some short stories-第2部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


being　educated？

Practically　and　inevitably；　for　the　time；　to　companionship；　to　the
perpetual；　the　even　exaggerated　reference　and　appeal　of　a　person
brought　to　dependence　by　his　time　of　life　and　his　infirmities　and
always　addicted　moreoverthis　was　the　exaggerationto　the　art　of
giving　you　pleasure　by　letting　you　do　things　for　him。　　There　were
certain　things　Mr。　Offord　was　capable　of　pretending　he　liked　you　to
do　even　when　he　didn'tthis；　I　mean；　if　he　thought　YOU　liked　them。
If　it　happened　that　you　didn't　eitherwhich　was　rare；　yet　might
beof　course　there　were　cross…purposes；　but　Brooksmith　was　there
to　prevent　their　going　very　far。　　This　was　precisely　the　way　he
acted　as　moderator；　he　averted　misunderstandings　or　cleared　them
up。　　He　had　been　capable；　strange　as　it　may　appear；　of　acquiring
for　this　purpose　an　insight　into　the　French　tongue；　which　was　often
used　at　Mr。　Offord's；　for　besides　being　habitual　to　most　of　the
foreigners；　and　they　were　many；　who　haunted　the　place　or　arrived
with　lettersletters　often　requiring　a　little　worried
consideration；　of　which　Brooksmith　always　had　cognisanceit　had
really　become　the　primary　language　of　the　master　of　the　house。　　I
don't　know　if　all　the　malentendus　were　in　French；　but　almost　all
the　explanations　were；　and　this　didn't　a　bit　prevent　Brooksmith's
following　them。　　I　know　Mr。　Offord　used　to　read　passages　to　him
from　Montaigne　and　Saint…Simon；　for　he　read　perpetually　when　alone…
…when　THEY　were　alone；　that　isand　Brooksmith　was　always　about。
Perhaps　you'll　say　no　wonder　Mr。　Offord's　butler　regarded　him　as
〃rather　mad。〃　　However；　if　I'm　not　sure　what　he　thought　about
Montaigne　I'm　convinced　he　admired　Saint…Simon。　　A　certain　feeling
for　letters　must　have　rubbed　off　on　him　from　the　mere　handling　of
his　master's　books；　which　he　was　always　carrying　to　and　fro　and
putting　back　in　their　places。

I　often　noticed　that　if　an　anecdote　or　a　quotation；　much　more　a
lively　discussion；　was　going　forward；　he　would；　if　busy　with　the
fire　or　the　curtains；　the　lamp　or　the　tea；　find　a　pretext　for
remaining　in　the　room　till　the　point　should　be　reached。　　If　his
purpose　was　to　catch　it　you　weren't　discreet；　you　were　in　fact
scarce　human；　to　call　him　off；　and　I　shall　never　forget　a　look；　a
hard　stony　stareI　caught　it　in　its　passagewhich；　one　day　when
there　were　a　good　many　people　in　the　room；　he　fastened　upon　the
footman　who　was　helping　him　in　the　service　and　who；　in　an
undertone；　had　asked　him　some　irrelevant　question。　　It　was　the　only
manifestation　of　harshness　I　ever　observed　on　Brooksmith's　part；
and　I　at　first　wondered　what　was　the　matter。　　Then　I　became
conscious　that　Mr。　Offord　was　relating　a　very　curious　anecdote；
never　before　perhaps　made　so　public；　and　imparted　to　the　narrator
by　an　eye…witness　of　the　fact；　bearing　on　Lord　Byron's　life　in
Italy。　　Nothing　would　induce　me　to　reproduce　it　here；　but
Brooksmith　had　been　in　danger　of　losing　it。　　If　I　ever　should
venture　to　reproduce　it　I　shall　feel　how　much　I　lose　in　not　having
my　fellow　auditor　to　refer　to。

The　first　day　Mr　Offord's　door　was　closed　was　therefore　a　dark　date
in　contemporary　history。　　It　was　raining　hard　and　my　umbrella　was
wet；　but　Brooksmith　received　it　from　me　exactly　as　if　this　were　a
preliminary　for　going　upstairs。　　I　observed　however　that　instead　of
putting　it　away　he　held　it　poised　and　trickling　over　the　rug；　and　I
then　became　aware　that　he　was　looking　at　me　with　deep　acknowledging
eyeshis　air　of　universal　responsibility。　　I　immediately
understoodthere　was　scarce　need　of　question　and　answer　as　they
passed　between　us。　　When　I　took　in　that　our　good　friend　had　given
up　as　never　before；　though　only　for　the　occasion；　I　exclaimed
dolefully：　　〃What　a　difference　it　will　makeand　to　how　many
people！〃

