english stories-london-第16章

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kindly　of　me　and　acted　kindly　for　me。　The　other　night；　when　this

terrible　pain　came　over　me；　I　wished　you　were　near　me；　I　wished　to

hear　your　voice。　There　is　very　beautiful　music　in　your　voice。〃



〃I　would　have　come　to　you　gladly；〃　she　said；　smiling　quietly　at　him。

〃You　must　make　a　promise　that　when　you　feel　ill　again　you　will　send

for　me。　Then　you　will　see　what　a　splendid　nurse　I　am；　and　how　soon　you

will　become　strong　and　well　under　my　care；　strong　enough　to　paint　many

more　pictures；　each　one　better　than　the　last。　Now　will　you　promise？〃



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　and　he　raised　her　hand　reverently　to　his　lips。



〃You　are　not　angry　with　me　for　doing　that？〃　he　asked；　suddenly。　〃I

should　not　like　to　vex　you。〃



〃I　am　not　vexed；〃　she　answered；　kindly。



〃Then　perhaps　I　may　kiss　it　once　more？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　and　again　he　raised　her　hand　to　his　lips。



〃Thank　you；〃　he　said　quietly；　〃that　was　kind　of　you。　Do　you　see　that

broken　sun…ray　yonder？　Is　it　not　golden？　I　find　it　very　pleasant　to

sit　here；　and　I　am　quite　happy；　and　almost　free　from　pain。　Lately　I

have　been　troubled　with　a　dull　thudding　pain　near　my　heart；　but　now　I

feel　so　strong　that　I　believe　I　shall　finish　that　Andrea　del　Sarto

after　all。〃



〃Of　course　you　will；〃　she　answered；　cheerily；　〃and　I　shall　have　to

confess　that　yours　is　better　than　mine！　I　am　quite　willing　to　yield

the　palm　to　you。〃



〃I　must　alter　the　expression　of　the　mouth；〃　he　replied。　〃That　is　the

part　which　has　worried　me。　I　don't　think　I　told　you　that　I　have　had　a

commission　to　copy　Rembrandt's　'Old　Jew。'　I　must　set　to　work　on　that

next　week。〃



〃But　you　have　given　me　your　palette　and　brushes！〃　she　laughed。



〃You　must　be　generous　enough　to　lend　them　to　me；〃　he　said；　smiling。

〃By　the　way；　I　intend　to　give　you　my　books；　all　of　them。　Some　day　I

must　show　them　to　you。　I　especially　value　my　philosophical　books；　they

have　been　my　faithful　companions　through　many　years。　I　believe　you　do

not　read　Greek。　That　is　a　pity；　because　you　would　surely　enjoy

Aristotle。　I　think　I　must　teach　you　Greek；　it　would　be　an　agreeable

legacy　to　leave　you　when　I　pass　away　into　the　Great　Silence。〃



〃I　should　like　to　learn；〃　she　said；　wondering　to　hear　him　speak　so

unreservedly。　It　seemed　as　if　some　vast　barrier　had　been　rolled　aside；

and　as　if　she　were　getting　to　know　him　better；　having　been　allowed　to

glance　into　his　past　life；　to　sympathise　with　his　past　mistakes；　and

with　the　failure　of　his　ambitions；　and　with　the　deadening　of　his

heart。



〃You　must　read　AEschylus；〃　he　continued；　enthusiastically；　〃and；　if　I

mistake　not；　the　Agamemnon　will　be　an　epoch　in　your　life。　You　will

find　that　all　these　studies　will　serve　to　ennoble　your　art；　and　you

will　be　able　to　put　mind　into　your　work；　and　not　merely　form　and

colour。　Do　you　know；　I　feel　so　well　that　I　believe　I　shall　not　only

live　to　finish　Andrea　del　Sarto；　but　also　to　smoke　another　pipe？〃



〃You　have　been　too　rash　to…day；〃　she　laughed；　〃giving　away　your　pipe

and　pouch；　your　palette　and　brushes；　in　this　reckless　manner！　I　must

get　you　a　new　pipe　to…morrow。　I　wonder　you　did　not　part　with　your

venerable　Lucretius。〃



〃That　reminds　me；〃　he　said；　fumbling　in　his　pocket；　〃I　think　I　have

dropped　my　Lucretius。　I　fancy　I　left　it　somewhere　in　the　Poets'

