the glimpses of the moon-第9部分

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him　again；　was　glad　he　had　not　followed　her　advice　and　tried　to

elude　them。　　She　had　always　admired　Strefford's　ruthless　talent

for　using　and　discarding　the　human　material　in　his　path；　but　now

she　began　to　hope　that　Nick　would　not　remember　her　suggestion

that　he　should　mete　out　that　measure　to　the　Hickses。　　Even　if　it

had　been　less　pleasant　to　have　a　big　yacht　at　their　door　during

the　long　golden　days　and　the　nights　of　silver　fire；　the　Hickses'

admiration　for　Nick　would　have　made　Susy　suffer　them　gladly。

She　even　began　to　be　aware　of　a　growing　liking　for　them；　a

liking　inspired　by　the　very　characteristics　that　would　once　have

provoked　her　disapproval。　　Susy　had　had　plenty　of　training　in

liking　common　people　with　big　purses；　in　such　cases　her　stock　of

allowances　and　extenuations　was　inexhaustible。　　But　they　had　to

be　successful　common　people；　and　the　trouble　was　that　the

Hickses；　judged　by　her　standards；　were　failures。　　It　was　not

only　that　they　were　ridiculous；　so；　heaven　knew；　were　many　of

their　rivals。　　But　the　Hickses　were　both　ridiculous　and

unsuccessful。　　They　had　consistently　resisted　the　efforts　of　the

experienced　advisers　who　had　first　descried　them　on　the　horizon

and　tried　to　help　them　upward。　　They　were　always　taking　up　the

wrong　people；　giving　the　wrong　kind　of　party；　and　spending

millions　on　things　that　nobody　who　mattered　cared　about。　　They

all　believed　passionately　in　〃movements〃　and　〃causes〃　and

〃ideals；〃　and　were　always　attended　by　the　exponents　of　their

latest　beliefs；　always　asking　you　to　hear　lectures　by　haggard

women　in　peplums；　and　having　their　portraits　painted　by　wild

people　who　never　turned　out　to　be　the　fashion。



All　this　would　formerly　have　increased　Susy's　contempt；　now　she

found　herself　liking　the　Hickses　most　for　their　failings。　　She

was　touched　by　their　simple　good　faith；　their　isolation　in　the

midst　of　all　their　queer　apostles　and　parasites；　their　way　of

drifting　about　an　alien　and　indifferent　world　in　a　compactly

clinging　group　of　which　Eldorada　Tooker；　the　doctor　and　the　two

secretaries　formed　the　outer　fringe；　and　by　their　view　of

themselves　as　a　kind　of　collective　re…incarnation　of　some　past

state　of　princely　culture；　symbolised　for　Mrs。　Hicks　in　what　she

called　〃the　court　of　the　Renaissance。〃　　Eldorada；　of　course；　was

their　chief　prophetess；　but　even　the　intensely　〃bright〃　and

modern　young　secretaries；　Mr。　Beck　and　Mr。　Buttles；　showed　a

touching　tendency　to　share　her　view；　and　spoke　of　Mr。　Hicks　as

〃promoting　art；〃　in　the　spirit　of　Pandolfino　celebrating　the

munificence　of　the　Medicis。



〃I'm　getting　really　fond　of　the　Hickses；　I　believe　I　should　be

nice　to　them　even　if　they　were　staying　at　Danieli's；〃　Susy　said

to　Strefford。



〃And　even　if　you　owned　the　yacht？〃　he　answered；　and　for　once　his

banter　struck　her　as　beside　the　point。



The　Ibis　carried　them；　during　the　endless　June　days；　far　and

wide　along　the　enchanted　shores；　they　roamed　among　the

Euganeans；　they　saw　Aquileia　and　Pomposa　and　Ravenna。　　Their

hosts　would　gladly　have　taken　them　farther；　across　the　Adriatic

and　on　into　the　golden　network　of　the　Aegean；　but　Susy　resisted

this　infraction　of　Nick's　rules；　and　he　himself　preferred　to

