brideshead+revisited-第22部分

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worse　for　wear。'
　　　　After　breakfast　the　barrister　arrived　and　Rex　delivered　a　summary　of　the　case。
　　　　'Sebastian's　in　a　jam；'　he　said。　'He's　liable　to　anything　up　to　six　months'　imprisonment　for　being　drunk　in　charge　of　a　car。　You'll　e　up　before　Grigg　unfortunately。　He　takes　rather　a　grim　view　of　cases　of　this　sort。　All　that　will　happen　this　morning　is　that　we　shall　ask　to　have　Sebastian　held　over　for　a　week　to　prepare　the　defence。　You　two　will　plead　guilty；　say　you're　sorry；　and　pay　your　five　bob　fine。　I'll　see　what　can　be　done　about　squaring　the　evening　papers。　The　Star　may　be　dffficult。
　　　　'Remember；　the　important　thing　is　to　keep　out　all　mention　of　the　Old　Hundredth。　Luckily　the　tarts　were　sober　and　aren't　being　charged；　but　their　names　have　been　taken　as　witnesses。　If　we　try　and　break　down　the　police　evidence；　they'll　be　called。　We've　got　to　avoid　that　at　all　costs；　so　we　shall　have　to　swallow　the　police　story　whole　and　appeal　to　the　magistrate's　good　nature　not　to　wreck　a　young　man's　career　for　a　single　boyish　indiscretion。　It'll　work　all　right。　We　shall　need　a　don　to　give　evidence　of　good　character。　Julia　tells　me　you　have　a　tame　one　called　Samgrass。　He'll　do。　Meanwhile　your　story　is　simply　that　you　came　up　from　Oxford　for　a　perfectly　respectable　dance；　weren't　used　to　wine；　had　too　much；　and　lost　the　way　driving　home。
　　　　'After　that　we　shall　have　to　see　about　fixing　things　with　your　authorities　at　Oxford。'
　　　　'I　told　them　to　call　my　solicitors；'　said　Mulcaster；　'and　they　refused。　They've　put　themselves　hopelessly　in　the　wrong；　and　I　don't　see　why　they　should　get　away　with　it。'
　　　　'For　heaven's　sake　don't　start　any　kind　of　argument。　Just　plead　guilty　and　pay　up。　Understand？'
　　　　Mulcaster　grumbled　but　submitted。
　　　　Everything　happened　at　court　as　Rex　had　predicted。　At　half　past　ten　we　stood　in　Bow　Street；　Mulcaster　and　I　free　men；　Sebastian　bound　over　to　appear　in　a　week's　time。　Mulcaster　had　kept　silent　about　his　grievance；　he　and　I　were　admonished　and　fined　five　shillings　each　and　fifteen　shillings　costs。　Mulcaster　was　being　rather　irksome　to　us；　and　it　was　with　relief　that　we　heard　his　plea　of　other　business　in　London。　The　barrister　bustled　off　and　Sebastian　and　I　were　left　alone　and　disconsolate。
　　　　'I　suppose　mummy's　got　to　hear　about　it；'　he　said。　'Damn；　damn；　damn！　It's　cold。　I　won't　go　home。　I've　nowhere　to　go。　Let's　just　slip　back　to　Oxford　and　wait　for　them　to　bother　us'
　　　　The　raffish　habitu閟　of　the　police　court　came　and　went；　up　and　down　the　steps；　still　we　stood　on　the　windy　er；　undecided。
　　　　'Why　not　get　hold　of　Julia？'
　　　　'I　might　go　abroad。'
　　　　'My　dear　Sebastian；　you'll　only　be　given　a　talking…to　and　fined　a　few　pounds。'
　　　　'Yes；　but　it's　all　the　bother　…　mummy　and　Bridey　and　all　the　family　and　the　dons。　I'd　sooner　go　to　prison。　If　I　just　slip　away　abroad　they　can't　get　me　back；　can　they？　That's　what　people　do　when　the　police　are　after　them。　I　know　mummy　will　make　it　seem　she　has　to　bear　the　whole　brunt　of　the　business。'
　　　　'Let's　telephone　Julia　and　get　her　to　meet　us　somewhere　and　talk　it　over。'
　　　　We　met　at　Gunter's　in　Berkeley　Square。　Julia；　like　most　women　then；　wore　a　green　hat　pulled　down　to　her　eyes　with　a　diamond　arrow　in　it；　she　had　a　small　dog　under　her　arm；　three…quarters　buried　in　the　fur　of　her　coat。　She　greeted　us　with　an　unusual　show　of　interest。
