the unbearable bassington-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



sunshade　and　gloves　and　other　impedimenta　from　the　hands　of　

obsequious　attendants。



〃Yes；〃　said　Youghal；　〃and　he　seemed　quite　crestfallen　when　I　had　to　

say　'no。'〃



〃It　would　be　horrid　to　disappoint　him　when　he's　looked　after　us　so　

charmingly；〃　said　Elaine；　〃tell　him　that　we　are。〃







CHAPTER　X







THE　Rutland　Galleries　were　crowded；　especially　in　the　neighbourhood　

of　the　tea…buffet；　by　a　fashionable　throng　of　art…patrons　which　had　

gathered　to　inspect　Mervyn　Quentock's　collection　of　Society　

portraits。　　Quentock　was　a　young　artist　whose　abilities　were　just　

receiving　due　recognition　from　the　critics；　that　the　recognition　

was　not　overdue　he　owed　largely　to　his　perception　of　the　fact　that　

if　one　hides　one's　talent　under　a　bushel　one　must　be　careful　to　

point　out　to　everyone　the　exact　bushel　under　which　it　is　hidden。　　

There　are　two　manners　of　receiving　recognition：　one　is　to　be　

discovered　so　long　after　one's　death　that　one's　grandchildren　have　

to　write　to　the　papers　to　establish　their　relationship；　the　other　

is　to　be　discovered；　like　the　infant　Moses；　at　the　very　outset　of　

one's　career。　　Mervyn　Quentock　had　chosen　the　latter　and　happier　

manner。　　In　an　age　when　many　aspiring　young　men　strive　to　advertise　

their　wares　by　imparting　to　them　a　freakish　imbecility；　Quentock　

turned　out　work　that　was　characterised　by　a　pleasing　delicate　

restraint；　but　he　contrived　to　herald　his　output　with　a　certain　

fanfare　of　personal　eccentricity；　thereby　compelling　an　attention　

which　might　otherwise　have　strayed　past　his　studio。　　In　appearance　

he　was　the　ordinary　cleanly　young　Englishman；　except；　perhaps；　that　

his　eyes　rather　suggested　a　library　edition　of　the　Arabian　Nights；　

his　clothes　matched　his　appearance　and　showed　no　taint　of　the　

sartorial　disorder　by　which　the　bourgeois　of　the　garden…city　and　

the　Latin　Quarter　anxiously　seeks　to　proclaim　his　kinship　with　art　

and　thought。　　His　eccentricity　took　the　form　of　flying　in　the　face　

of　some　of　the　prevailing　social　currents　of　the　day；　but　as　a　

reactionary；　never　as　a　reformer。　　He　produced　a　gasp　of　admiring　

astonishment　in　fashionable　circles　by　refusing　to　paint　actresses　

…　except；　of　course；　those　who　had　left　the　legitimate　drama　to　

appear　between　the　boards　of　Debrett。　　He　absolutely　declined　to　

execute　portraits　of　Americans　unless　they　hailed　from　certain　

favoured　States。　　His　〃water…colour…line；〃　as　a　New　York　paper　

phrased　it；　earned　for　him　a　crop　of　angry　criticisms　and　a　shoal　

of　Transatlantic　commissions；　and　criticism　and　commissions　were　

the　things　that　Quentock　most　wanted。



〃Of　course　he　is　perfectly　right；〃　said　Lady　Caroline　Benaresq；　

calmly　rescuing　a　piled…up　plate　of　caviare　sandwiches　from　the　

neighbourhood　of　a　trio　of　young　ladies　who　had　established　

themselves　hopefully　within　easy　reach　of　it。　　〃Art；〃　she　

continued；　addressing　herself　to　the　Rev。　Poltimore　Vardon；　〃has　

always　been　geographically　exclusive。　　London　may　be　more　important　

from　most　points　of　view　than　Venice；　but　the　art　of　portrait　

painting；　which　would　never　concern　itself　with　a　Lord　Mayor；　

simply　grovels　at　the　feet　of　the　Doges。　　As　a　Socialist　I'm　bound　

to　recognise　the　right　of　Ealing　to　compare　itself　with　Avignon；　

but　one　cannot　expect　the　Muses　to　put　the　two　on　a　level。〃



〃Exclusiveness；〃　said　the　Reverend　Poltimore；　〃has　been　the　

salvation　of　Art；　just　as　the　lack　of　it　is　proving　the　downfall　of　

religion。　　My　colleagues　of　the　cloth　go　about　zealously　

proclaiming　the　fact　that　Christianity；　in　some　form　or　other；　is　