stick　to　his　task。　　Only　now　he　wrote　in　the　early　mornings；　so

that　on　most　days　they　could　set　out　before　noon　and　steam　back

late　to　the　low　fringe　of　lights　on　the　lagoon。　　His　work

continued　to　progress；　and　as　page　was　added　to　page　Susy

obscurely　but　surely　perceived　that　each　one　corresponded　with　a

hidden　secretion　of　energy；　the　gradual　forming　within　him　of

something　that　might　eventually　alter　both　their　lives。　　In　what

sense　she　could　not　conjecture：　　she　merely　felt　that　the　fact

of　his　having　chosen　a　job　and　stuck　to　it；　if　only　through　a

few　rosy　summer　weeks；　had　already　given　him　a　new　way　of　saying

〃Yes〃　and　〃No。〃







VII。



OF　some　new　ferment　at　work　in　him　Nick　Lansing　himself　was

equally　aware。　　He　was　a　better　judge　of　the　book　he　was　trying

to　write　than　either　Susy　or　Strefford；　he　knew　its　weaknesses；

its　treacheries；　its　tendency　to　slip　through　his　fingers　just

as　he　thought　his　grasp　tightest；　but　he　knew　also　that　at　the

very　moment　when　it　seemed　to　have　failed　him　it　would　suddenly

be　back；　beating　its　loud　wings　in　his　face。



He　had　no　delusions　as　to　its　commercial　value；　and　had　winced

more　than　he　triumphed　when　Susy　produced　her　allusion　to

Marius。　　His　book　was　to　be　called　The　Pageant　of　Alexander。

His　imagination　had　been　enchanted　by　the　idea　of　picturing　the

young　conqueror's　advance　through　the　fabulous　landscapes　of

Asia：　　he　liked　writing　descriptions；　and　vaguely　felt　that

under　the　guise　of　fiction　he　could　develop　his　theory　of

Oriental　influences　in　Western　art　at　the　expense　of　less

learning　than　if　he　had　tried　to　put　his　ideas　into　an　essay。

He　knew　enough　of　his　subject　to　know　that　he　did　not　know

enough　to　write　about　it；　but　he　consoled　himself　by　remembering

that　Wilhelm　Meister　has　survived　many　weighty　volumes　on

aesthetics；　and　between　his　moments　of　self…disgust　he　took

himself　at　Susy's　valuation；　and　found　an　unmixed　joy　in　his

task。



Neverno；　never！had　he　been　so　boundlessly；　so　confidently

happy。　　His　hack…work　had　given　him　the　habit　of　application；

and　now　habit　wore　the　glow　of　inspiration。　　His　previous

literary　ventures　had　been　timid　and　tentative：　　if　this　one　was

growing　and　strengthening　on　his　hands；　it　must　be　because　the

conditions　were　so　different。　　He　was　at　ease；　he　was　secure；　he

was　satisfied；　and　he　had　also；　for　the　first　time　since　his

early　youth；　before　his　mother's　death；　the　sense　of　having　some

one　to　look　after；　some　one　who　was　his　own　particular　care；　and

to　whom　he　was　answerable　for　himself　and　his　actions；　as　he　had

never　felt　himself　answerable　to　the　hurried　and　indifferent

people　among　whom　he　had　chosen　to　live。



Susy　had　the　same　standards　as　these　people：　　she　spoke　their

language；　though　she　understood　others；　she　required　their

pleasures　if　she　did　not　revere　their　gods。　　But　from　the　moment


that　she　had　become　his　property　he　had　built　up　in　himself　a

conception　of　her　answering　to　some　deep…seated　need　of

veneration。　　She　was　his；　he　had　chosen　her；　she　had　taken　her

place　in　the　long　line　of　Lansing　women　who　had　been　loved；

honoured；　and　probably　deceived；　by　bygone　Lansing　men。　　He

didn't　pretend　to　understand　the　logic　of　it；　but　the　fact　that

she　was　his　wife　gave　purpose　and　continuity　to　his　scattered

