brideshead+revisited-第36部分

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　　　　'And　then？'
　　　　'And　then　the　talks　went　on　and　on。　Poor　mummy。　And　priests　came　into　it　and　aunts　came　into　it。　There　were　all　kinds　of　suggestions　…　that　Rex　should　go　to　Canada；　that　Father　Mowbray　should　go　to　Rome　and　see　if　there　were　any　possible　grounds　for　an　annulment；　that　I　should　go　abroad　for　a　year。　In　the　middle　of　it　Rex　just　telegraphed　to　papa：　〃Julia　and　I　prefer　wedding　ceremony　take　place　by　Protestant　rites。　Have　you　any　objection？〃　He　answered；　〃Delighted〃；　and　that　settled　the　matter　as　far　as　mummy　stopping　us　legally　went。　There　was　a　lot　of　personal　appeal　after　that。　I　was　sent　to　talk　to　priests　and　nuns　and　aunts。　Rex　just　went　on　quietly　…　or　fairly　quietly　…　with　the　plans。
　　　　'Oh；　Charles；　what　a　squalid　wedding！　The　Savoy　Chapel　was　the　place　where　divorced　couples　got　married　in　those　days　…　a　poky　little　place　not　at　all　what　Rex　had　intended。　I　wanted　just　to　slip　into　a　registry　office　one　morning　and　get　the　thing　over　with　a　couple　of　charwomen　as　witnesses；　but　nothing　else　would　do　but　Rex　had　to　have　bridesmaids　and　orange　blossom　and　the　Wedding　March。　It　was　gruesome。
　　　　'Poor　mummy　behaved　like　a　martyr　and　insisted　on　my　having　her　lace　in　spite　of　everything。　Well；　she　more　or　less　had　to　…　the　dress　had　been　planned　round　it。　My　own　friends　came；　of　course；　and　the　curious　acplices　Rex　called　his　friends；　the　rest　of　the　party　were　very　oddly　assorted。　None　of　mummy's　family　came；　of　course；　one　or　two　of　papa's。　All　the　stuffy　people　stayed　away　…　you　know；　the　Anchorages　and　Chasms　and　Vanbrughs　…　and　I　thought；　〃Thank　God　for　that；　they　always　look　down　their　noses　at　me；　anyhow；〃　but　Rex　was　furious；　because　it　was　just　them　he　wanted　apparently。
　　　　'I　hoped　at　one　moment　there'd　be　no　party　at　all。　Mummy　said　we　couldn't　use　Marchers；　and　Rex　wanted　to　telegraph　papa　and　invade　the　place　with　an　army　of　caterers　headed　by　the　family　solicitor。　In　the　end　it　was　decided　to　have　a　party　the　evening　before　at　home　to　see　the　presents　…　apparently　that　was　all　right　according　to　Father　Mowbray。　Well；　no　one　can　ever　resist　going　to　see　her　own　present；　so　that　was　quite　a　success；　but　the　reception　Rex　gave　next　day　at　the　Savoy　for　the　wedding　guests　was　very　squalid。
　　　　'There　was　great　awkwardness　about　the　tenants。　In　the　end　Bridey　went　down　and　gave　them　a　dinner　and　bonfire　there　which　wasn't　at　all　what　they　expected　in　return　for　their　silver　soup　tureen。
　　　　'Poor　Cordelia　took　it　hardest。　She　had　looked　forward　so　much　to　being　my　bridesmaid　…　it　was　a　thing　we　used　to　talk　about　long　before　I　came　out　…　and　of　course　she　was　a　very　pious　child；　too。　At　first　she　wouldn't　speak　to　me。　Then　on　the　morning　of　the　wedding　…　I'd　moved　to　Aunt　Fanny　Rossmon's　the　evening　before；　it　was　thought　more　suitable　…　she；　came　bursting　in　before　I　was　up；　straight　from　Farm　Street；　in　floods　of　tears；　begged　me　not　to　marry；　then　hugged　me；　gave　me　a　dear　little　brooch　she'd　bought；　and　said　she　prayed　I'd　always　be　happy。　Always　happy；　Charles！
　　　　'It　was　an　awfully　unpopular　wedding；　you　know。　Everyone　took　mummy's　side；　as　everyone　always　did　…　not　that　she　got　any　benefit　from　it。　All　through　her　life　mummy　had　all　the　sympathy　of　everyone　except　those　she　loved。　They　all　said　I'd　behaved　abominably　to　her。　In　fact；　poor　Rex　found　he'd　married　an　outcast；　which　was　exactly　the　opposite　of　all　he'd　wanted。