attracting　shoals　of　converts　among　all　sorts　of　races　and　tribes；　

that　one　had　scarcely　ever　heard　of；　except　in　reviews　of　books　of　

travel　that　one　never　read。　　That　sort　of　thing　was　all　very　well　

when　the　world　was　more　sparsely　populated；　but　nowadays；　when　it　

simply　teems　with　human　beings；　no　one　is　particularly　impressed　by　

the　fact　that　a　few　million；　more　or　less；　of　converts；　of　a　low　

stage　of　mental　development；　have　accepted　the　teachings　of　some　

particular　religion。　　It　not　only　chills　one's　enthusiasm；　it　

positively　shakes　one's　convictions　when　one　hears　that　the　things　

one　has　been　brought　up　to　believe　as　true　are　being　very　

favourably　spoken　of　by　Buriats　and　Samoyeds　and　Kanakas。〃



The　Rev。　Poltimore　Vardon　had　once　seen　a　resemblance　in　himself　to　

Voltaire；　and　had　lived　alongside　the　comparison　ever　since。



〃No　modern　cult　or　fashion；〃　he　continued；　〃would　be　favourably　

influenced　by　considerations　based　on　statistics；　fancy　adopting　a　

certain　style　of　hat　or　cut　of　coat；　because　it　was　being　largely　

worn　in　Lancashire　and　the　Midlands；　fancy　favouring　a　certain　

brand　of　champagne　because　it　was　being　extensively　patronised　in　

German　summer　resorts。　　No　wonder　that　religion　is　falling　into　

disuse　in　this　country　under　such　ill…directed　methods。〃



〃You　can't　prevent　the　heathen　being　converted　if　they　choose　to　

be；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃this　is　an　age　of　toleration。〃



〃You　could　always　deny　it；〃　said　the　Rev。　Poltimore；　〃like　the　

Belgians　do　with　regrettable　occurrences　in　the　Congo。　　But　I　would　

go　further　than　that。　　I　would　stimulate　the　waning　enthusiasm　for　

Christianity　in　this　country　by　labelling　it　as　the　exclusive　

possession　of　a　privileged　few。　　If　one　could　induce　the　Duchess　of　

Pelm；　for　instance；　to　assert　that　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven；　as　far　as　

the　British　Isles　are　concerned；　is　strictly　limited　to　herself；　

two　of　the　under…gardeners　at　Pelmby；　and；　possibly；　but　not　

certainly；　the　Dean　of　Dunster；　there　would　be　an　instant　reshaping　

of　the　popular　attitude　towards　religious　convictions　and　

observances。　　Once　let　the　idea　get　about　that　the　Christian　Church　

is　rather　more　exclusive　than　the　Lawn　at　Ascot；　and　you　would　have　

a　quickening　of　religious　life　such　as　this　generation　has　never　

witnessed。　　But　as　long　as　the　clergy　and　the　religious　

organisations　advertise　their　creed　on　the　lines　of　'Everybody　

ought　to　believe　in　us：　millions　do；'　one　can　expect　nothing　but　

indifference　and　waning　faith。〃



〃Time　is　just　as　exclusive　in　its　way　as　Art；〃　said　Lady　Caroline。



〃In　what　way？〃　said　the　Reverend　Poltimore。



〃Your　pleasantries　about　religion　would　have　sounded　quite　clever　

and　advanced　in　the　early　'nineties。　　To…day　they　have　a　dreadfully　

warmed…up　flavour。　　That　is　the　great　delusion　of　you　would…be　

advanced　satirists；　you　imagine　you　can　sit　down　comfortably　for　a　

couple　of　decades　saying　daring　and　startling　things　about　the　age　

you　live　in；　which；　whatever　other　defects　it　may　have；　is　

certainly　not　standing　still。　　The　whole　of　the　Sherard　Blaw　school　

of　discursive　drama　suggests；　to　my　mind；　Early　Victorian　furniture　

in　a　travelling　circus。　　However；　you　will　always　have　relays　of　

people　from　the　suburbs　to　listen　to　the　Mocking　Bird　of　yesterday；　

and　sincerely　imagine　it　is　the　harbinger　of　something　new　and　

revolutionising。〃



〃WOULD　you　mind　passing　that　plate　of　sandwiches；〃　asked　one　of　the　

trio　of　young　ladies；　emboldened　by　famine。



〃With　pleasure；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　deftly　passing　her　a　nearly　

