第10章
加入书架 A- A+
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  Tosleeplikethatchild!Hepressedaparttworungsofthevenetianblindandlookedout。Themoonwasrising,blood-red。Hehadneverseensoredamoon。Thewoodsandfieldsoutthereweredroppingtosleeptoo,inthelastglimmerofthesummerlight。

  Andbeauty,likeaspirit,walked。’I’vehadalonglife,’hethought,’thebestofnearlyeverything。I’manungratefulchap;

  I’veseenalotofbeautyinmytime。PooryoungBosinneysaidI

  hadasenseofbeauty。There’samaninthemoonto-night!’A

  mothwentby,another,another。’Ladiesingrey!’Heclosedhiseyes。Afeelingthathewouldneveropenthemagainbesethim;heletitgrow,lethimselfsink;then,withashiver,draggedthelidsup。Therewassomethingwrongwithhim,nodoubt,deeplywrong;hewouldhavetohavethedoctorafterall。Itdidn’tmuchmatternow!Intothatcoppicethemoon-lightwouldhavecrept;

  therewouldbeshadows,andthoseshadowswouldbetheonlythingsawake。Nobirds,beasts,flowers,insects;Justtheshadows——

  moving;’Ladiesingrey!’Overthatlogtheywouldclimb;wouldwhispertogether。SheandBosinney!Funnythought!Andthefrogsandlittlethingswouldwhispertoo!Howtheclockticked,inhere!Itwasalleerie-outthereinthelightofthatredmoon;inherewiththelittlesteadynight-lightand,thetickingclockandthenurse’sdressing-gownhangingfromtheedgeofthescreen,tall,likeawoman’sfigure。’Ladyingrey!’Andaveryoddthoughtbesethim:Didsheexist?Hadsheevercomeatall?Orwasshebuttheemanationofallthebeautyhehadlovedandmustleavesosoon?Theviolet-greyspiritwiththedarkeyesandthecrownofamberhair,whowalksthedawnandthemoonlight,andatblue-belltime?Whatwasshe,whowasshe,didsheexist?Heroseandstoodamomentclutchingthewindow-sill,togivehimasenseofrealityagain;thenbegantiptoeingtowardsthedoor。Hestoppedatthefootofthebed;andHolly,asifconsciousofhiseyesfixedonher,stirred,sighed,andcurledupcloserindefence。Hetiptoedonandpassedoutintothedarkpassage;

  reachedhisroom,undressedatonce,andstoodbeforeamirrorinhisnight-shirt。Whatascarecrow——withtemplesfallenin,andthinlegs!Hiseyesresistedhisownimage,andalookofpridecameonhisface。Allwasinleaguetopullhimdown,evenhisreflectionintheglass,buthewasnotdown——yet!Hegotintobed,andlayalongtimewithoutsleeping,tryingtoreachresignation,onlytoowellawarethatfrettinganddisappointmentwereverybadforhim。HewokeinthemorningsounrefreshedandstrengthIessthathesentforthedoctor。Aftersoundinghim,thefellowpulledafaceaslongasyourarm,andorderedhimtostayinbedandgiveupsmoking。Thatwasnohardship;therewasnothingtogetupfor,andwhenhefeltill,tobaccoalwayslostitssavour。Hespentthemorninglanguidlywiththesun-blindsdown,turningandre-turningTheTimes,notreadingmuch,thedogBalthasarlyingbesidehisbed。Withhislunchtheybroughthimatelegram,runningthus:

  ’Yourletterreceivedcomingdownthisafternoonwillbewithyouatfour-thirty。Irene。’

  Comingdown!Afterall!Thenshedidexist——andhewasnotdeserted。Comingdown!Aglowranthroughhislimbs;hischeeksandforeheadfelthot。Hedrankhissoup,andpushedthetray-

  tableaway,lyingveryquietuntiltheyhadremovedlunchandlefthimalone;buteverynowandthenhiseyestwinkled。Comingdown!

  Hisheartbeatfast,andthendidnotseemtobeatatall。Atthreeo’clockhegotupanddresseddeliberately,noiselessly。

  HollyandMam’zellewouldbeintheschoolroom,andtheservantsasleepaftertheirdinner,heshouldn’twonder。Heopenedhisdoorcautiously,andwentdownstairs。InthehallthedogBalthasarlaysolitary,and,followedbyhim,oldJolyonpassedintohisstudyandoutintotheburningafternoon。Hemeanttogodownandmeetherinthecoppice,butfeltatoncehecouldnotmanagethatinthisheat。Hesatdowninsteadundertheoaktreebytheswing,andthedogBalthasar,whoalsofelttheheat,laydownbesidehim。

  Hesattheresmiling。Whatarevelofbrightminutes!Whatahumofinsects,andcooingofpigeons!Itwasthequintessenceofasummerday。Lovely!Andhewashappy——happyasasand-boy,what-

  everthatmightbe。Shewascoming;shehadnotgivenhimup!Hehadeverythinginlifehewanted——exceptalittlemorebreath,andlessweight——justhere!Hewouldseeherwhensheemergedfromthefernery,comeswayingjustalittle,aviolet-greyfigurepassingoverthedaisiesanddandelionsand’soldiers’onthelawn——thesoldierswiththeirflowerycrowns。Hewouldnotmove,butshewouldcomeuptohimandsay:’DearUncleJolyon,Iamsorry!’andsitintheswingandlethimlookatherandtellherthathehadnotbeenverywellbutwasallrightnow;andthatdogwouldlickherhand。Thatdogknewhismasterwasfondofher;thatdogwasagooddog。

