brideshead+revisited-第11部分

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sang　over　the　gables。　I　drank　soda…Water　and　smoked　and　fretted；　until　light　began　to　break　and　the　rustle　of　a　rising　breeze　turned　me　back　to　my　bed。

　　　　When　I　awoke　Lunt　was　at　the　open　door。　'I　let　you　lie；'　he　said。　'I　didn't　think　you'd　be　going　to　the　Corporate　munion。'
　　　　'You　were　quite　right'
　　　　'Most　of　the　freshmen　went　and　quite　a　few　second　and　third　year　men。　It's　all　on　account　of　the　new　chaplain。　There　was　never　Corporate　munion　before　just　Holy　munion　for　those　that　wanted　it　and　Chapel　and　Evening　Chapel。'
　　　　It　was　the　last　Sunday　of　term；　the　last　of　the　year。　As　I　went　to　my　bath；　the　quad　filled　with　gowned　and　surpliced　undergraduates　drifting　from　chapel　to　hall。　As　I　came　back　they　standing　in　groups；　smoking；　Jasper　had　bicycled　in　from　his　digs　to　be　among　them。
　　　　I　walked　down　the　empty　Broad　to　breakfast　as　I　often　did　on　Sundays　at　a　tea…shop　opposite　Balliol。　The　air　was　full　of　bells　from　the　surrounding　spires　and　the　sun；　casting　long　shadows　across　the　open　spaces；　dispelled　the　fears　of　night。　The　tea…shop　was　hushed　as　a　library；　a　few　solitary　men　in　bedroom　slippers　from　Balliol　and　Trinity　looked　up　as　I　entered；　then　turned　back　to　their　Sunday　newspapers。　I　ate　my　scrambled　eggs　and　bitter　marmalade　with　the　zest　which　in　youth　follows　a　restless　night。　I　lit　a　cigarette　and　sat　on；　while　one　by　one　the　Balliol　and　Trinity　men　paid　their　bills　and　shuffled　away；　slip…slop；　across　the　street　to　their　colleges。　It　was　nearly　eleven　when　I　left；　and　during　my　walk　I　heard　the　change…ringing　cease　and；　all　over　the　town；　give　place　to　the　single　chime　which　warned　the　city　that　service　was　about　to　start。
　　　　None　but　churchgoers　seemed　abroad　that　morning；　undergraduates　and　graduates　and　wives　and　tradespeople；　walking　with　that　unmistakable　English　church…going　pace　which　eschewed　equally　both　haste　and　idle　sauntering；　holding；　bound　in　black　lamb…skin　and　white　celluloid；　the　liturgics　of　half　a　dozen　conflicting　sects；　on　their　way　to　St　Barnabas；　St　Columba；　St　Aloysius；　St　Mary's；　Pusey　House；　Blackfriars；　and　heaven　knows　where　besides；　to　restored　Norman　and　revived　Gothic；　to　travesties　of；Venice　and　Athens；　all　in　the　summer　sunshine　going　to　the　temples　of　their　race。　Four　proud　infidels　alone　proclaimed　their　dissent；　four　Indians　from　the　gates　of　Balliol；　in　freshly…laundered　white　flannels　and　neatly　pressed　blazers　with　snow…white　turbans　on　their；　heads；　and　in　their　plump；　brown　hands　bright　cushions；　a　picnic　basket　and　the　Plays　Unpleasant　of　Bernard　Shaw；　making　for　the　river。
　　　　In　the　Cornmarket　a　party　of　tourists　stood　on　the　steps　of　the　Clarendon　Hotel　discussing　a　road　map　with　their　chauffeur；　while　opposite；　through　the　venerable　arch　of　the　Golden　Cross；　I　greeted　a　group　of　undergraduates　from　my　college　who　had　breakfasted　there　and　now　lingered　with　their　pipes　in　the　creeper…hung　courtyard。　A　troop　of　boy　scouts；　church…bound；　too；　bright　with　Coloured　ribbons　and　badges；　loped　past　in　unmilitary　array；　and　at　Carfax　I　met　the　Mayor　and　corporation；　in　scarlet　gowns　and　gold　chains；　preceded　by　wand…bearers　and　followed　by　no　curious　glances；　in　procession　to　the　preaching　at　the　City　Church。　In　St　Aldates　I　passed　a　crocodile　of　choir　boys；　in　starched　collars　and　peculiar　caps；　on　their　way　to　Tom　Gate　and　the　Cathedral。　So　through　a　world　of　piety　I　made　my　way　to　Sebastian。