Corner。　It　would　grieve　me　to　lose　that　book。〃



〃Let　me　go　and　look　for　it；〃　she　said；　and　she　advanced　a　few　steps；

and　then　came　back　to　him。



〃You　have　been　saying　many　kind　words　to　me；〃　she　said；　as　she　put　her

hand　on　his　arm；　〃and　I　have　not　told　you　that　I　value　your

friendship；　and　am　grateful　to　you　for　letting　me　be　more　than　a　mere

stranger　to　you。　I　have　been　very　lonely　in　my　life；　for　I　am　not　one

to　make　friends　easily；　and　it　has　been　a　great　privilege　to　me　to

talk　with　you。　I　want　you　to　know　this：　for　if　I　have　been　anything　to

you；　you　have　been　a　great　deal　to　me。　I　have　never　met　with　much

sympathy　from　those　of　my　own　age：　I　have　found　them　narrow　and

unyielding；　and　they　found　me　dull　and　uninteresting。　They　had　passed

through　few　experiences　and　knew　nothing　about　failure　or　success；　and

some　of　them　did　not　even　understand　the　earnestness　of　endeavour；　and

laughed　at　me　when　I　spoke　of　a　high　ideal。　So　I　withdrew　into　myself；

and　should　probably　have　grown　still　more　isolated　than　I　was　before；

but　that　I　met　you；　and；　as　time　went　on；　we　became　friends。　I　shall

always　remember　your　teaching；　and　I　will　try　to　keep　to　a　high　ideal

of　life　and　art　and　endeavour；　and　I　will　not　let　despair　creep　into

my　heart；　and　I　will　not　lose　my　faith　in　humanity。〃



As　she　spoke　a　lingering　ray　of　sunshine　lit　up　her　face　and　gently

caressed　her　soft　brown　hair；　slight　though　her　form；　sombre　her

clothes；　and　unlovely　her　features；　she　seemed　a　gracious　presence

because　of　her　earnestness。



〃Now；〃　she　said；　cheerily；　〃you　rest　here　until　I　come　back　with　your

Lucretius；　and　then　I　think　I　must　be　getting　on　my　way　home。　But　you

must　fix　a　time　for　our　first　Greek　lesson；　for　we　must　begin

to…morrow。〃



When　she　had　gone　he　walked　in　the　cloisters；　holding　his　hat　in　his

hand　and　his　stick　under　his　arm。　There　was　a　quiet　smile　on　his　face；

which　was　called　forth　by　pleasant　thoughts　in　his　mind；　and　he　did

not　look　quite　so　shrunken　and　shrivelled　as　usual。　His　eyes　were

fixed　on　the　ground；　but　he　raised　them；　and　observed　a　white　cat

creeping　toward　him。　It　came　and　rubbed　itself　against　his　foot；　and；

purring　with　all　its　might；　seemed　determined　to　win　some　kind　of

notice　from　him。　The　old　man　stooped　down　to　stroke　it；　and　was　just

touching　its　sleek　coat　when　he　suddenly　withdrew　his　hand　and　groaned

deeply。　He　struggled　to　the　recess；　and　sank　back。　The　stick　fell　on

the　stone　with　a　clatter；　and　the　battered　hat　rolled　down　beside　it；

and　the　white　cat　fled　away　in　terror；　but　realising　that　there　was　no

cause　for　alarm；　it　came　back　and　crouched　near　the　silent　figure　of

the　old　man；　watching　him　intently。　Then　it　stretched　out　its　paw　and

played　with　his　hand；　doing　its　utmost　to　coax　him　into　a　little　fun；

but　he　would　not　be　coaxed；　and　the　cat　lost　all　patience　with　him；

and　left　him　to　himself。







Meanwhile　Helen　Stanley　was　looking　for　the　lost　Lucretius　in　the

Poets'　Corner。　She　found　it　laying　near　Chaucer's　tomb；　and　was　just

going　to　take　it　to　her　friend　when　she　saw　the　workman　to　whom　they

had　spoken　in　Trafalgar　Square。　He　recognised　her　at　once；　and　came

toward　her。



〃I've　been　having　a　quiet　half…hour　here；〃　he　said。　〃It　does　me　a

sight　of　good　to　sit　in　the　abbey。〃



〃You　should　go　into　the　cloisters；〃　she　said；　kindly。　〃I　have　been

sitting　there　with　my　friend。　He　will　be　interested　to　hear　that　you

love　this　beautiful　abbey。〃



〃I　should　like　to　see　him　again；〃　said　the　workman。　〃He　had　a　kind　way

about　him；　and　that　pipe　he　gave　me　is　an　uncommon　good　one。　Still；　I

am　sorry　I　smashed　the　little　clay　pipe。　I'd　grown　used　to　it。　I'd

smoked　it　ever　since　my　little　girl　died　and　left　me　alone　in　the

world。　I　used　to　bring　my　little　girl　here；　and　now　I　come　alone。　But

