第 10 节
作者:你妹找1      更新:2022-06-15 12:52      字数:9322
  information to his daughter on the trifling events that had
  marked the morning just passed; such as that the cow had got
  out of the paddock into Miss Power's field; that the smith who
  had promised to come and look at the kitchen range had not
  arrived; that two wasps' nests had been discovered in the
  garden bank; and that Nick Jones's baby had fallen downstairs。
  Sir William had large cavernous arches to his eye…sockets;
  reminding the beholder of the vaults in the castle he once had
  owned。  His hands were long and almost fleshless; each knuckle
  showing like a bamboo…joint from beneath his coat…sleeves;
  which were small at the elbow and large at the wrist。  All the
  colour had gone from his beard and locks; except in the case
  of a few isolated hairs of the former; which retained dashes
  of their original shade at sudden points in their length;
  revealing that all had once been raven black。
  But to study a man to his face for long is a species of ill…
  nature which requires a colder temperament; or at least an
  older heart; than the architect's was at that time。  Incurious
  unobservance is the true attitude of cordiality; and Somerset
  blamed himself for having fallen into an act of inspection
  even briefly。  He would wait for his host's conversation;
  which would doubtless be of the essence of historical romance。
  'The favourable Bank…returns have made the money…market much
  easier to…day; as I learn?' said Sir William。
  'O; have they?' said Somerset。  'Yes; I suppose they have。'
  'And something is meant by this unusual quietness in Foreign
  stocks since the late remarkable fluctuations;' insisted the
  old man。  'Is the current of speculation quite arrested; or is
  it but a temporary lull?'
  Somerset said he was afraid he could not give an opinion; and
  entered very lamely into the subject; but Sir William seemed
  to find sufficient interest in his own thoughts to do away
  with the necessity of acquiring fresh impressions from other
  people's replies; for often after putting a question he looked
  on the floor; as if the subject were at an end。  Lunch was now
  ready; and when they were in the dining…room Miss De Stancy;
  to introduce a topic of more general interest; asked Somerset
  if he had noticed the myrtle on the lawn?
  Somerset had noticed it; and thought he had never seen such a
  full…blown one in the open air before。  His eyes were;
  however; resting at the moment on the only objects at all out
  of the common that the dining…room contained。  One was a
  singular glass case over the fireplace; within which were some
  large mediaeval door…keys; black with rust and age; and the
  others were two full…length oil portraits in the costume of
  the end of the last centuryso out of all proportion to the
  size of the room they occupied that they almost reached to the
  floor。
  'Those originally belonged to the castle yonder;' said Miss De
  Stancy; or Charlotte; as her father called her; noticing
  Somerset's glance at the keys。  'They used to unlock the
  principal entrance…doors; which were knocked to pieces in the
  civil wars。  New doors were placed afterwards; but the old
  keys were never given up; and have been preserved by us ever
  since。'
  'They are quite uselessmere lumberparticularly to me;'
  said Sir William。
  'And those huge paintings were a present from Paula;' she
  continued。  'They are portraits of my great…grandfather and
  mother。  Paula would give all the old family pictures back to
  me if we had room for them; but they would fill the house to
  the ceilings。'
  Sir William was impatient of the subject。  'What is the
  utility of such accumulations?' he asked。  'Their originals
  are but clay nowmere forgotten dust; not worthy a moment's
  inquiry or reflection at this distance of time。  Nothing can
  retain the spirit; and why should we preserve the shadow of
  the form?London has been very full this year; sir; I have
  been told?'
  'It has;' said Somerset; and he asked if they had been up that
  season。  It was plain that the matter with which Sir William
  De Stancy least cared to occupy himself before visitors was
  the history of his own family; in which he was followed with
  more simplicity by his daughter Charlotte。
  'No;' said the baronet。  'One might be led to think there is a
  fatality which prevents it。  We make arrangements to go to
  town almost every year; to meet some old friend who combines
  the rare conditions of being in London with being mindful of
  me; but he has always died or gone elsewhere before the event
  has taken place。 。 。 。  But with a disposition to be happy; it
  is neither this place nor the other that can render us the
  reverse。  In short each man's happiness depends upon himself;
  and his ability for doing with little。'  He turned more
  particularly to Somerset; and added with an impressive smile:
  'I hope you cultivate the art of doing with little?'