　　　　He　was　out。　I　read　the　letters；　none　of　them　very　revealing；　that　littered　his　writing　table　and　scrutinized　the　invitation　cards　on　his　chimney…piece　…　there　were　no　new　additions。　Then　I　read　Lady　into　Fox　until　he　returned。
　　　　'I've　been　to　at　the　Old　Palace；'　he　said。　'I　haven't　been　all　this　term；　and　Monsignor　Bell　asked　me　to　dinner　twice　last　week；　and　I　know　what　that　means。　Mummy's　been　writing　to　him。　So　I　sat　bang　in　front　where　he　couldn't　help　seeing　me　and　absolutely　shouted　the　Hail　Marys　at　the　end　so　that's　over。　How　was　dinner　with　Antoine？　What　did　you　talk　about？　'
　　　　'Well；　he　did　most　of　the　talking。　Tell　me；　did　you　know　him　at　Eton？'
　　　　'He　was　sacked　my　first　half。　I　remember　seeing　him　about。　He　always　has　been　a　noticeable　figure。'
　　　　'Did　he　go　to　church　with　you？'
　　　　'I　don't　think　so；　why？'
　　　　'Has　he　met　any　of　your　family？'
　　　　'Charles；　how　very　peculiar　you're　being　today。　No。　I　don't　suppose　so。
　　　　'Not　your　mother　at　Venice？'
　　　　'I　believe　she　did　say　something　about　it。　I　forget　what。　I　think　she　was　staying　with　some　Italian　cousins　of　ours；　the　Foglieres；　and　Anthony　turned　up　with　his　family　at　the　hotel；　and　there　was　some　party　the　Foglieres　gave　that　they　weren't　asked　to。　I　know　Mummy　said　something　about　it　when　I　told　her　he　was　a　friend　of　mine。　I　can't　think　why　he　should　want　to　go　to　a　party　at　the　Foglieres　…　the　princess　is　so　proud　of　her　English　blood　that　she　talks　of　nothing　else。　Anyway；　no　one　objected　to　Antoine　…　much；　I　gather。　It　was　his　mother　they　thought　difficult。'
　　　　'And　who　is　the　Duchesse　of　Vincennes？'
　　　　'Poppy？'
　　　　'Stefanie。'
　　　　'You　must　ask　Antoine　that。　He　claims　to　have　had　an　affair　with　her。'
　　　　'Did　he？'
　　　　'I　dare　say。　I　think　it's　more　or　less　pulsory　at　Cannes。　Why　all　this　interest？'
　　　　'I　just　wanted　to　find　out　how　much　truth　there　was　in　what　Anthony　said　last　night。'
　　　　'I　shouldn't；　think　a　word。　That's　his　great　charm。'
　　　　'You　may　think　it　charming。　I　think　it's　devilish。　Do　you　know　he　spent　the　whole　of　yesterday　evening　trying　to　turn　me　against　you；　and　almost　succeeded？'
　　　　'Did　he？　How　silly。　Aloysius　wouldn't　approve　of　that　at　all；　would　you；　you　pompous　old　bear？'
　　　　And　then　Boy　Mulcaster　came　into　the　room。

＇3＇

I　RETURNED　home　for　the　Long　Vacation　without　plans　and　without　money。　To　cover　end…of…term　expenses　I　had　sold　my　Omega　screen　to　Collins　for　ten　pounds；　of　which　I　now　kept　four；　my　last　cheque　overdrew　my　account　my　a　few　shillings；　and　I　had　been　told　that；　without　my　father's　authority；　I　must　draw　no　more。　My　next　allowance　was　not　due　until　October。　I　was　thus　faced　with　a　bleak　prospect　and；　turning　the　matter　over　in　my　mind；　I　felt　something　not　far　off　remorse　for　the　prodigality；of　the　preceding　weeks。
　　　　I　had　started　the　term　with　my　battels　paid　and　over　a　hundred　pounds　in　hand。　All　that　had　gone；　and　not　a　penny　paid　out　where　I　could　get　credit。　There　had　been　no　reason　for　it；　no　great　　pleasure　unattainable　else；　it　had　gone　in　ducks　and　drakes。　Sebastian　used　to　tease　me　…　'You　spend　money；　like　a　bookie'　…　but　all　of　it　went　on　and　with　him。　His　own　finances　were　perpetually；　vaguely　distressed。　'It's　all　done　by　lawyers；'　he　said　helplessly；　'and　I　suppose　they　embezzle　a　lot。　Anyway；　I　never　seem　to　get　much。　Of　course；　mummy　would　give　me　anything　I　asked　for。'