impulses；　and　a　mysterious　glow　of　consecration　to　his　task。



Once　or　twice；　in　the　first　days　of　his　marriage；　he　had　asked

himself　with　a　slight　shiver　what　would　happen　if　Susy　should

begin　to　bore　him。　　The　thing　had　happened　to　him　with　other

women　as　to　whom　his　first　emotions　had　not　differed　in

intensity　from　those　she　inspired。　　The　part　he　had　played　in

his　previous　love…affairs　might　indeed　have　been　summed　up　in

the　memorable　line：　　〃I　am　the　hunter　and　the　prey；〃　for　he　had

invariably　ceased　to　be　the　first　only　to　regard　himself　as　the

second。　　This　experience　had　never　ceased　to　cause　him　the

liveliest　pain；　since　his　sympathy　for　his　pursuer　was　only　less

keen　than　his　commiseration　for　himself；　but　as　he　was　always　a

little　sorrier　for　himself；　he　had　always　ended　by　distancing

the　pursuer。



All　these　pre…natal　experiences　now　seemed　utterly　inapplicable

to　the　new　man　he　had　become。　　He　could　not　imagine　being　bored

by　Susyor　trying　to　escape　from　her　if　he　were。　　He　could　not

think　of　her　as　an　enemy；　or　even　as　an　accomplice；　since

accomplices　are　potential　enemies：　　she　was　some　one　with　whom；

by　some　unheard…of　miracle；　joys　above　the　joys　of　friendship

were　to　be　tasted；　but　who；　even　through　these　fleeting

ecstasies；　remained　simply　and　securely　his　friend。



These　new　feelings　did　not　affect　his　general　attitude　toward

life：　　they　merely　confirmed　his　faith　in　its　ultimate

〃jolliness。〃　　Never　had　he　more　thoroughly　enjoyed　the　things　he

had　always　enjoyed。　　A　good　dinner　had　never　been　as　good　to

him；　a　beautiful　sunset　as　beautiful；　he　still　rejoiced　in　the

fact　that　he　appreciated　both　with　an　equal　acuity。　　He　was　as

proud　as　ever　of　Susy's　cleverness　and　freedom　from　prejudice：

she　couldn't　be　too　〃modern〃　for　him　now　that　she　was　his。　　He

shared　to　the　full　her　passionate　enjoyment　of　the　present；　and

all　her　feverish　eagerness　to　make　it　last。　　He　knew　when　she

was　thinking　of　ways　of　extending　their　golden　opportunity；　and

he　secretly　thought　with　her；　wondering　what　new　means　they

could　devise。　　He　was　thankful　that　Ellie　Vanderlyn　was　still

absent；　and　began　to　hope　they　might　have　the　palace　to

themselves　for　the　remainder　of　the　summer。　　If　they　did；　he

would　have　time　to　finish　his　book；　and　Susy　to　lay　up　a　little

interest　on　their　wedding　cheques；　and　thus　their　enchanted　year

might　conceivably　be　prolonged　to　two。



Late　as　the　season　was；　their　presence　and　Strefford's　in　Venice

had　already　drawn　thither　several　wandering　members　of　their

set。　　It　was　characteristic　of　these　indifferent　but

agglutinative　people　that　they　could　never　remain　long　parted

from　each　other　without　a　dim　sense　of　uneasiness。　　Lansing　was

familiar　with　the　feeling。　　He　had　known　slight　twinges　of　it

himself；　and　had　often　ministered　to　its　qualms　in　others。　　It

was　hardly　stronger　than　the　faint　gnawing　which　recalls　the

tea…hour　to　one　who　has　lunched　well　and　is　sure　of　dining　as

abundantly；　but　it　gave　a　purpose　to　the　purposeless；　and　helped

many　hesitating　spirits　over　the　annual　difficulty　of　deciding

between　Deauville　and　St。　Moritz；　Biarritz　and　Capri。



Nick　was　not　surprised　to　learn　that　it　was　becoming　the

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。　　An