　　　　'So　you　see　things　never　looked　like　going　right。　There　was　a　hoodoo　on　us　from　the　start。　But　I　was　still　nuts　about　Rex。
　　　　'Funny　to　think　of；　isn't　it？
　　　　'You　know　Father　Mowbray　hit　on　the　truth　about　Rex　at　once；　that　it　took　me　a　year　of　marriage　to　see。　He　simply　wasn't　all　there。　He　wasn't　a　plete　human　being　at　all。　He　was　a　tiny　bit　of　one；　unnaturally　developed；　something　in　a　bottle；　an　organ　kept　alive　in　a　laboratory。　I　thought　he　was　a　sort　of　primitive　savage；　but　he　was　something　absolutely　modem　and　up…to…date　that　only　this　ghastly　age　could　produce。　A　tiny　bit　of　a　man　pretending　he　was　the　whole。
　　　　'Well；　it's　all　over　now。'
　　　　It　was　ten　years　later　that　she　said　this　to　me　in　a　storm　in　the　Atlantic。

＇3＇

I　RETURNED　to　London　in　the　spring　of　1926　for　the　General　Strike。
　　　　It　was　the　topic　of　Paris。　The　French；　exultant　as　always　at　the　disfiture　of　their　former　friends；　and　transposing　into　their　own　precise　terms　our　mistier　notions　from　across　the　Channel；　foretold　revolution　and　civil　war。　Every　evening　the　kiosks　displayed　texts　of　doom；　and；　in　the　caf閟；　acquaintances　greeted　one　half…derisively　with：　'Ha；　my　friend；　you　are　better　off　here　than　at　home；　are　you　not？'　until　I　and　several　friends　in　circumstances　like　my　own　came　seriously　to　believe　that　our　country　was　in　danger　and　that　our　duty　lay　there。　We　were　joined　by　a　Belgian　Futurist；　who　lived　under　the；　I　think；　assumed　name　of　Jean　de　Brissac　la　Motte；　and　claimed　the　right　to　bear　arms　in　any　battle　anywhere　against　the　lower　classes。
　　　　We　crossed　together；　in　a　high…spirited；　male　party；　expecting　to　find　unfolding　before　us　at　Dover　the　history　so　often　repeated　of　late；　with　so　few　variations；　from　all　parts　of　Europe；　that　I；　at　any　rate；　had　formed　in　my　mind　a　clear；　posite　picture　of　'Revolution'　…　the　red　flag　on　the　post　office；　the　overturned　tram；　the　drunken　N。C。O。s；　the　gaol　open　and　gangs　of　released　criminals　prowling　the　streets；　the　train　from　the　capital　that　did　not　arrive。　One　had　read　it　in　the　papers；　seen　it　in　the　films；　heard　it　at　caf？tables　again　and　again　for　six　or　seven　years　now；　till　it　had　bee　part　of　one's　experience；　at　second　hand；　like　the　mud　of　Flanders　and　the　flies　of　Mesopotamia。
　　　　Then　we　landed　and　met　the　old　routine　of　the　customs…shed；　the　punctual　boat…train；　the　porters　lining　the　platform　at　Victoria　and　converging　on　the　first…class　carriages；　the　long　line　of　waiting　taxis。
　　　　'We'll　separate；'　we　said；　and　see　what's　happening。　We'll　meet　and　pare　notes　at　dinner；'　but　we　knew　already　in　our　hearts　that　nothing　was　happening；　nothing；　at　any　rate；　which　needed　our　presence。
　　　　'Oh　dear；　'　said　my　father；　meeting　me　by　chance　on　the　stairs；　'how　delightful　to　see　you　again　so　soon。'　（I　had　been　abroad　fifteen　months。）　'You've　e　at　a　very　awkward　time；　you　know。　They're　having　another　of　those　strikes　in　two　days　…　such　a　lot　of　nonsense　…　and　I　don't　know　when　you'll　be　able　to　get　away。'
　　　　I　thought　of　the　evening　I　was　forgoing；　with　the　lights　ing　out　along　the　banks　of　the　Seine；　and　the　pany　I　should　have　had　there　…　for　I　was　at　the　time　concerned　with　two　emancipated　American　girls　who　shared　a　gar鏾nni鑢e　in　Auteuil　…　and　wished　I　had　not　e。
