the glimpses of the moon-第10部分

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fashion；　that　summer；　to　pop　down　to　Venice　and　take　a　look　at

the　Lansings。　　Streffy　had　set　the　example；　and　Streffy's

example　was　always　followed。　　And　then　Susy's　marriage　was　still

a　subject　of　sympathetic　speculation。　　People　knew　the　story　of

the　wedding　cheques；　and　were　interested　in　seeing　how　long　they

could　be　made　to　last。　　It　was　going　to　be　the　thing；　that　year；

to　help　prolong　the　honey…moon　by　pressing　houses　on　the

adventurous　couple。　　Before　June　was　over　a　band　of　friends　were

basking　with　the　Lansings　on　the　Lido。



Nick　found　himself　unexpectedly　disturbed　by　their　arrival。　　To

avoid　comment　and　banter　he　put　his　book　aside　and　forbade　Susy

to　speak　of　it；　explaining　to　her　that　he　needed　an　interval　of

rest。　　His　wife　instantly　and　exaggeratedly　adopted　this　view；

guarding　him　from　the　temptation　to　work　as　jealously　as　she　had

discouraged　him　from　idling；　and　he　was　careful　not　to　let　her

find　out　that　the　change　in　his　habits　coincided　with　his　having

reached　a　difficult　point　in　his　book。　　But　though　he　was　not

sorry　to　stop　writing　he　found　himself　unexpectedly　oppressed　by

the　weight　of　his　leisure。　　For　the　first　time　communal　dawdling

had　lost　its　charm　for　him；　not　because　his　fellow　dawdlers　were

less　congenial　than　of　old；　but　because　in　the　interval　he　had

known　something　so　immeasurably　better。　　He　had　always　felt

himself　to　be　the　superior　of　his　habitual　associates；　but　now

the　advantage　was　too　great：　　really；　in　a　sense；　it　was　hardly

fair　to　them。



He　had　flattered　himself　that　Susy　would　share　this　feeling；　but

he　perceived　with　annoyance　that　the　arrival　of　their　friends

heightened　her　animation。　　It　was　as　if　the　inward　glow　which

had　given　her　a　new　beauty　were　now　refracted　upon　her　by　the

presence　of　the　very　people　they　had　come　to　Venice　to　avoid。



Lansing　was　vaguely　irritated；　and　when　he　asked　her　how　she

liked　being　with　their　old　crowd　again　his　irritation　was

increased　by　her　answering　with　a　laugh　that　she　only　hoped　the

poor　dears　didn't　see　too　plainly　how　they　bored　her。　　The

patent　insincerity　of　the　reply　was　a　shock　to　Lansing。　　He　knew

that　Susy　was　not　really　bored；　and　he　understood　that　she　had

simply　guessed　his　feelings　and　instinctively　adopted　them：

that　henceforth　she　was　always　going　to　think　as　he　thought。　　To

confirm　this　fear　he　said　carelessly：　　〃Oh；　all　the　same；　it's

rather　jolly　knocking　about　with　them　again　for　a　bit；〃　and　she

answered　at　once；　and　with　equal　conviction：　　〃Yes；　isn't　it？

The　old　darlingsall　the　same！〃



A　fear　of　the　future　again　laid　its　cold　touch　on　Lansing。

Susy's　independence　and　self…sufficiency　had　been　among　her

chief　attractions；　if　she　were　to　turn　into　an　echo　their

delicious　duet　ran　the　risk　of　becoming　the　dullest　of

monologues。　　He　forgot　that　five　minutes　earlier　he　had　resented

her　being　glad　to　see　their　friends；　and　for　a　moment　he　found

himself　leaning　dizzily　over　that　insoluble　riddle　of　the

sentimental　life：　　that　to　be　differed　with　is　exasperating；　and

to　be　agreed　with　monotonous。



Once　more　he　began　to　wonder　if　he　were　not　fundamentally

unfitted　for　the　married　state；　and　was　saved　from　despair　only

by　remembering　that　Susy's　subjection　to　his　moods　was　not

