the author of beltraffio-第7部分

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〃To　sink　your　shaft　deep　and　polish　the　plate　through　which　people
look　into　itthat's　what　your　work　consists　of；〃　I　remember
ingeniously　observing。

〃Ah　polishing　one's　platethat's　the　torment　of　execution！〃　he
exclaimed；　jerking　himself　up　and　sitting　forward。　　〃The　effort　to
arrive　at　a　surface；　if　you　think　anything　of　that　decent　sort
necessarysome　people　don't；　happily　for　them！　　My　dear　fellow；　if
you　could　see　the　surface　I　dream　of　as　compared　with　the　one　with
which　I've　to　content　myself。　　Life's　really　too　short　for　artone
hasn't　time　to　make　one's　shell　ideally　hard。　　Firm　and　bright；　firm
and　bright　is　very　well　to　saythe　devilish　thing　has　a　way
sometimes　of　being　bright；　and　even　of　being　hard；　as　mere　tough
frozen　pudding　is　hard；　without　being　firm。　　When　I　rap　it　with　my
knuckles　it　doesn't　give　the　right　sound。　　There　are　horrible　sandy
stretches　where　I've　taken　the　wrong　turn　because　I　couldn't　for　the
life　of　me　find　the　right。　　If　you　knew　what　a　dunce　I　am　sometimes！
Such　things　figure　to　me　now　base　pimples　and　ulcers　on　the　brow　of
beauty！〃

〃They're　very　bad；　very　bad；〃　I　said　as　gravely　as　I　could。

〃Very　bad？　　They're　the　highest　social　offence　I　know；　it　oughtit
absolutely　ought；　I'm　quite　seriousto　be　capital。　　If　I　knew　I
should　be　publicly　thrashed　else　I'd　manage　to　find　the　true　word。
The　people　who　can'tsome　of　them　don't　so　much　as　know　it　when　they
see　itwould　shut　their　inkstands；　and　we　shouldn't　be　deluged　by
this　flood　of　rubbish！〃

I　shall　not　attempt　to　repeat　everything　that　passed　between　us；　nor
to　explain　just　how　it　was　that；　every　moment　I　spent　in　his　company；
Mark　Ambient　revealed　to　me　more　and　more　the　consistency　of　his
creative　spirit；　the　spirit　in　him　that　felt　all　life　as　plastic
material。　　I　could　but　envy　him　the　force　of　that　passion；　and　it　was
at　any　rate　through　the　receipt　of　this　impression　that　by　the　time
we　returned　I　had　gained　the　sense　of　intimacy　with　him　that　I　have
noted。　　Before　we　got　up　for　the　homeward　stretch　he　alluded　to　his
wife's　having　onceor　perhaps　more　than　onceasked　him　whether　he
should　like　Dolcino　to　read　〃Beltraffio。〃　　He　must　have　been　unaware
at　the　moment　of　all　that　this　conveyed　to　meas　well　doubtless　of
my　extreme　curiosity　to　hear　what　he　had　replied。　　He　had　said　how
much　he　hoped　Dolcino　would　read　ALL　his　workswhen　he　was　twenty；
he　should　like　him　to　know　what　his　father　had　done。　　Before　twenty
it　would　be　useless；　he　wouldn't　understand　them。

〃And　meanwhile　do　you　propose　to　hide　themto　lock　them　up　in　a
drawer？〃　Mrs。　Ambient　had　proceeded。

〃Oh　nowe　must　simply　tell　him　they're　not　intended　for　small　boys。
If　you　bring　him　up　properly　after　that　he　won't　touch　them。〃

To　this　Mrs。　Ambient　had　made　answer　that　it　might　be　very　awkward
when　he　was　about　fifteen；　say；　and　I　asked　her　husband　if　it　were
his　opinion　in　general；　then；　that　young　people　shouldn't　read
novels。