empty　plate　of　bread…and…butter。



〃I　meant　the　place　of　caviare　sandwiches。　　So　sorry　to　trouble　

you；〃　persisted　the　young　lady



Her　sorrow　was　misapplied；　Lady　Caroline　had　turned　her　attention　

to　a　newcomer。



〃A　very　interesting　exhibition；〃　Ada　Spelvexit　was　saying；　

〃faultless　technique；　as　far　as　I　am　a　judge　of　technique；　and　

quite　a　master…touch　in　the　way　of　poses。　　But　have　you　noticed　how　

very　animal　his　art　is？　　He　seems　to　shut　out　the　soul　from　his　

portraits。　　I　nearly　cried　when　I　saw　dear　Winifred　depicted　simply　

as　a　good…looking　healthy　blonde。〃



〃I　wish　you　had；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃the　spectacle　of　a　strong；　

brave　woman　weeping　at　a　private　view　in　the　Rutland　Galleries　

would　have　been　so　sensational。　　It　would　certainly　have　been　

reproduced　in　the　next　Drury　Lane　drama。　　And　I'm　so　unlucky；　I　

never　see　these　sensational　events。　　I　was　ill　with　appendicitis；　

you　know；　when　Lulu　Braminguard　dramatically　forgave　her　husband；　

after　seventeen　years　of　estrangement；　during　a　State　luncheon　

party　at　Windsor。　　The　old　queen　was　furious　about　it。　　She　said　it　

was　so　disrespectful　to　the　cook　to　be　thinking　of　such　a　thing　at　

such　a　time。〃



Lady　Caroline's　recollections　of　things　that　hadn't　happened　at　the　

Court　of　Queen　Victoria　were　notoriously　vivid；　it　was　the　very　

widespread　fear　that　she　might　one　day　write　a　book　of　

reminiscences　that　made　her　so　universally　respected。



〃As　for　his　full…length　picture　of　Lady　Brickfield；〃　continued　Ada；　

ignoring　Lady　Caroline's　commentary　as　far　as　possible；　〃all　the　

expression　seems　to　have　been　deliberately　concentrated　in　the　

feet；　beautiful　feet；　no　doubt；　but　still；　hardly　the　most　

distinctive　part　of　a　human　being。〃



〃To　paint　the　right　people　at　the　wrong　end　may　be　an　eccentricity；　

but　it　is　scarcely　an　indiscretion；〃　pronounced　Lady　Caroline。



One　of　the　portraits　which　attracted　more　than　a　passing　flutter　of　

attention　was　a　costume　study　of　Francesca　Bassington。　　Francesca　

had　secured　some　highly　desirable　patronage　for　the　young　artist；　

and　in　return　he　had　enriched　her　pantheon　of　personal　possessions　

with　a　clever　piece　of　work　into　which　he　had　thrown　an　unusual　

amount　of　imaginative　detail。　　He　had　painted　her　in　a　costume　of　

the　great　Louis's　brightest　period；　seated　in　front　of　a　tapestry　

that　was　so　prominent　in　the　composition　that　it　could　scarcely　be　

said　to　form　part　of　the　background。　　Flowers　and　fruit；　in　exotic　

profusion；　were　its　dominant　note；　quinces；　pomegranates；　passion…

flowers；　giant　convolvulus；　great　mauve…pink　roses；　and　grapes　that　

were　already　being　pressed　by　gleeful　cupids　in　a　riotous　Arcadian　

vintage；　stood　out　on　its　woven　texture。　　The　same　note　was　struck　

in　the　beflowered　satin　of　the　lady's　kirtle；　and　in　the　

pomegranate　pattern　of　the　brocade　that　draped　the　couch　on　which　

she　was　seated。　　The　artist　had　called　his　picture　〃Recolte。〃　　And　

after　one　had　taken　in　all　the　details　of　fruit　and　flower　and　

foliage　that　earned　the　composition　its　name；　one　noted　the　

landscape　that　showed　through　a　broad　casement　in　the　left…hand　

corner。　　It　was　a　landscape　clutched　in　the　grip　of　winter；　naked；　

bleak；　black…frozen；　a　winter　in　which　things　died　and　knew　no　

rewakening。　　If　the　picture　typified　harvest；　it　was　a　harvest　of　

artificial　growth。



〃It　leaves　a　great　deal　to　the　imagination；　doesn't　it？〃　said　Ada　

Spelvexit；　who　had　edged　away　from　the　range　of　Lady　Caroline's　

tongue。



〃At　any　rate　one　can　tell　who　it's　meant　for；〃　said　Serena　

Golackly。



〃Oh；　yes；　it's　a　good　likeness　of　dear　Francesca；〃　admitted　Ada；　

〃of　course；　it　flatters