　　　　'Then　why　don't　you　ask　her　for　a　proper　allowance？'
　　　　'Oh；　mummy　likes　everything　to　be　a　present。　She's　so　sweet；'　he　said；　adding　one　more　line　to　the　picture　I　was　forming　of　her。
　　　　Now　Sebastian　had　disappeared　into　that　other　life　of　his　where　I　was　not　asked　to　follow；　and　I　was　left；　instead；　forlorn　and　regretful。
　　　　How　ungenerously　in　later　life　we　disclaim　the　virtuous　moods　of　our　youth；　living　in　retrospect　long；　summer　days　of　unreflecting　dissipation。　There　is　no　candour　in　a　story　of　early　manhood　which　leaves　out　of　account　the　home…sickness　for　nursery　morality；　the　regrets　and　resolutions　of　amendment；　the　black　hours　which；　like　zero　on　the　roulette　table；　turn　up　with　roughly　calculable　regularity。
　　　　Thus　I　spent　the　first　afternoon　at　home；　wandering　from　room　to　room；　looking　from　the　plate…glass　windows　in　turn　on　the　garden　and　the　street；　in　a　mood　of　vehement　self…reproach。
　　　　My　father；　I　knew；　was　in　the　house；　but　his　library　was　inviolable；　and　it　was　not　until　just　before　dinner　that　he　appeared　to　greet　me。　He　was　then　in　his　late　fifties；　but　it　was　his　idiosyncrasy　to　seem　much　older　than　his　years；　to　see　him　one　might　have　put　him　at　seventy；　to　hear　him　speak　at　nearly　eighty。　He　came　to　me　now；　with　the　shuffling；　mandarin…tread　which　he　affected；　and　a　shy　smile　of　wele。　When　he　dined　at　home　…　and　he　seldom　dined　elsewhere　…　he　wore　a　frogged　velvet　smoking　suit　of　the　kind　which　had　been　fashionable　many　years　before　and　was　to　be　so　again；　but；　at　that　time；　was　a　deliberate　archaism。
　　　　'My　dear　boy；　I　they　never　told　me　you　were　here。'　Did　you　have　a　very　exhausting　journey？　They　gave　you　tea？　You　are　well？　I　have　just　made　a　somewhat　audacious　I　purchase　from　Sonerscheins　…　a　terra…cotta　bull　of　the　fifth　century。　I　was　examining　it　and　forgot　your　arrival。　Was　the　carriage　very　full？　　You　had　a　corner　seat？　（He　travelled　so　rarely　himself　that　to　hear　of　others　doing　so　always　excited　his　solicitude。）　'Hayter　brought　you　the　evening　paper？　There　is　no　news；　of　course　…　such　a　lot　of　nonsense。'
　　　　Dinner　was　announced。　My　father　from　long　habit　took　a　book　with　him　to　the　table　and　then；　remembering　my　presence；　furtively　dropped　it　under　his　chair。　'What　do　you　like　to　drink？　Hayter；　what　have　we　for　Mr　Charles　to　drink？'
　　　　'There's　some　whisky。'
　　　　'There's　whisky。　Perhaps　you　like　something；　else？　What　else　have　we？'
　　　　'There　isn't　anything　else　in　the　house；　sir。'
　　　　'There's　nothing　else。　You　must　tell　Hayter　what　you　would　like　and　he　will　get　it　in。　I　never　keep　any　wine　now。　I　am　forbidden　it　and　no　one　es　to　see　me。　But　while　you　are　here；　you　must　have　what　you　like。　You　are　here　for　long。？'
　　　　'I'm　not　quite　sure；　father。'
　　　　'It's　a　very　long　vacation；'　he　said　wistfully。　'In　my　day　we　used　to　go　on　what　were　called　reading　parties；　always　in　mountainous　areas。　Why？。　Why；'　he　repeated　petulantly；　'should　alpine　scenery　be　thought　conducive　to　study？'
　　　　'I　thought　of　putting　in　some　time　at　an　art　school　…　in　the　life　class。'
　　　　'My　dear　boy；　you'll　find　them　all　shut。　The　students　go　to　Barbizon　or　such　places　and　paint　in　the　open　air。　There　was　an　institution　in　my　day　called　a　〃sketching　club〃'　…　mixed　sexes'　（snuffle）；　'bicycles'　（snuffle）；　'pepper…and…salt　knickerbockers；　holland　umbrellas；　and；　it　was　popularly　thought；　free　love'　（snuffle）；　such　a　lot　of　nonsense。　I　expect　they　still　go　on。　You　might　try　that。'
　　　　'One　of　the　pro