〃Good　onescertainly　not！〃　said　my　companion。　　I　suppose　I　had　had
other　views；　for　I　remember　saying　that　for　myself　I　wasn't　sure　it
was　bad　for　them　if　the　novels　were　〃good〃　to　the　right　intensity　of
goodness。　　〃Bad　for　THEM；　I　don't　say　so　much！〃　my　companion
returned。　　〃But　very　bad；　I'm　afraid；　for　the　poor　dear　old　novel
itself。〃　　That　oblique　accidental　allusion　to　his　wife's　attitude　was
followed　by　a　greater　breadth　of　reference　as　we　walked　home。　　〃The
difference　between　us　is　simply　the　opposition　between　two　distinct
ways　of　looking　at　the　world；　which　have　never　succeeded　in　getting
on　together；　or　in　making　any　kind　of　common　household；　since　the
beginning　of　time。　　They've　borne　all　sorts　of　names；　and　my　wife
would　tell　you　it's　the　difference　between　Christian　and　Pagan。　　I
may　be　a　pagan；　but　I　don't　like　the　name；　it　sounds　sectarian。　　She
thinks　me　at　any　rate　no　better　than　an　ancient　Greek。　　It's　the
difference　between　making　the　most　of　life　and　making　the　least；　so
that　you'll　get　another　better　one　in　some　other　time　and　place。
Will　it　be　a　sin　to　make　the　most　of　that　one；　too；　I　wonder；　and
shall　we　have　to　be　bribed　off　in　the　future　state　as　well　as　in　the
present？　　Perhaps　I　care　too　much　for　beautyI　don't　know；　I　doubt
if　a　poor　devil　CAN；　I　delight　in　it；　I　adore　it；　I　think　of　it
continually；　I　try　to　produce　it；　to　reproduce　it。　　My　wife　holds
that　we　shouldn't　cultivate　or　enjoy　it　without　extraordinary
precautions　and　reserves。　　She's　always　afraid　of　it；　always　on　her
guard。　　I　don't　know　what　it　can　ever　have　done　to　her；　what　grudge
it　owes　her　or　what　resentment　rides。　　And　she's　so　pretty；　too；
herself！　　Don't　you　think　she's　lovely？　　She　was　at　any　rate　when　we
married。　　At　that　time　I　wasn't　aware　of　that　difference　I　speak　of
I　thought　it　all　came　to　the　same　thing：　　in　the　end；　as　they　say。
Well；　perhaps　it　will　in　the　end。　　I　don't　know　what　the　end　will　be。
Moreover；　I　care　for　seeing　things　as　they　are；　that's　the　way　I　try
to　show　them　in　any　professed　picture。　　But　you　mustn't　talk　to　Mrs。
Ambient　about　things　as　they　are。　　She　has　a　mortal　dread　of　things
as　they　are。〃

〃She's　afraid　of　them　for　Dolcino；〃　I　said：　　surprised　a　moment
afterwards　at　being　in　a　positionthanks　to　Miss　Ambientto　be　so
explanatory；　and　surprised　even　now　that　Mark　shouldn't　have　shown
visibly　that　he　wondered　what　the　deuce　I　knew　about　it。　　But　he
didn't；　he　simply　declared　with　a　tenderness　that　touched　me：　　〃Ah
nothing　shall　ever　hurt　HIM！〃

He　told　me　more　about　his　wife　before　we　arrived　at　the　gate　of　home；
and　if　he　be　judged　to　have　aired　overmuch　his　grievance　I'm　afraid　I
must　admit　that　he　had　some　of　the　foibles　as　well　as　the　gifts　of
the　artistic　temperament；　adding；　however；　instantly　that　hitherto；
to　the　best　of　my　belief；　he　had　rarely　let　this　particular　cat　out
of　the　bag。　　〃She　thinks　me　immoralthat's　the　long　and　short　of
it；〃　he　said　as　we　paused　outside　a　moment　and　his　hand　rested　on　one
of　the　bars　of　his　gate；　while　his　conscious　expressive　perceptive
eyesthe　eyes　of　a　foreigner；　I　had　begun　to　account　them；　much　more
than　of　the　usual　Englishmanviewing　me　now　evidently　as　quite　a
familiar　friend；　took　part　in　the　declaration。　　〃It's　very　strange
when　one　thinks　it　all　over；　and　there's　a　grand　comicality　in　it
that　I　should　like　to　bring　out。　　She's　a　very　nice　woman；
extraordinarily　well…behaved；　upright　and　clever　and　with　a
tremendous　lot　of　good　sense　about　a　good　many　matters。　　Yet　her
conception　of　a　novelshe　has　explained　it　to　me　once　or　twice；　and
she　doesn't　do　it　badly　as　expositionis　a　thing　so　false　that　it
makes　me　blush。　　It's　a　thing　so　hollow；　so　dishonest；　so　lying；　in
which　life　is　so　blinked　and　blinded；　so　dodged　and　disfigured；　that
it　makes　my　ears　burn。　　It's　two　different　ways　of　looking　at　the
whole　affair；〃　he　repeated；　pushing　open　the　gate。　　〃And　they're
irreconcilable！〃　he　added　with　a　sigh。　　We　went　forward　to　the　house；
but　on　the　walk；　half…way　to　the　door；　he　stopped　and　said　to　me：
〃If　you're　going　into　this　kind　of　thing　there's　a　fact　you　should
know　beforehand；　it　may　save　you　some　disappointment。　　There's　a
hatred　of　art；　there's　a　hatred　of　literatureI　mean　of　the　genuine
kinds。　　Oh　the　shamsthose　they'll　swallow　by　the　bucket！〃　　I　looked
up　at　the　charming　house；　with　its　genial　colour　and　crookedness；　and
I　answered　with　a　smile　that　those　evil　passions　might　exist；　but
that　I　should　never　have　expected　to　find　them　there。　　〃Ah　it　doesn't
matter　after　all；〃　he　a　bit　nervously　laughed；　which　I　was　glad　to
hear；　for　I　was　reproaching　myself　with　having　worked　him　up。

