the egoist-第70部分

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Willoughby。The　worst　offender！　and　I　am　in　no　pleasant　mood
with　him；〃　Mrs。　Mountstuart　said　aside　to　Laetitia；　who　drew　back；
retiring。

Sir　Willoughby　came　on　a　step　or　two。　He　stopped　to　watch
Laetitia's　figure　swimming　to　the　house。

So；　as；　for　instance；　beside　a　stream；　when　a　flower　on　the
surface　extends　its　petals　drowning　to　subside　in　the　clear　still
water；　we　exercise　our　privilege　to　be　absent　in　the　charmed
contemplation　of　a　beautiful　natural　incident。

A　smile　of　pleased　abstraction　melted　on　his　features。



CHAPTER　XXXIV

Mrs。　Mountstuart　and　Sir　Willoughby

〃Good　morning；　my　dear　Mrs。　Mountstuart；〃　Sir　Willoughby　wakened
himself　to　address　the　great　lady。　〃Why　has　she　fled？〃

〃Has　any　one　fled？〃

〃Laetitia　Dale。〃

〃Letty　Dale？　Oh；　if　you　call　that　flying。　Possibly　to　renew　a
close　conversation　with　Vernon　Whitford；　that　I　cut　short。　You
frightened　me　with　your　'Shepherds…tell…me'　air　and　tone。　Lead　me
to　one　of　your　garden…seats：　out　of　hearing　to　Dr。　Middleton；　I
beg。　He　mesmerizes　me；　he　makes　me　talk　Latin。　I　was　curiously
susceptible　last　night。　I　know　I　shall　everlastingly　associate　him
with　an　abortive　entertainment　and　solos　on　big　instruments。　We
were　flat。〃

〃Horace　was　in　good　vein。〃

〃You　were　not。〃

〃And　LaetitiaMiss　Dale　talked　well；　I　thought。〃

〃She　talked　with　you；　and　no　doubt　she　talked　well。　We　did　not
mix。　The　yeast　was　bad。　You　shot　darts　at　Colonel　De　Craye：　you
tried　to　sting。　You　brought　Dr。　Middleton　down　on　you。　Dear　me；
that　man　is　a　reverberation　in　my　head。　Where　is　your　lady　and
love？〃

〃Who？〃

〃Am　I　to　name　her？〃

〃Clara？　I　have　not　seen　her　for　the　last　hour。　Wandering；　I
suppose。

〃A　very　pretty　summer　bower；〃　said　Mrs。　Mountstuart；　seating
herself　〃Well；　my　dear　Sir　Willoughby；　preferences；　preferences
are　not　to　be　accounted　for；　and　one　never　knows　whether　to　pity
or　congratulate；　whatever　may　occur。　I　want　to　see　Miss
Middleton。〃

〃Your　'dainty　rogue　in　porcelain'　will　be　at　your　beckyou　lunch
with　us？before　you　leave。〃

〃So　now　you　have　taken　to　quoting　me；　have　you？〃

〃But　'a　romantic　tale　on　her　eyelashes'　is　hardly　descriptive　any
longer。〃

〃Descriptive　of　whom？　Now　you　are　upon　Laetitia　Dale！〃

〃I　quote　you　generally。　She　has　now　a　graver　look。〃

〃And　well　may　have！〃

〃Not　that　the　romance　has　entirely　disappeared。〃

〃No；　it　looks　as　if　it　were　in　print。〃

〃You　have　hit　it　perfectly；　as　usual；　ma'am。〃

Sir　Willoughby　mused。

Like　one　resuming　his　instrument　to　take　up　the　melody　in　a
concerted　piece；　he　said：　〃I　thought　Laetitia　Dale　had　a
singularly　animated　air　last　night。〃

〃Why！〃　Mrs。　Mountstuart　mildly　gaped。

〃I　want　a　new　description　of　her。　You　know；　I　collect　your　mottoes
and　sentences。〃

〃It　seems　to　me　she　is　coming　three　parts　out　of　her　shell；　and
wearing　it　as　a　hood　for　convenience。〃

〃Ready　to　issue　forth　at　an　invitation？　Admirable！　exact！〃

〃Ay；　my　good　Sir　Willoughby；　but　are　we　so　very　admirable　and
exact？　Are　we　never　to　know　our　own　minds？〃

He　produced　a　polysyllabic　sigh；　like　those　many…jointed　compounds
of　poets　in　happy　languages；　which　are　copious　in　a　single
expression：　〃Mine　is　known　to　me。　It　always　has　been。　Cleverness
in　women　is　not　uncommon。　Intellect　is　the　pearl。　A　woman　of
intellect　is　as　good　as　a　Greek　statue；　she　is　divinely　wrought；
and　she　is　divinely　rare。〃