  Somerset said that he certainly did cultivate that art; partly
  because he was obliged to。
  'Ahyou don't mean to the extent that I mean。  The world has
  not yet learned the riches of frugality; says; I think;
  Cicero; somewhere; and nobody can testify to the truth of that
  remark better than I。  If a man knows how to spend less than
  his income; however small that may be; whyhe has the
  philosopher's stone。'  And Sir William looked in Somerset's
  face with frugality written in every pore of his own; as much
  as to say; 'And here you see one who has been a living
  instance of those principles from his youth up。'
  Somerset soon found that whatever turn the conversation took;
  Sir William invariably reverted to this topic of frugality。
  When luncheon was over he asked his visitor to walk with him
  into the garden; and no sooner were they alone than he
  continued:  'Well; Mr。 Somerset; you are down here sketching
  architecture for professional purposes。  Nothing can be
  better:  you are a young man; and your art is one in which
  there are innumerable chances。'
  'I had begun to think they were rather few;' said Somerset。
  'No; they are numerous enough:  the difficulty is to find out
  where they lie。 It is better to know where your luck lies than
  where your talent lies:  that's an old man's opinion。'
  'I'll remember it;' said Somerset。
  'And now give me some account of your new clubs; new hotels;
  and new men。 。 。 。  What I was going to add; on the subject of
  finding out where your luck lies; is that nobody is so
  unfortunate as not to have a lucky star in some direction or
  other。  Perhaps yours is at the antipodes; if so; go there。
  All I say is; discover your lucky star。'
  'I am looking for it。'
  'You may be able to do two things; one well; the other but
  indifferently; and yet you may have more luck in the latter。
  Then stick to that one; and never mind what you can do best。
  Your star lies there。'
  'There I am not quite at one with you; Sir William。'
  'You should be。  Not that I mean to say that luck lies in any
  one place long; or at any one person's door。  Fortune likes
  new faces; and your wisdom lies in bringing your acquisitions
  into safety while her favour lasts。  To do that you must make
  friends in her time of smilesmake friends with people;
  wherever you find them。  My daughter has unconsciously
  followed that maxim。  She has struck up a warm friendship with
  our neighbour; Miss Power; at the castle。  We are
  diametrically different from her in associations; traditions;
  ideas; religionshe comes of a violent dissenting family
  among other thingsbut I say to Charlotte what I say to you:
  win affection and regard wherever you can; and accommodate
  yourself to the times。  I put nothing in the way of their
  intimacy; and wisely so; for by this so many pleasant hours
  are added to the sum total vouchsafed to humanity。'
  It was quite late in the afternoon when Somerset took his
  leave。  Miss De Stancy did not return to the castle that
  night; and he walked through the wood as he had come; feeling
  that he had been talking with a man of simple nature; who
  flattered his own understanding by devising Machiavellian
  theories after the event; to account for any spontaneous
  action of himself or his daughter; which might otherwise seem
  eccentric or irregular。
  Before Somerset reached the inn he was overtaken by a slight
  shower; and on entering the house he walked into the general
  room; where there was a fire; and stood with one foot on the
  fender。  The landlord was talking to some guest who sat behind
  a screen; and; probably because Somerset had been seen passing
  the window; and was known to be sketching at the castle; the
  conversation turned on Sir William De Stancy。
  'I have often noticed;' observed the landlord; 'that volks who
  have come to grief; and quite failed; have the rules how to
  succeed in life more at their vingers' ends than volks who
  have succeeded。  I assure you that Sir William; so full as he
  is of wise maxims; never acted upon a wise maxim in his life;
  until he had lost everything; and it didn't matter whether he
  was wise or no。  You know what he was in his young days; of
  course?'
  'No; I don't;' said the invisible stranger。
  'O; I thought everybody knew poor Sir William's history。  He
  was the star; as I may zay; of good company forty years ago。
  I remember him in the h