the well-beloved--a sketch of a temperament-第35部分

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despised　and　her　successors　unknown。　　It　was　this　old　idea　which；　in
his　revolt　from　beauty；　had　led　to　his　regret　at　her　assumed
handsomeness。　　He　began　wondering　now　how　much　remained　of　that
presentation　after　forty　years。

'Why　don't　you　ever　let　me　see　you；　Marcia？'　he　asked。

'O；　I　don't　know。　　You　mean　without　my　bonnet？　　You　have　never　asked　me
to；　and　I　am　obliged　to　wrap　up　my　face　with　this　wool　veil　because　I
suffer　so　from　aches　in　these　cold　winter　winds；　though　a　thick　veil　is
awkward　for　any　one　whose　sight　is　not　so　good　as　it　was。'

The　impregnable　Marcia's　sight　not　so　good　as　it　was；　and　her　face　in
the　aching　stage　of　life：　　these　simple　things　came　as　sermons　to
Jocelyn。

'But　certainly　I　will　gratify　your　curiosity；'　she　resumed　good…
naturedly。　　'It　is　really　a　compliment　that　you　should　still　take　that
sort　of　interest　in　me。'

She　had　moved　round　from　the　dark　side　of　the　room　to　the　lampfor　the
daylight　had　goneand　she　now　suddenly　took　off　the　bonnet；　veil　and
all。　　She　stood　revealed　to　his　eyes　as　remarkably　good…looking；
considering　the　lapse　of　years。

'I　amvexed！'　he　said；　turning　his　head　aside　impatiently。　　'You　are
fair　and　five…and…thirtynot　a　day　more。　　You　still　suggest　beauty。
YOU　won't　do　as　a　chastisement；　Marcia！'

'Ah；　but　I　may！　　To　think　that　you　know　woman　no　better　after　all　this
time！'

'How？'

'To　be　so　easily　deceived。　　Think：　　it　is　lamplight；　and　your　sight　is
weak　at　present；　and。　。　。　　Well；　I　have　no　reason　for　being　anything
but　candid　now；　God　knows！　　So　I　will　tell　you。　。　。　。　　My　husband　was
younger　than　myself；　and　he　had　an　absurd　wish　to　make　people　think　he
had　married　a　young　and　fresh…looking　woman。　　To　fall　in　with　his
vanity　I　tried　to　look　it。　　We　were　often　in　Paris；　and　I　became　as
skilled　in　beautifying　artifices　as　any　passee　wife　of　the　Faubourg　St。
Germain。　　Since　his　death　I　have　kept　up　the　practice；　partly　because
the　vice　is　almost　ineradicable；　and　partly　because　I　found　that　it
helped　me　with　men　in　bringing　up　his　boy　on　small　means。　　At　this
moment　I　am　frightfully　made　up。　　But　I　can　cure　that。　　I'll　come　in
to…morrow　morning；　if　it　is　bright；　just　as　I　really　am；　you'll　find
that　Time　has　not　disappointed　you。　　Remember　I　am　as　old　as　yourself；
and　I　look　it。'

The　morrow　came；　and　with　it　Marcia；　quite　early；　as　she　had　promised。
It　happened　to　be　sunny；　and　shutting　the　bedroom　door　she　went　round
to　the　window；　where　she　uncovered　immediately；　in　his　full　view；　and
said；　'See　if　I　am　satisfactory　nowto　you　who　think　beauty　vain。　　The
rest　of　meand　it　is　a　good　deallies　on　my　dressing…table　at　home。
I　shall　never　put　it　on　againnever！'

But　she　was　a　woman；　and　her　lips　quivered；　and　there　was　a　tear　in　her
eye；　as　she　exposed　the　ruthless　treatment　to　which　she　had　subjected
herself。　　The　cruel　morning　raysas　with　Jocelyn　under　Avice's
scrutinyshowed　in　their　full　bareness；　unenriched　by　addition；
undisguised　by　the　arts　of　colour　and　shade；　the　thin　remains　of　what
had　once　been　Marcia's　majestic　bloom。　　She　stood　the　image　and
superscription　of　Agean　old　woman；　pale　and　shrivelled；　her　forehead
ploughed；　her　cheek　hollow；　her　hair　white　as　snow。　　To　this　the　face
he　once　kissed　had　been　brought　by　the　raspings；　chisellings；
scourgings；　bakings；　freezings　of　forty　invidious　yearsby　the
thinkings　of　more　than　half　a　lifetime。

