Greville Fane文档格式.docx

Greville Fane文档格式.docx

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Iwaslate;

Iwasinahurry;

Ihadverylittletimetothink,butataventureIdispatchedareply:

"

WilldowhatIcan."

ItwasnottillIhaddressedandwasrollingawaytodinnerthat,inthehansom,Ibethoughtmyselfofthedifficultyoftheconditionattached.Thedifficultywasnotofcourseinlettingheroffeasybutinqualifyingthatindulgence."

Isimplywon'

tqualifyit,"

Isaidtomyself.Ididn'

tadmireher,butIlikedher,andIhadknownhersolongthatIalmostfeltheartlessinsittingdownatsuchanhourtoafeastofindifference.Imusthaveseemedabstracted,fortheearlyyearsofmyacquaintancewithhercamebacktome.IspokeofhertotheladyIhadtakendown,huttheladyIhadtakendownhadneverheardofGrevilleFane.Itriedmyotherneighbour,whopronouncedherbooks"

toovile."

Ihadneverthoughtthemverygood,butIshouldletheroffeasierthanthat.

Icameawayearly,fortheexpresspurposeofdrivingtoaskabouther.Thejourneytooktime,forshelivedinthenorth-westdistrict,intheneighbourhoodofPrimroseHill.MyapprehensionthatIshouldbetoolatewasjustifiedinafullersensethanIhadattachedtoit--Ihadonlyfearedthatthehousewouldbeshutup.

Therewerelightsinthewindows,andthetemperatetinkleofmybellbroughtaservantimmediatelytothedoor,butpoorMrs.Stormerhadpassedintoastateinwhichtheresonanceofnoearthlyknockerwastobefeared.Alady,inthehall,hoveringbehindtheservant,cameforwardwhensheheardmyvoice.IrecognisedLadyLuard,butshehadmistakenmeforthedoctor.

Excusemyappearingatsuchanhour,"

Isaid;

itwasthefirstpossiblemomentafterIheard."

It'

sallover,"

LadyLuardreplied."

Dearestmamma!

Shestoodthereunderthelampwithhereyesonme;

shewasverytall,verystiff,verycold,andalwayslookedasifthesethings,andsomeothersbeside,inherdress,hermannerandevenhername,wereanimplicationthatshewasveryadmirable.Ihadneverbeenabletofollowtheargument,butthatisadetail.IexpressedbrieflyandfranklywhatIfelt,whilethelittlemottledmaidservantflattenedherselfagainstthewallofthenarrowpassageandtriedtolookdetachedwithoutlookingindifferent.Itwasnotamomenttomakeavisit,andIwasonthepointofretreatingwhenLadyLuardarrestedmewithaqueer,casual,drawling"

Wouldyou--a--wouldyou,perhaps,beWRITINGsomething?

Ifeltfortheinstantlikeaninterviewer,whichIwasnot.ButIpleadedguiltytothisintention,onwhichsherejoined:

I'

msoveryglad--butIthinkmybrotherwouldliketoseeyou."

Idetestedherbrother,butitwasn'

tanoccasiontoactthisout;

soIsufferedmyselftobeinducted,tomysurprise,intoasmallbackroomwhichIimmediatelyrecognisedasthescene,duringthelateryears,ofMrs.Stormer'

simperturbableindustry.Hertablewasthere,thebatteredandblottedaccessorytoinnumerableliterarylapses,withitscontractedspaceforthearms（shewroteonlyfromtheelbowdown）andtheconfusionofscrappy,scribbledsheetswhichhadalreadybecomeliteraryremains.Leolinwasalsothere,smokingacigarettebeforethefireandlookingimpudenteveninhisgrief,sincereasitwellmighthavebeen.

Tomeethim,togreethim,Ihadtomakeasharpeffort;

fortheairthatheworetomeashestoodbeforemewasquitethatofhismother'

smurderer.Shelaysilentforeverupstairs--asdeadasanunsuccessfulbook,andhisswaggeringerectnesswasakindofsymbolofhishavingkilledher.Iwonderedifhehadalready,withhissister,beencalculatingwhattheycouldgetforthepoorpapersonthetable;

butIhadnotlongtowaittolearn,forinreplytothescantywordsofsympathyIaddressedhimhepuffedout:

smiserable,miserable,yes;

butshehasleftthreebookscomplete."

Hiswordshadtheoddesteffect;

theyconvertedthecrampedlittleroomintoaseatoftradeandmadethe"

book"

wonderfullyfeasible.

Hewouldcertainlygetallthatcouldbegotforthethree.LadyLuardexplainedtomethatherhusbandhadbeenwiththembuthadhadtogodowntotheHouse.ToherbrothersheexplainedthatIwasgoingtowritesomething,andtomeagainshemadeitclearthatshehopedIwould"

domammajustice."

Sheaddedthatshedidn'

tthinkthishadeverbeendone.Shesaidtoherbrother:

Don'

tyouthinktherearesomethingsheoughtthoroughlytounderstand?

andonhisinstantlyexclaiming"

Oh,thoroughly--thoroughly!

shewenton,ratherausterely:

Imeanaboutmamma'

sbirth."

Yes,andherconnections,"

Leolinadded.

Iprofessedeverywillingness,andforfiveminutesIlistened,butitwouldbetoomuchtosaythatIunderstood.Idon'

tevennow,