　　　　'Well；　you　are　a　pair　of　pickles；　I　must　say　you　look　remarkably　well　on　it。　The　only　time　I　got　tight　I　was　paralysed　all　the　next　day。　I　do　think　you　might　have　taken　me　with　you。　The　ball　was　positively　lethal；　and　I've　always　longed　to　go　to　the　Old　Hundredth。　No　one　will　ever　take　me。　Is　it　heaven？'
　　　　'So　you　know　all　about　that；　too？'
　　　　'Rex　telephoned　me　this　morning　and　told　me　everything。　What　were　your　girl　friends　like？'
　　　　'Don't　be　prurient；'　said　Sebastian。
　　　　'Mine　was　like　a　skull。'
　　　　'Mine　was　like　a　consumptive。'
　　　　'Goodness。'　It　had　clearly　raised　us　in　Julia's　estimation　that　we　had　been　out　with　women；　to　her　they　were　the　point　of　interest。
　　　　'Does　mummy　know？'
　　　　'Not　about　your　skulls　and　consumptives。　She　knows　you　were　in　the　clink。　I　told　her。　She　was　divine　about　it；　of　course。　You　know　anything　Uncle　Ned　did　was　always　perfect；　and　he　got　locked　up　once　for　taking　a　bear　into　one　of　Lloyd　George's　meetings；　so　she　really　feels　quite　human　about　the　whole　thing。　She　wants　you　both　to　lunch　with　her。'
　　　　'Oh　God！'
　　　　'The　only　trouble　is　the　papers　and　the　family。　Have　you　got　an　awful　family；　Charles？'
　　　　'Only　a　father。　He'll　never　hear　about　it。'
　　　　'Ours　are　awful。　Poor　mummy　is　in　for　a　ghastly　time　with　them。　They'll　be　writing　letters　and　paying　visits　of　sympathy；　and　all　the　time　at　the　back　of　their　minds　one　half　will　be　saying；　〃That's　what　es　of　bringing　the　boy　up　a　Catholic；〃　and　the　other　half　will　say；　〃That's　what　es　of　sending　him　to　Eton　instead　of　Stonyhurst。〃　Poor　mummy　can't　get　it　right。
　　　　We　lunched　with　Lady　Marchmain。　She　accepted　the　whole　thing　with　humorous　resignation。　Her　only　reproach　was：　'I　can't　think　why　you　went　off　and　stayed　with　Mr　Mottram。　You　might　have　e　and　told　me　about　it　first。'
　　　　'How　am　I　going　to　explain　it　to　all　the　family？'　she　asked。　'They　will　be　so　shocked　to　find　that　they're　more　upset　about　it　than　I　am。　Do　you　know　my　sister…in…law；　Fanny　Rossmon？　She　has　always　thought　I　brought　the　children　up　badly。　Now　I　am　beginning　to　think　she　must　be　right。'
　　　　When　we　left　I　said：　'She　couldn't　have　been　more　charming。　What　were　you　so　worried　about？'
　　　　'I　can't　explain；'　said　Sebastian　miserably。

　　　　A　week　later　when　Sebastian　came　up　for　trial　he　was　fined　ten　pounds。　The　newspapers　reported　it　with　painful　prominence；　one　of　them　under　the　ironic　headline：　'Marquis's　son　unused　to　wine'。　The　magistrate　said　that　it　was　only　through　the　prompt　action　of　the　police　that　he　was　not　up　on　a　grave　charge。
　　　　'It　is　purely　by　good　fortune　that　you　do　not　bear　the　responsibility　of　a　serious　accident。。。'　Mr　Samgrass　gave　evidence　that　Sebastian　bore　an　irreproachable　character　and　that　a　brilliant　future　at　the　University　was　in　jeopardy。　The　papers　took　hold　of　this　too　…　'Model　Student's　Career　at　Stake。　But　for　Mr　Samgrass's　evidence；　said　the　magistrate；　he　would　have　been　disposed　to　give　an　exemplary　sentence；　the　law　was　the　same　for　an　Oxford　undergraduate　as　for　any　young　hooligan；　indeed　the　better　the　home　the　more　shameful　the　offence。。。