likely　to　last。　　But　even　then　it　never　occurred　to　him　to

reflect　that　his　apprehensions　were　superfluous；　since　their　tie

was　avowedly　a　temporary　one。　　Of　the　special　understanding　on

which　their　marriage　had　been　based　not　a　trace　remained　in　his

thoughts　of　her；　the　idea　that　he　or　she　might　ever　renounce

each　other　for　their　mutual　good　had　long　since　dwindled　to　the

ghost　of　an　old　joke。



It　was　borne　in　on　him；　after　a　week　or　two　of　unbroken

sociability；　that　of　all　his　old　friends　it　was　the　Mortimer

Hickses　who　bored　him　the　least。　　The　Hickses　had　left　the　Ibis

for　an　apartment　in　a　vast　dilapidated　palace　near　the

Canareggio。　　They　had　hired　the　apartment　from　a　painter　（one　of

their　newest　discoveries）；　and　they　put　up　philosophically　with

the　absence　of　modern　conveniences　in　order　to　secure　the

inestimable　advantage　of　〃atmosphere。〃　　In　this　privileged　air

they　gathered　about　them　their　usual　mixed　company　of　quiet

studious　people　and　noisy　exponents　of　new　theories；　themselves

totally　unconscious　of　the　disparity　between　their　different

guests；　and　beamingly　convinced　that　at　last　they　were　seated　at

the　source　of　wisdom。



In　old　days　Lansing　would　have　got　half　an　hour's　amusement；

followed　by　a　long　evening　of　boredom；　from　the　sight　of　Mrs。

Hicks；　vast　and　jewelled；　seated　between　a　quiet…looking

professor　of　archaeology　and　a　large…browed　composer；　or　the

high　priest　of　a　new　dance…step；　while　Mr。　Hicks；　beaming　above

his　vast　white　waistcoat；　saw　to　it　that　the　champagne　flowed

more　abundantly　than　the　talk；　and　the　bright　young　secretaries

industriously　〃kept　up〃　with　the　dizzy　cross…current　of　prophecy

and　erudition。　　But　a　change　had　come　over　Lansing。　　Hitherto　it

was　in　contrast　to　his　own　friends　that　the　Hickses　had　seemed

most　insufferable；　now　it　was　as　an　escape　from　these　same

friends　that　they　had　become　not　only　sympathetic　but　even

interesting。　　It　was　something；　after　all；　to　be　with　people　who

did　not　regard　Venice　simply　as　affording　exceptional

opportunities　for　bathing　and　adultery；　but　who　were　reverently

if　confusedly　aware　that　they　were　in　the　presence　of　something

unique　and　ineffable；　and　determined　to　make　the　utmost　of　their

privilege。



〃After　all；〃　he　said　to　himself　one　evening；　as　his　eyes

wandered；　with　somewhat　of　a　convalescent's　simple　joy；　from　one

to　another　of　their　large　confiding　faces；　〃after　all；　they've

got　a　religion　。。。。〃　　The　phrase　struck　him；　in　the　moment　of

using　it；　as　indicating　a　new　element　in　his　own　state　of　mind；

and　as　being；　in　fact；　the　key　to　his　new　feeling　about　the

Hickses。　　Their　muddled　ardour　for　great　things　was　related　to

his　own　new　view　of　the　universe：　　the　people　who　felt；　however

dimly；　the　wonder　and　weight　of　life　must　ever　after　be　nearer

to　him　than　those　to　whom　it　was　estimated　solely　by　one's

balance　at　the　bank。　　He　supposed；　on　reflexion；　that　that　was

what　he　meant　when　he　thought　of　the　Hickses　as　having　〃a

religion〃　。。。。



A　few　days　later；　his　well…being　was　unexpectedly　disturbed　by

the　arrival　of　Fred　Gillow。　　Lansing　had　always　felt　a　tolerant

liking　for　Gillow；　a　large　smiling　silent　young　man　with　an

intense　and　serious　desire　to　miss　nothing　attainable　by　one　of

his　fortune　and　standing。　　What　use　he　made　of　his　experiences；