〃Proceed；〃　said　the　lady；　confiding　a　cough　to　the　air。

〃The　rarity　of　it：　and　it　is　not　mere　intellect；　it　is　a
sympathetic　intellect；　or　else　it　is　an　intellect　in　perfect
accord　with　an　intensely　sympathetic　disposition；the　rarity　of
it　makes　it　too　precious　to　be　parted　with　when　once　we　have　met
it。　I　prize　it　the　more　the　older　I　grow。〃

〃Are　we　on　the　feminine　or　the　neuter？〃

〃I　beg　pardon？〃

〃The　universal　or　the　individual？〃

He　shrugged。　〃For　the　rest；　psychological　affinities　may　exist
coincident　with　and　entirely　independent　of　material　or　moral
prepossessions；　relations；　engagements；　ties。〃

〃Well；　that　is　not　the　raving　of　passion；　certainly；〃　said　Mrs
Mountstuart；　〃and　it　sounds　as　if　it　were　a　comfortable　doctrine
for　men。　On　that　plea；　you　might　all　of　you　be　having　Aspasia　and
a　wife。　We　saw　your　fair　Middleton　and　Colonel　de　Craye　at　a
distance　as　we　entered　the　park。　Professor　Crooklyn　is　under　some
hallucination。〃

〃What　more　likely？〃

The　readiness　and　the　double…bearing　of　the　reply　struck　her
comic　sense　with　awe。

〃The　Professor　must　hear　that。　He　insists　on　the　fly；　and　the　inn；
and　the　wet　boots；　and　the　warming　mixture；　and　the　testimony　of
the　landlady　and　the　railway　porter。〃

〃I　say；　what　more　likely？〃

〃Than　that　he　should　insist？〃

〃If　he　is　under　the　hallucination！〃

〃He　may　convince　others。〃

〃I　have　only　to　repeat。　。　。〃

〃'What　more　likely？'　It's　extremely　philosophical。　Coincident　
with　a　pursuit　of　the　psychological　affinities。〃

〃Professor　Crooklyn　will　hardly　descend；　I　suppose；　from　his
classical　altitudes　to　lay　his　hallucinations　before　Dr。
Middleton？〃

〃Sir　Willoughby；　you　are　the　pink　of　chivalry！〃

By　harping　on　Laetitia；　he　had　emboldened　Mrs。　Mountstuart　to　lift
the　curtain　upon　Clara。　It　was　offensive　to　him；　but　the　injury
done　to　his　pride　had　to　be　endured　for　the　sake　of　his　general
plan　of　self…protection。

〃Simply　desirous　to　save　my　guests　from　annoyance　of　any　kind〃；　he
said。　〃Dr　Middleton　can　look　'Olympus　and　thunder'；　as　Vernon
calls　it。〃

〃Don't。　I　see　him。　That　look！　It　is　Dictionary…bitten！　Angry；
homed　Dictionary！an　apparition　of　Dictionary　in　the　nightto
a　dunce！〃

〃One　would　undergo　a　good　deal　to　avoid　the　sight。〃

〃What　the　man　must　be　in　a　storm！　Speak　as　you　please　of　yourself：
you　are　a　true　and　chivalrous　knight　to　dread　it　for　her。　But　now；
candidly；　how　is　it　you　cannot　condescend　to　a　little　management？
Listen　to　an　old　friend。　You　are　too　lordly。　No　lover　can　afford
to　be　incomprehensible　for　half　an　hour。　Stoop　a　little。
Sermonizings　are　not　to　be　thought　of。　You　can　govern　unseen。　You
are　to　know　that　I　am　one　who　disbelieves　in　philosophy　in　love。　I
admire　the　look　of　it；　I　give　no　credit　to　the　assumption。　I
rather　like　lovers　to　be　out　at　times：　it　makes　them　picturesque；
and　it　enlivens　their　monotony。　I　perceived　she　had　a　spot　of
wildness。　It's　proper　that　she　should　wear　it　off　before
marriage。〃

〃Clara？　The　wildness　of　an　infant！〃　said　Willoughby；　paternally；　
musing　over　an　inward　shiver。　〃You　saw　her　at　a　distance　just　now；
or　you　might　have　heard　her　laughing。　Horace　diverts　her
excessively。〃