　　　　We　dined　that　night　at　the　Caf？Royal。　There　things　were　a　little　more　warlike；　for　the　Caf？was　full　of　undergraduates　who　had　e　down　for　'National　Service'。　One　group；　from　Cambridge；　had　that　afternoon　signed　on　to　run　messages　for　Trans…port　House；　and　their　table　backed　on　another　group's；　who　were　enrolled　as　special　constables。　Now　and　then　one　or　other　party　would　shout　provocatively　over　the　shoulder；　but　it　is　hard　to　e　into　serious　conflict　back　to　back；　and　the　affair　ended　with　their　giving　each　other　tall　glasses　of　lager　beer。
　　　　'You　should　have　been　in　Budapest　when　Horthy　marched　in'　said　Jean。　'That　was　politics。'
　　　　A　party　was　being　given　that　night　in　Regent's　Park　for　the　'Black　Birds'　who　had　newly　arrived　in　England。　One　of　us　had　been　asked　and　thither　we　all　went。
　　　　To　us；　who　frequented　Bricktop's　and　the　Bal　N鑗re　in　the　Rue　Blomet；　there　was　nothing　particularly　remarkable　in　the　spectacle；　I　was　scarcely　inside　the　door　when　I　heard　an　unmistakable　voice；　an　echo　from　what　now　seemed　a　distant　past。
　　　　'No；'　it　said；　'they　are　not　animals　in　a　zoo；　Mulcaster；　to　be　goggled　at。　They　are　artists；　my　dear；　very　great　artists；　to　be　revered。'
　　　　Anthony　Blanche　and　Boy　Mulcaster　were　at　the　table　where　the　wine　stood。
　　　　'Thank　God　here's　someone　I　know；'　said　Mulcaster；　as　I　joined　them。　'Girl　brought　me。　Can't　see　her　anywhere。'
　　　　'She's　given　you　the　slip；　my　dear；　and　do　you　know　why？　Because　you　look　ridiculously　out　of　place；　Mulcaster。　It　isn't　your　kind　of　party　at　all；　you　ought　not　to　be　here；　you　ought　to　go　away；　you　know；　to　the　Old　Hundredth　or　some　lugubrious　dance　in　Belgrave　Square。'
　　　　'Just　e　from　one；　'　said　Mulcaster。　'Too　early　for　the　Old　Hundredth。　I'll　stay　on　a　bit。　Things　may　cheer　up。'
　　　　'I　spit　on　you；'　said　Anthony。　'Let　me　talk　to　you；　Charles。'　We　took　a　bottle　and　our　glasses　and　found　a　er　in　another　room。　At　our　feet　five　members　of　the　'Black　Birds'　orchestra　squatted　on　their　heels　and　threw　dice。
　　　　'That　one；　'　said　Anthony；　'the　rather　pale　one；　my　dear；　conked　Mrs　Arnold　Frickheimer　the　other　morning　on　the　nut；　my　dear；　with　a　bottle　of　milk。'
　　　　Almost　immediately；　inevitably；　we　began　to　talk　of　Sebastian。
　　　　'My　dear；　he's　such　a　sot。　He　came　to　live　with　me　in　Marseille　last　year　when　you　threw　him　over；　and　really　it　was　as　much　as　I　could　stand。　Sip；　sip；　sip　like　a　dowager　all　day　long。　And　so　sly。　I　was　always　missing　little　things；　my　dear；　things　I　rather　liked；　once　I　lost　two　suits　that　had　arrived　from　Lesley　and　Roberts　that　morning。　Of　course；　I　didn't　know　it　was　Sebastian　…　there　were　some　rather　queer　fish；　my　dear；　in　and　out　of　my　little　apartment。　Who　knows　better　than　you　my　taste　for　queer　fish？　Well；　eventually；　my　dear；　we　found　the　pawnshop　where　Sebastian　was　p…p…popping　them　and　then　he　hadn't　got　the　tickets；　there　was　a　market　for　them；　too；　at　the　bistro。
　　　　'I　can　see　that　puritanical；　disapproving　look　in　your　eye；　dear　Charles；　as　though　you　thought　I　had　led　the　boy　on。　It's　one　of　Sebastian's　less　lovable　qualities　that　he　always　gives　the　impression　of　being　l…1…led　on　…　like　a　little　horse　at　a　circus。　But　I　assure　you　I　did　everything。　I　said　to　him　again　and　again；　〃Why　drink？　If　you　want　to　be　intoxicated　there　are　so　many　much　more　delicious　things。〃　I　took　him　to　quite　the　best　man；　well；　you　know　him　as　well　as　I　do；　Nada　Alopov　and　Jean　Luxmore　and　everyone　we　know　has　been　to　him　for　years　…　he's　always　in　the　Regina　Bar　…　and　then　we　had　trouble　over　that　because　Sebastian　gave　him　a　bad　cheque　…　a　s…s