it　isn't　the　same　thing。〃



〃No；　it　could　not　be　the　same　thing；〃　said　Helen；　gently。　〃But　you

find　some　comfort　here？〃



〃Some　little　comfort；〃　he　answered。　〃One　can't　expect　much。〃



They　went　together　into　the　cloisters；　and　as　they　came　near　the

recess　where　the　old　man　rested　Helen　said：



〃Why；　he　has　fallen　asleep！　He　must　have　been　very　tired。　And　he　has

dropped　his　hat　and　stick。　Thank　you。　If　you　will　put　them　down　there；

I　will　watch　by　his　side　until　he　wakes　up。　I　don't　suppose　he　will

sleep　for　long。〃



The　workman　stooped　down　to　pick　up　the　hat　and　stick；　and　glanced　at

the　sleeper。　Something　in　the　sleeper's　countenance　arrested　his

attention。　He　turned　to　the　girl；　and　saw　that　she　was　watching　him。



〃What　is　it？〃　she　asked　anxiously。　〃What　is　the　matter　with　you？〃



He　tried　to　speak；　but　his　voice　failed　him；　and　all　he　could　do　was

to　point　with　trembling　hand　to　the　old　man。



Helen　looked；　and　a　loud　cry　broke　from　her　lips。　The　old　man　was

dead。







THE　OMNIBUS



BY



QUILLER…COUCH







All　that　follows　was　spoken　in　a　small　tavern；　a　stone's　throw　from

Cheapside；　the　day　before　I　left　London。　It　was　spoken　in　a　dull

voice；　across　a　greasy　table…cloth；　and　amid　an　atmosphere　so　thick

with　the　reek　of　cooking　that　one　longed　to　change　it　for　the　torrid

street　again；　to　broil　in　an　ampler　furnace。　Old　Tom　Pickford　spoke

it；　who　has　been　a　clerk　for　fifty…two　years　in　Tweedy's　East　India

warehouse；　and　in　all　that　time　has　never　been　out　of　London；　but　when

he　takes　a　holiday　spends　it　in　hanging　about　Tweedy's；　and　observing

that　unlovely　place　of　business　from　the　outside。　The　dust；　if　not　the

iron；　of　Tweedy's　has　entered　into　his　soul；　and　Tweedy's　young　men

know　him　as　〃the　Mastodon。〃　He　is　a　thin；　bald　septuagenarian；　with

sloping　shoulders；　and　a　habit　of　regarding　the　pavement　when　he

walks；　so　that　he　seems　to　steer　his　way　by　instinct　rather　than

sight。　In　general　he　keeps　silence　while　eating　his　chop；　and　on　this

occasion　there　was　something　unnatural　in　his　utterance；　a　divorce　of

manner　between　the　speaker　and　his　words；　such　as　one　would　expect　in

a　sibyl　disclaiming　under　stress　of　the　god。　I　fancied　it　had

something　to　do　with　a　black　necktie　that　he　wore　instead　of　the　blue

bird's…eye　cravat　familiar　to　Tweedy's；　and　with　his　extraordinary

conduct　in　refusing　to…day　the　chop　that　the　waiter　brought；　and

limiting　his　lunch　to　cheese　and　lettuce。



Having　pulled　the　lettuce　to　pieces；　he　pushed　himself　back　a　little

from　the　table；　looked　over　his　spectacles　at　me；　then　at　the　table…

cloth；　and　began　in　a　dreamy　voice：



〃Old　Gabriel　is　dead。　I　heard　the　news　at　the　office　this　morning；　and

went　out　and　bought　a　black　tie。　I　am　the　oldest　man　in　Tweedy's　now

older　by　six　years　than　Sam　Collins；　who　comes　next；　so　there　is　no

mistake　about　it。　Sam　is　looking　for　the　place；　I　saw　it　in　his　eye

when　he　told　me；　and　I　expect　he'll　get　it。　But　I'm　the　oldest　clerk

in　Tweedy's。　Only　God　Almighty　can　alter　that；　and　it's　very

satisfactory　to　me。　I　don't　care　about　the　money。　Sam　Collins　will　be

stuck　up　over　it；　like　enough；　but　he'll　never　write　a　hand　like

Gabriel's；　not　if　he　lives　to　be　a　hundred；　and　he　knows　it；　and　knows

I'll　be　there　to　remind　him　of　it。　Gabriel's　was　a　beautiful　fistso

small；　too；　if　he　chose。　Why；　once；　in　his　spare　hours；　he　wrote　out

all　the　Psalms；　with　the　headings；　on　one　side　of　a　folio　sheet；　and

had　it　framed　and　hung　up　in　his　parlour；　out　at　Shepherd's　Bush。　He

died　in　the　nightoh　yes；　quite　easily。　He　was　down　at　the　office　all

yesterday；　and　spoke　to　me　as　brisk　as　a　bird。　They　found　him　dead　in

his　bed　this　morning。



〃I　seem　cut　up　about　it？　Well；　not　exactly。　Ah；　you　no