〃I　owe　him　my　eternal　gratitude　for　his　behaviour　last　night。　She
was　one　of　my　bright　faces。　Her　laughter　was　delicious；　rain　in
the　desert！　It　will　tell　you　what　the　load　on　me　was；　when　I
assure　you　those　two　were　merely　a　spectacle　to　mepoints　I
scored　in　a　lost　game。　And　I　know　they　were　witty。〃

〃They　both　have　wit；　a　kind　of　wit；〃　Willoughby　assented。

〃They　struck　together　like　a　pair　of　cymbals。〃

〃Not　the　highest　description　of　instrument。　However；　they　amuse
me。　I　like　to　hear　them　when　I　am　in　the　vein。〃

〃That　vein　should　be　more　at　command　with　you；　my　friend。　You　can
be　perfect；　if　you　like。〃

〃Under　your　tuition。〃

Willoughby　leaned　to　her；　bowing　languidly。　He　was　easier　in　his
pain　for　having　hoodwinked　the　lady。　She　was　the　outer　world　to
him；　she　could　tune　the　world's　voice；　prescribe　which　of　the　two
was　to　be　pitied；　himself　or　Clara；　and　he　did　not　intend　it　to　be
himself；　if　it　came　to　the　worst。　They　were　far　away　from　that　at
present；　and　he　continued：

〃Probably　a　man's　power　of　putting　on　a　face　is　not　equal　to　a
girl's。　I　detest　petty　dissensions。　Probably　I　show　it　when　all　is
not　quite　smooth。　Little　fits　of　suspicion　vex　me。　It　is　a
weakness；　not　to　play　them　off；　I　know。　Men　have　to　learn　the　arts
which　come　to　women　by　nature。　I　don't　sympathize　with　suspicion；
from　having　none　myself；〃

His　eyebrows　shot　up。　That　ill…omened　man　Flitch　had　sidled　round
by　the　bushes　to　within　a　few　feet　of　him。　Flitch　primarily
defended　himself　against　the　accusation　of　drunkenness；　which　was
hurled　at　him　to　account　for　his　audacity　in　trespassing　against
the　interdict；　but　he　admitted　that　he　had　taken　〃something　short〃
for　a　fortification　in　visiting　scenes　where　he　had　once　been
happyat　Christmastide；　when　all　the　servants；　and　the　butler　at
head；　grey　old　Mr。　Chessington；　sat　in　rows；　toasting　the　young
heir　of　the　old　Hall　in　the　old　port　wine！　Happy　had　he　been　then；
before　ambition　for　a　shop；　to　be　his　own　master　and　an
independent　gentleman；　had　led　him　into　his　quagmire：to　look
back　envying　a　dog　on　the　old　estate；　and　sigh　for　the　smell　of
Patterne　stables：　sweeter　than　Arabia；　his　drooping　nose　appeared
to　say。

He　held　up　close　against　it　something　that　imposed　silence　on　Sir
Willoughby　as　effectively　as　a　cunning　exordium　in　oratory　will
enchain　mobs　to　swallow　what　is　not　complimenting　them；　and　this
he　displayed　secure　in　its　being　his　licence　to　drivel　his
abominable　pathos。　Sir　Willoughby　recognized　Clara's　purse。　He
understood　at　once　how　the　must　have　come　by　it：　he　was　not　so
quick　in　devising　a　means　of　stopping　the　tale。　Flitch　foiled　him。
〃Intact；〃　he　replied　to　the　question：　〃What　have　you　there？〃　He
repeated　this　grand　word。　And　then　he　turned　to　Mrs。　Mountstuart
to　speak　of　Paradise　and　Adam；　in　whom　he　saw　the　prototype　of
himself：　also　the　Hebrew　people　in　the　bondage　of　Egypt；
discoursed　of　by　the　clergymen；　not　without　a　likeness　to　him。

〃Sorrows　have　done　me　one　good；　to　send　me　attentive　to　church；　my
lady；〃　said　Flitch；　〃when　I　might　have　gone　to　London；　the
coachman's　home；　and　been　driving　some　honourable　family；　with　no
great　advantage　to　my　morals；　according　to　what　I　hear　of。　And　a
purse　found　under　the　seat　of　a　fly　in　London　would　have　a　poor
chance　of　returning　intact　to　the　young　lady　losing　it。〃

〃Put　it　down　on　that　chair；　inquiries　will　be　made；　and　you　will
see　Sir　Willoughby；〃　said　Mrs。　Mountstuart。　〃Intact；　no　doubt；　it
is　not　disputed。〃

With　one　motion　of　a　finger　she　set　the　man　rounding。

Flitch　halted；　he　was　very　regretful　of　the　termination　of　his
feast　of　pathos；　and　he