〃I　shall　be　one　of　them；　sir！〃　said　Brooksmith；　and　that　was　the
beginning　of　the　end。

Mr。　Offord　came　down　again；　but　the　spell　was　broken；　the　great
sign　being　that　the　conversation　was　for　the　first　time　not
directed。　　It　wandered　and　stumbled；　a　little　frightened；　like　a
lost　childit　had　let　go　the　nurse's　hand。　　〃The　worst　of　it　is
that　now　we　shall　talk　about　my　healthc'est　la　fin　de　tout；〃　Mr。
Offord　said　when　he　reappeared；　and　then　I　recognised　what　a　note
of　change　that　would　befor　he　had　never　tolerated　anything　so
provincial。　　We　〃ran〃　to　each　other's　health　as　little　as　to　the
daily　weather。　　The　talk　became　ours；　in　a　wordnot　his；　and　as
ours；　even　when　HE　talked；　it　could　only　be　inferior。　　In　this　form
it　was　a　distress　to　Brooksmith；　whose　attention　now　wandered　from
it　altogether：　　he　had　so　much　closer　a　vision　of　his　master's
intimate　conditions　than　our　superficialities　represented。　　There
were　better　hours；　and　he　was　more　in　and　out　of　the　room；　but　I
could　see　he　was　conscious　of　the　decline；　almost　of　the　collapse；
of　our　great　institution。　　He　seemed　to　wish　to　take　counsel　with
me　about　it；　to　feel　responsible　for　its　going　on　in　some　form　or
other。　　When　for　the　second　periodthe　first　had　lasted　several
dayshe　had　to　tell　me　that　his　employer　didn't　receive；　I　half
expected　to　hear　him　say　after　a　moment　〃Do　you　think　I　ought　to；
sir；　in　his　place？〃as　he　might　have　asked　me；　with　the　return　of
autumn；　if　I　thought　he　had　better　light　the　drawing…room　fire。

He　had　a　resigned　philosophic　sense　of　what　his　guestsour　guests；
as　I　came　to　regard　them　in　our　colloquieswould　expect。　　His
feeling　was　that　he　wouldn't　absolutely　have　approved　of　himself　as
a　substitute　for　Mr。　Offord；　but　he　was　so　saturated　with　the
religion　of　habit　that　he　would　have　made；　for　our　friends；　the
necessary　sacrifice　to　the　divinity。　　He　would　take　them　on　a
little　further　and　till　they　could　look　about　them。　　I　think　I　saw
him　also　mentally　confronted　with　the　opportunity　to　dealfor　once
in　his　lifewith　some　of　his　own　dumb　preferences；　his　limitations
of　sympathy；　WEEDING　a　little　in　prospect　and　returning　to　a　purer
tradition。　　It　was　not　unknown　to　me　that　he　considered　that　toward
the　end　of　our　host's　career　a　certain　laxity　of　selection　had
crept　in。