　　　　It　was　not　only　at　Bow　Street　that　Mr　Samgrass　was　of　value。　At　Oxford　he　showed　all　the　zeal　and　acumen　which　were　Rex　Mottram's　in　London。　He　interviewed　the　college　authorities；　the　proctors；　the　Vice…Chancellor；　he　induced　Mgr　Bell　to　call　on　the　Dean　of　Christ　Church；　he　arranged　for　Lady　Marchmain　to　talk　to　the　Chancellor　himself；　and；　as　a　result　of　all　this；　the　three　of　us　were　gated　for　the　rest　of　the　term。　Hardcastle；　for　no　clear　reason；　was　again　deprived　of　the　use　of　his　car；　and　the　affair　blew　over。　The　most　lasting　penalty　we　suffered　was　our　intimacy　with　Rex　Mottram　and　Mr　Samgrass；　but　since　Rex's　life　was　in　London　in　a　world　of　politics　and　high　finance　and　Mr　Samgrass's　nearer　to　our　own　at　Oxford；　it　was　from　him　we　suffered　the　more。
　　　　For　the　rest　of　that　term　he　haunted　us。　Now　that　we　were　'gated'　we　could　not　spend　our　evenings　together；　and　from　nine　0'clock　onwards　were　alone　and　at　Mr　Samgrass's　mercy。　Hardly　an　evening　seemed　to　paw　but　he　called　on　one　o　r　the　other　of　us。　He　spoke　of　'our　little　escapade'　as　though　he；　too；　had　been　in　the　cells；　and　had　that　bond　with　us。。。Once　I　climbed　out　of　college　and　Mr　Samgrass　found　me　in　Sebastian's　rooms　after　the　gate　was　shut　and　that；　too；　he　made　into　a　bond。　It　did　not　surprise　me；　therefore；　when　I　arrived　at　Brideshead；　after　Christmas；　to　find　Mr　Samgrass；　as　though　in　wait　for　me；　sitting　alone　before　the　fire　in　the　room　they　called　the　'Tapestry　Hall'。
　　　　'You　find　me　in　solitary　possession；'　he　said；　and　indeed　he　seemed　to　possess　the　hall　and　the　sombre　scenes　of　venery　that　hung　round　it；　to　possess　the　caryatids　on　either　side　of　the　fireplace；　to　possess　me；　as　he　rose　to　take　my　hand　and　greet　me　like　a　host：　'This　morning；'　he　continued；　'we　had　a　lawn　meet　of　the　Marchmain　Hounds　…　a　deliciously　archaic　spectacle　and　all　our　young　friends　are　fox…hunting；　even　Sebastian　who；　you　will　not　be　surprised　to　hear；　looked　remarkably　elegant　in　his　pink　coat。　Brideshead　was　impressive　rather　than　elegant；　he　is　joint…master　with　a　local　figure　of　fun　named　Sir　Walter　Strickland…Venables。　I　wish　the　two　of　them　could　be　included　in　these　rather　humdrum　tapestries　…　they　would　give　a　note　of　fantasy。
　　　　'Our　hostess　remained　at　home；　also　a　convalescent　Dominican　who　has　read　too　much　Maritain　and　too　little　Hegel；　Sir　Adrian　Porson；　of　course；　and　two　rather　forbidding　Magyar　cousins　…　I　have　tried　them　in　German　and　in　French；　but　in　neither　tongue　are　they　diverting。　All　these　have　now　driven　off　to　visit　a　neighbour。　I　have　been　spending　a　cosy　afternoon　before　the　fire　with　the　inparable　Charlus。　Your　arrival　emboldens　me　to　ring　for　some　tea。　How　can　I　prepare　you　for　the　party？　Alas；　it　breaks　up　tomorrow。　Lady　Julia　departs　to　celebrate　the　New　Year　elsewhere；　and　takes　the　beau…monde　with　her。　I　shall　miss　the　pretty　creatures　about　the　house　…　particularly　one　Celia；　she　is　the　sister　of　our　old　panion　in　adversity；　Boy　Mulcaster；　and　wonderfully　unlike；　him。　She　has　a　bird…like　style　of　conversation；　pecking　away　at　the　subject　in　a　way　I　find　most　engaging；　and　a　school…monitor　style　of　dress　which　I　can　only　call　〃saucy〃。　I　shall　miss　her；　for　I　do　not　go　tomorrow。　Tomorrow　I　start　work　in　earnest　on　our　hostess's　book　…　which；　believe　me；　is　a　treasure…house　of　period　gems；　pure　authentic　I9I4。'
　　　　Tea　was　brought　and；　soon　after　it；　Sebastian　returned；　he　had　lost　the　hunt　early；　he　said；　and　hacked　home；　the　others　were　not　long　after　him；　having　been　fetched　by　car　at　the　end　of　the　day；　Brideshead　was　absent；　he　had　business　at　the　kennels　and　Cordelia　had　gone　with　him。　The　rest　filled　the　hall　and　were　soon　eating　scrambled　eggs　and　crumpets；　and　Mr　Samgrass；　who　had　lunched　at　home　and　dozed　all　the　afternoon　before　the　fire；　ate　egg