Lansing；　who　had　always　gone　into　his　own　modest　adventures

rather　thoroughly；　had　never　been　able　to　guess；　but　he　had

always　suspected　the　prodigal　Fred　of　being　no　more　than　a　well…

disguised　looker…on。　　Now　for　the　first　time　he　began　to　view

him　with　another　eye。　　The　Gillows　were；　in　fact；　the　one　uneasy

point　in　Nick's　conscience。　　He　and　Susy　from　the　first；　had

talked　of　them　less　than　of　any　other　members　of　their　group：

they　had　tacitly　avoided　the　name　from　the　day　on　which　Susy　had

come　to　Lansing's　lodgings　to　say　that　Ursula　Gillow　had　asked

her　to　renounce　him；　till　that　other　day；　just　before　their

marriage；　when　she　had　met　him　with　the　rapturous　cry：　　〃Here's

our　first　wedding　present！　　Such　a　thumping　big　cheque　from　Fred

and　Ursula！〃



Plenty　of　sympathizing　people　were　ready；　Lansing　knew；　to　tell

him　just　what　had　happened　in　the　interval　between　those　two

dates；　but　he　had　taken　care　not　to　ask。　　He　had　even　affected

an　initiation　so　complete　that　the　friends　who　burned　to

enlighten　him　were　discouraged　by　his　so　obviously　knowing　more

than　they；　and　gradually　he　had　worked　himself　around　to　their

view；　and　had　taken　it　for　granted　that　he　really　did。



Now　he　perceived　that　he　knew　nothing　at　all；　and　that　the

〃Hullo；　old　Fred！〃　with　which　Susy　hailed　Gillow's　arrival　might

be　either　the　usual　tribal　welcomesince　they　were　all　〃old；〃

and　all　nicknamed；　in　their　private　jargonor　a　greeting　that

concealed　inscrutable　depths　of　complicity。



Susy　was　visibly　glad　to　see　Gillow；　but　she　was　glad　of

everything　just　then；　and　so　glad　to　show　her　gladness！　　The

fact　disarmed　her　husband　and　made　him　ashamed　of　his

uneasiness。　　〃You　ought　to　have　thought　this　all　out　sooner；　or

else　you　ought　to　chuck　thinking　of　it　at　all；〃　was　the　sound

but　ineffectual　advice　he　gave　himself　on　the　day　after　Gillow's

arrival；　and　immediately　set　to　work　to　rethink　the　whole

matter。



Fred　Gillow　showed　no　consciousness　of　disturbing　any　one's

peace　of　mind。　　Day　after　day　he　sprawled　for　hours　on　the　Lido

sands；　his　arms　folded　under　his　head；　listening　to　Streffy's

nonsense　and　watching　Susy　between　sleepy　lids；　but　he　betrayed

no　desire　to　see　her　alone；　or　to　draw　her　into　talk　apart　from

the　others。　　More　than　ever　he　seemed　content　to　be　the

gratified　spectator　of　a　costly　show　got　up　for　his　private

entertainment。　　It　was　not　until　he　heard　her；　one　morning；

grumble　a　little　at　the　increasing　heat　and　the　menace　of

mosquitoes；　that　he　said；　quite　as　if　they　had　talked　the　matter

over　long　before；　and　finally　settled　it：　　〃The　moor　will　be

ready　any　time　after　the　first　of　August。〃



Nick　fancied　that　Susy　coloured　a　little；　and　drew　herself　up

more　defiantly　than　usual　as　she　sent　a　pebble　skimming　across

the　dying　ripples　at　their　feet。



〃You'll　be　a　lot　cooler　in　Scotland；〃　Fred　added；　with　what；　for

him；　was　an　unusual　effort　at　explicitness。



〃Oh；　shall　we？〃　she　retorted　gaily；　and　added　with　an　air　of

mystery　and　importance；　pivoting　about　on　her　high　heels：

〃Nick's　got　work　to　do　here。　　It　will　probably　keep　us　all

summer。〃



〃Work？　　Rot！　　You'll　die　of　the　smells。〃　　Gillow　stared

perplexedly　skyward　from　under　his　tilted　hat…brim；　and　then

brought　out；　as　from　the　depth　of　a　rankling　grie