At　last　it　came　to　be　the　case　that　we　all　found　the　closed　door
more　often　than　the　open　one；　but　even　when　it　was　closed
Brooksmith　managed　a　crack　for　me　to　squeeze　through；　so　that
practically　I　never　turned　away　without　having　paid　a　visit。　　The
difference　simply　came　to　be　that　the　visit　was　to　Brooksmith。　　It
took　place　in　the　hall；　at　the　familiar　foot　of　the　stairs；　and　we
didn't　sit　down；　at　least　Brooksmith　didn't；　moreover　it　was
devoted　wholly　to　one　topic　and　always　had　the　air　of　being　already
overbeginning；　so　to　say；　at　the　end。　　But　it　was　always
interestingit　always　gave　me　something　to　think　about。　　It's　true
that　the　subject　of　my　meditation　was　ever　the　sameever　〃It's　all
very　well；　but　what　WILL　become　of　Brooksmith？〃　　Even　my　private
answer　to　this　question　left　me　still　unsatisfied。　　No　doubt　Mr。
Offord　would　provide　for　him；　but　WHAT　would　he　provide？that　was
the　great　point。　　He　couldn't　provide　society；　and　society　had
become　a　necessity　of　Brooksmith's　nature。　　I　must　add　that　he
never　showed　a　symptom　of　what　I　may　call　sordid　solicitude
anxiety　on　his　own　account。　　He　was　rather　livid　and　intensely
grave；　as　befitted　a　man　before　whose　eyes　the　〃shade　of　that　which
once　was　great〃　was　passing　away。　　He　had　the　solemnity　of　a　person
winding　up；　under　depressing　circumstances；　a　long…established　and
celebrated　business；　he　was　a　kind　of　social　executor　or
liquidator。　　But　his　manner　seemed　to　testify　exclusively　to　the
uncertainty　of　OUR　future。　　I　couldn't　in　those　days　have　afforded
itI　lived　in　two　rooms　in　Jermyn　Street　and　didn't　〃keep　a　man〃；
but　even　if　my　income　had　permitted　I　shouldn't　have　ventured　to
say　to　Brooksmith　（emulating　Mr。　Offord）　　〃My　dear　fellow；　I'll
take　you　on。〃　　The　whole　tone　of　our　intercourse　was　so　much　more
an　implication　that　it　was　I　who　should　now　want　a　lift。　　Indeed
there　was　a　tacit　assurance　in　Brooksmith's　whole　attitude　that　he
should　have　me　on　his　mind。

One　of　the　most　assiduous　members　of　our　circle　had　been　Lady
Kenyon；　and　I　remember　his　telling　me　one　day　that　her　ladyship　had
in　spite　of　her　own　infirmities；　lately　much　aggravated；　been　in
person　to　inquire。　　In　answer　to　this　I　remarked　that　she　would
feel　it　more　than　any　one。　　Brooksmith　had　a　pause　before　saying　in
a　certain　tonethere's　no　reproducing　some　of　his　tones〃I'll　go
and　see　her。〃　　I　went　to　see　her　myself　and　learned　he　had　waited
on　her；　but　when　I　said　to　her；　in　the　form　of　a　joke　but　with　a
core　of　earnest；　that　when　all　was　over　some　of　us　ought　to
combine；　to　club　together；　and　set　Brooksmith　up　on　his　own
account；　she　replied　a　trifle　disappointingly：　　〃Do　you　mean　in　a
public…house？〃　　I　looked　at　her　in　a　way　that　I　think　Brooksmith
himself　would　have　approved；　and　then　I　answered：　　〃Yes；　the　Offord
Arms。〃　　What　I　had　meant　of　course　was　that　for　the　love　of　art
itself　we　ought　to　look　to　it　that　such　a　peculiar　faculty　and　so
much　acquired　experience　shouldn't　be　wasted。　　I　really　think　that
if　we　had　caused　a　few　black…edged　cards　to　be　struck　off　and
circulated〃Mr。　Brooksmith　will　continue　to　receive　on　the　old
premises　from　four　to　seven；　business　carried　on　as　usual　during
the　alterations〃the　greater　number　of　us　would　have　rallied。

Several　times　he　took　me　upstairsalways　by　his　own　proposaland
our　dear　old　friend；　in　bed　（in　a　curious　flowered　and　brocaded
casaque　which　made　him；　especially　as　his　head　was　tied　up　in　a
handkerchief　to　match；　look；　to　my　imagination；　like　the　dying
Voltaire）　held　for　ten　minutes　a　sadly　shrunken　little　salon。　　I
felt　indeed　each　time　as　if　I　were　attending　the　last　coucher　of
some　social　sovereign。　　He　was　royally　whimsical　about　his
sufferings　and　not　at　all　concernedquite　as　if　the　Constitution
provided　for　the　case　about　his　successor。　　He　glided　over　OUR
sufferings　charmingly；　and　none　of　his　jokesit　was　a　gallant
abstention；　some　of　them　would　have　been　so　easywere　at　our
expense。　　Now　and　again；　I　confess；　there　was　one　at　Brooksmith's；
but　so　pathetically　sociable　as　to　make　the　excellent　man　look　at
me　in　a　way　that　seemed　to　say：　　〃Do　exchan