If　I　had　it　soon　passed　off；　for　at　luncheon　he　was　delightful；
strangely　delightful　considering　that　the　difference　between　himself
and　his　wife　was；　as　he　had　said；　irreconcilable。　　He　had　the　art；　by
his　manner；　by　his　smile；　by　his　natural　amenity；　of　reducing　the
importance　of　it　in　the　common　concerns　of　life；　and　Mrs。　Ambient；　I
must　add；　lent　herself　to　this　transaction　with　a　very　good　grace。　　I
watched　her　at　table　for　further　illustrations　of　that　fixed　idea　of
which　Miss　Ambient　had　spoken　to　me；　for　in　the　light　of　the　united
revelations　of　her　sister…in…law　and　her　husband　she　had　come　to　seem
to　me　almost　a　sinister　personage。　　Yet　the　signs　of　a　sombre
fanaticism　were　not　more　immediately　striking　in　her　than　before；　it
was　only　after　a　while　that　her　air　of　incorruptible　conformity；　her
tapering　monosyllabic　correctness；　began　to　affect　me　as　in
themselves　a　cold　thin　flame。　　Certainly；　at　first；　she　resembled　a
woman　with　as　few　passions　as　possible；　but　if　she　had　a　passion　at
all　it　would　indeed　be　that　of　Philistinism。　　She　might　have　been
（for　there　are　guardian…spirits；　I　suppose；　of　all　great　principles）
the　very　angel　of　the　pink　of　proprietyputting　the　pink　for　a
principle；　though　I'd　rather　put　some　dismal　cold　blue。　　Mark
Ambient；　apparently；　ten　years　before；　had　simply　and　quite
inevitably　taken　her　for　an　angel；　without　asking　himself　of　what。
He　had　been　right　in　calling　my　attention　to　her　beauty。　　In　looking
for　some　explanation　of　his　original　surrender　to　her　I　saw　more　than
before　that　she　was；　physically　speaking；　a　wonderfully　cultivated
human　plantthat　he　might　well　have　owed　her　a　brief　poetic
inspiration。　　It　was　impossible　to　be　more　propped　and　pencilled；
more　delicately　tinted　and　petalled。

If　I　had　had　it　in　my　heart　to　think　my　host　a　little　of　a　hypocrite
for　appearing　to　forget　at　table　everything　he　had　said　to　me　in　our
walk；　I　should　instantly　have　cancelled　such　a　judgement　on
reflecting　that　the　good　news　his　wife　was　able　to　give　him　about
their　little　boy　was　ground　enough　for　any　optimistic　reaction。　　It
may　have　come　partly；　too；　from　a　certain　compunction　at　having
breathed　to　me　at　all　harshly　on　the　cool　fair　lady　who　sat　therea
desire　to　prove　himself　not　after　all　so　mismated。　　Dolcino　continued
to　be　much　better；　and　it　had　been　promised　him　he　should　come
downstairs　after　his　dinner。　　As　soon　as　we　had　risen　from　our　own
meal　Mark　slipped　away；　evidently　for　the　purpose　of　going　to　his
child；　and　no　sooner　had　I　observed　this　than　I　became　aware　his　wife
had　simultaneously　vani