'I　am　sorry　if　I　shock　you；'　she　went　on　huskily　but　firmly；　as　he　did
not　speak。　　'But　the　moth　frets　the　garment　somewhat　in　such　an
interval。'

'Yesyes！　。　。　。　　Marcia；　you　are　a　brave　woman。　　You　have　the　courage
of　the　great　women　of　history。　　I　can　no　longer　love；　but　I　admire　you
from　my　soul！'

'Don't　say　I　am　great。　　Say　I　have　begun　to　be　passably　honest。　　It　is
more　than　enough。'

'WellI'll　say　nothing　then；　more　than　how　wonderful　it　is　that　a
woman　should　have　been　able　to　put　back　the　clock　of　Time　thirty
years！'

'It　shames　me　now；　Jocelyn。　　I　shall　never　do　it　any　more！'


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As　soon　as　he　was　strong　enough　he　got　her　to　take　him　round　to　his
studio　in　a　carriage。　　The　place　had　been　kept　aired；　but　the　shutters
were　shut；　and　they　opened　them　themselves。　　He　looked　round　upon　the
familiar　objectssome　complete　and　matured；　the　main　of　them
seedlings；　grafts；　and　scions　of　beauty；　waiting　for　a　mind　to　grow　to
perfection　in。

'NoI　don't　like　them！'　he　said；　turning　away。　　'They　are　as　ugliness
to　me！　　I　don't　feel　a　single　touch　of　kin　with　or　interest　in　any　one
of　them　whatever。'

'Jocelynthis　is　sad。'

'Nonot　at　all。'　　He　went　again　towards　the　door。　　'Now　let　me　look
round。'　　He　looked　back；　Marcia　remaining　silent。　　'The　Aphroditeshow
I　insulted　her　fair　form　by　those　failures！the　Freyjas；　the　Nymphs
and　Fauns；　Eves；　Avices；　and　other　innumerable　Well…BelovedsI　want　to
see　them　never　any　more！　。　。　。　　〃Instead　of　sweet　smell　there　shall　be
stink；　and　there　shall　be　burning　instead　of　beauty；〃　said　the
prophet。'

And　they　came　away。　　On　another　afternoon　they　went　to　the　National
Gallery；　to　test　his　taste　in　paintings；　which　had　formerly　been　good。
As　she　had　expected；　it　was　just　the　same　with　him　there。　　He　saw　no
more　to　move　him；　he　declared；　in　the　time…defying　presentations　of
Perugino；　Titian；　Sebastiano；　and　other　statuesque　creators　than　in　the
work　of　the　pavement　artist　they　had　passed　on　their　way。

'It　is　strange！'　said　she。

'I　don't　regret　it。　　That　fever　has　killed　a　faculty　which　has；　after
all；　brought　me　my　greatest　sorrows；　if　a　few　little　pleasures。　　Let　us
be　gone。'

He　was　now　so　well　advanced　in　convalescence　that　it　was　deemed　a　most
desirable　thing　to　take　him　down　into　his　native　air。　　Marcia　agreed　to
accompany　him。　　'I　don't　see　why　I　shouldn't；'　said　she。　　'An　old
friendless　woman　like　me；　and　you　an　old　friendless　man。'

'Yes。　　Thank　Heaven　I　am　old　at　last。　　The　curse　is　removed。'

It　may　be　shortly　stated　here　that　after　his　departure　for　the　isle
Pierston　never　again　saw　his　studio　or　its　contents。　　He　had　been　down
there　but　a　brief　while　when；　finding　his　sense　of　beauty　in　art　and
nature　absolutely　extinct；　he　directed　his　agent　in　town　to　disperse
the　whole　collection；　which　was　done。　　His　lease　of　the　building　was
sold；　and　in　the　course　of　time　another　sculptor　won　admiration　there
from　those　who　knew　not　Joseph。　　The　next　year　his　name　figured　on　the
retired　list　of　Academicians。