  Itwasquiteshadyunderthetree;thesuncouldnotgetathim,onlymaketherestoftheworldbrightsothathecouldseetheGrandStandatEpsomawayoutthere,veryfar,andthecowscrop-

  pingthecloverinthefieldandswishingattheflieswiththeirtails。Hesmelledthescentoflimes,andlavender。Ah!thatwaswhytherewassucharacketofbees。Theywereexcited——busy,ashisheartwasbusyandexcited。Drowsy,too,drowsyanddruggedonhoneyandhappiness;ashisheartwasdruggedanddrowsy。Summer——

  summer——theyseemedsaying;greatbeesandlittlebees,andthefliestoo!

  Thestableclockstruckfour;inhalfanhourshewouldbehere。

  Hewouldhavejustonetinynap,becausehehadhadsolittlesleepoflate;andthenhewouldbefreshforher,freshforyouthandbeauty,comingtowardshimacrossthesunlitlawn——ladyingrey!

  Andsettlingbackinhischairheclosedhiseyes。Somethistle-

  downcameonwhatlittleairtherewas,andpitchedonhismoustachemorewhitethanitself。Hedidnotknow;buthisbreathingstirredit,caughtthere。Arayofsunlightstruckthroughandlodgedonhisboot。Abumble-beealightedandstrolledonthecrownofhisPanamahat。Andthedelicioussurgeofslumberreachedthebrainbeneaththathat,andtheheadswayedforwardandrestedonhisbreast。Summer——summer!Sowentthehum。

  Thestableclockstruckthequarterpast。ThedogBalthasarstretchedandlookedupathismaster。Thethistledownnolongermoved。Thedogplacedhischinoverthesunlitfoot。Itdidnotstir。Thedogwithdrewhischinquickly,rose,andleapedonoldJolyon’slap,lookedinhisface,whined;then,leapingdown,satonhishaunches,gazingup。Andsuddenlyheutteredalong,longhowl。

  Butthethistledownwasstillasdeath,andthefaceofhisoldmaster。

  Summer——summer——summer!Thesoundlessfootstepsonthegrass!

  1917

  INCHANCERY

  Twohouseholdsbothalikeindignity,>Fromancientgrudge,breakintonewmutiny——

  RomeoandJulietTOJESSIEANDJOSEPHCONRAD

  PART1

  CHAPTERI

  ATTIMOTHY’S

  Thepossessiveinstinctneverstandsstill。Throughflorescenceandfeud,frostsandfires,itfollowedthelawsofprogressionevenintheForsytefamilywhichhadbelieveditfixedforever。

  Norcanitbedissociatedfromenvironmentanymorethanthequalityofpotatofromthesoil。

  ThehistorianoftheEnglisheightiesandninetieswill,inhisgoodtime,depictthesomewhatrapidprogressionfromself-

  contentedandcontainedprovincialismtostillmoreself-contentediflesscontainedimperialism——inotherwords,the’possessive’

  instinctofthenationonthemove。Andso,asifinconformity,wasitwiththeForsytefamily。Theywerespreadingnotmerelyonthesurface,butwithin。

  When,in1895,SusanHayman,themarriedForsytesister,followedherhusbandattheludicrouslylowageofseventy-four,andwascremated,itmadestrangelylittlestiramongthesixoldForsytesleft。Forthisapathytherewerethreecauses。First:thealmostsurreptitiousburialofoldJolyonin1892downatRobinHill——

  firstoftheForsytestodesertthefamilygraveatHighgate。Thatburial,comingayearafterSwithin’sentirelyproperfuneral,hadoccasionedagreatdealoftalkonForsyte’Change,theabodeofTimothyForsyteontheBayswaterRoad,London,whichstillcol-

  lectedandradiatedfamilygossip。OpinionsrangedfromthelamentationofAuntJuleytotheoutspokenassertionofFranciethatitwas’ajollygoodthingtostopallthatstuffyHighgatebusiness。’UncleJolyoninhislateryears——indeed,eversincethestrangeandlamentableaffairbetweenhisgranddaughterJune’slover,youngBosinney,andIrene,hisnephewSoamesForsyte’swife——

  hadnoticeablyrappedthefamily’sknuckles;andthatwayofhisownwhichhehadalwaystakenhadbeguntoseemtothemalittlewayward。Thephilosophicveininhim,ofcourse,hadalwaysbeentooliabletocropoutofthestrataofpureForsyteism,sotheywereinawaypreparedforhisintermentinastrangespot。Butthewholethingwasanoddbusiness,andwhenthecontentsofhisWillbecamecurrentcoinonForsyte’Change,ashiverhadgoneroundtheclan。OutofhisestateL145,304gross,withliabilitiesL357s。4d。hehadactuallyleftL15,000to”whomeverdoyouthink,mydear?ToIrene!”thatrunawaywifeofhisnephewSoames;Irene,awomanwhohadalmostdisgracedthefamily,and

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