberwas　I　wrong？informing　Clara　that　you　appeared
light…hearted　in　regard　to　a　departure；　or　gap　in　a　visit；　that
was　not；　I　must　confess；　to　my　liking。〃

〃Simply；　my　dear　doctor；　your　pleasure　was　my　pleasure；　but　make
my　pleasure　yours；　and　you　remain　to　crack　many　a　bottle　with　your
son…in…law。〃

〃Excellently　said。　You　have　a　courtly　speech；　Willoughby。　I　can
imagine　you　to　conduct　a　lovers〃　quarrel　with　a　politeness　to　read
a　lesson　to　well…bred　damsels。　Aha？〃

〃Spare　me　the　futility　of　the　quarrel。〃

〃All's　well？〃

〃Clara；　replied　Sir　Willoughby；　in　dramatic　epigram；　〃is
perfection。〃

〃I　rejoice；〃　the　Rev。　Doctor　responded；　taught　thus　to　understand
that　the　lovers〃　quarrel　between　his　daughter　and　his　host　was　at
an　end。

He　left　the　table　a　little　after　eleven　o'clock。　A　short　dialogue
ensued　upon　the　subject　of　the　ladies。　They　must　have　gone　to　bed？
Why；　yes；　of　course　they　must。　It　is　good　that　they　should　go　to
bed　early　to　preserve　their　complexions　for　us。　Ladies　are
creation's　glory；　but　they　are　anti…climax；　following　a　wine　of　a
century　old。　They　are　anti…climax；　recoil；　cross…current；　morally；
they　are　repentance；　penance；　imagerially；　the　f