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As　time　went　on　he　grew　as　well　as　one　of　his　age　could　expect　to　be
after　such　a　blasting　illness；　but　remained　on　the　isle；　in　the　only
house　he　now　possessed；　a　comparatively　small　one　at　the　top　of　the
Street　of　Wells。　　A　growing　sense　of　friendship　which　it　would　be
foolish　to　interrupt　led　him　to　take　a　somewhat　similar　house　for
Marcia　quite　near；　and　remove　her　furniture　thither　from　Sandbourne。
Whenever　the　afternoon　was　fine　he　would　call　for　her　and　they　would
take　a　stroll　together　towards　the　Beal；　or　the　ancient　Castle；　seldom
going　the　whole　way；　his　sciatica　and　her　rheumatism　effectually
preventing　them；　except　in　the　driest　atmospheres。　　He　had　now　changed
his　style　of　dress　entirely；　appearing　always　in　a　homely　suit　of　local
make；　and　of　the　fashion　of　thirty　years　before；　the　achievement　of　a
tailoress　at　East　Quarriers。　　He　also　let　his　iron…grey　beard　grow　as
it　would；　and　what　little　hair　he　had　left　from　the　baldness　which　had
followed　the　fever。　　And　thus；　numbering　in　years　but　two…and…sixty；　he
might　have　passed　for　seventy…five。

Though　their　early　adventure　as　lovers　had　happened　so　long　ago；　its
history　had　become　known　in　the　isle　with　mysterious　rapidity　and
fulness　of　detail。　　The　gossip　to　which　its　bearing　on　their　present
friendship　gave　rise　was　the　subject　of　their　conversation　on　one　of
these　walks　along　the　cliffs。

'It　is　extraordinary　what　an　interest　our　neighbours　take　in　our
affairs；'　he　observed。　　'They　say　〃those　old　folk　ought　to　marry；
better　late　than　never。〃　　That's　how　people　arewanting　to　round　off
other　people's　histories　in　the　best　machine…made　conventional　manner。'

'Yes。　　They　keep　on　about　it　to　me；　too；　indirectly。'

'Do　they！　　I　believe　a　deputation　will　wait　upon　us　some　morning；
requesting　in　the　interests　of　matchmaking　that　we　will　please　to　get
married　as　soon　as　possible。　。　。　。　　How　near　we　were　to　doing　it　forty
years　ago；　only　you　were　so　independent！　　I　thought　you　would　have　come
back　and　was　much　surprised　that　you　didn't。'

'My　independent　ideas　were　not　blameworthy　in　me；　as　an　islander；
though　as　a　kimberlin　young　lady　perhaps　they　would　have　been。　　There
was　simply　no　reason　from　an　islander's　point　of　view　why　I　should　come
back；　since　no　result　threatened　from　our　union；　and　I　didn't。　　My
father　kept　that　view　before　me；　and　I　bowed　to　his　judgment。'

'And　so　the　island　ruled　our　destinies；　though　we　were　not　on　it。　　Yes…
…we　are　in　hands　not　our　own。　。　。　。　　Did　you　ever　tell　your　husband？'

'No。'

'Did　he　ever　hear　anything？'

'Not　that　I　am　aware。'

Calling　upon　her　one　day；　he　found　her　in　a　state　of　great　discomfort。
In　certain　gusty　winds　the　chimneys　of　the　little　house　she　had　taken
here　smoked　intolerably；　and　one　of　these　winds　was　blowing　then。　　Her
drawing…room　fire　could　not　be　kept　burning；　and　rather　than　let　a
woman　who　suffered　from　rheumatism　shiver　fireless　he　asked　her　to　come
round　and　lunch　with　him　as　she　had　often　done　before。　　As　they　went　he
thought；　not　for　the　first　time；　how　needless　it　was　that　she　should　be
put　to　this　inconvenience　by　their　occupying　two　houses；　when　one　would
better　suit　their　now　constant　companionship；　and　disembarrass　her　of
the　objectionable　chimneys。　　Moreover；　by　marrying　Marcia；　and
establishing　a　parental　relation　with　the　young　people；　the　rather
delicate　business　of　his　making　them　a　regular　allowance　would　become　a
natural　proceeding。

And　so　the　zealous　wishes　of　the　neighbours　to　give　a　geometrical　shape
to　their　story　were　fulfilled　almost　in　spite　of　the　chief　parties
themselves。　　When　he　put　the　question　to　her　distinctly；　Marcia
admitted　that　she　had　always　regret