brideshead+revisited-第46部分

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like　to　borrow　the　place　for　whist　drives。'
　　　　'There's　a　lot　of　work　waiting　for　you。　I　promised　Lady　Anchorage　you　would　do　Anchorage　House　as　soon　as　you　got　back。　That's　ing　down；　too；　you　know　…　shops　underneath　and　two…roomed　flats　above。　You　don't　think；　do　you；　Charles；　that　all　this　exotic　work　you've　been　doing；　is　going　to　spoil　you　for　that　sort　of　thing？'
　　　　'Why　should　it？'
　　　　'Well；　it's　so　different。　Don't　be　cross。'
　　　　'It's　just　another　jungle　closing　in。'
　　　　'I　know　just　how　you　feel；　darling。　The　Georgian　Society　made　such　a　fuss；　but　we　couldn't　do　anything。。。Did　you　ever　get　my　letter　about　Boy？'
　　　　'Did　I？　What　did　it　say？'
　　　　（'Boy'　Mulcaster　was　her　brother。）
　　　　'About　his　engagement。　It　doesn't　matter　now　because　it's　all　off；　but　father　and　mother　were　terribly　upset。　She　was　an　awful　girl。　They　had　to　give　her　money　in　the　end。'
　　　　'No；　I　heard　nothing　of　Boy。'
　　　　'He　and　Johnjohn　are　tremendous　friends；　now。　It's　so　sweet　to　see　them　together。　Whenever　he　es　the　first　thing　he　does　is　to　drive　straight　to　the　Old　Rectory。　He　just　walks　into　the　house；　pays　no　attention　to　anyone　else；　and　hollers　out：　〃Where's　my　chum　Johnjohn？〃　and　Johnjohn　es　tumbling　downstairs　and　off　they　go　into　the　spinney　together　and　play　for　hours。　You'd　think；　to　hear　them　talk　to　each　other；　they　were　the　same　age。　It　was　really　Johnjohn　who　made　him　see　reason　about　that　girl；　seriously；　you　know；　he's　frightfully　sharp。　He　must　have　heard　mother　and　me　talking　because　next　time　Boy　came　he　said：　〃Uncle　Boy　shan't　marry　horrid　girl　and　leave　Johnjohn；〃　and　that　was　the　very　day　he　settled　for　two　thousand　pounds　out　of　court。　Johnjohn　admires　Boy　so　tremendously　and　imitates　him　in　everything。　It's　so　good　for　them　both。'
　　　　I　crossed　the　room　and　tried　once　more；　ineffectively；　to　moderate　the　heat　of　the　radiators；　I　drank　some　iced　water　and　opened　the　window；　but；　besides　the　sharp　night　air；　music　was　borne　in　from　the　next　room　where　they　were　playing　the　wireless。　I　shut　it　and　turned　back　towards　my　wife。
　　　　At　length　she　began　talking　again；　more　drowsily　'The　garden's　e　on　a　lot。。。The　box　hedges　you　planted　grew　five　inches　last　year。。。I　had　some　men　down　from　London　to　put　the　tennis　court　right。。。first…class　cook　at　the　moment。。。'
　　　　As　the　city　below　us　began　to　wake；　we　both　fell　asleep；　but　not　for　long；　the　telephone　rang　and　a　voice　of　hermaphroditic　gaiety　said：　'Savoy…Carlton…Hotel…goodmorning。　It　is　now　a　quarter　of　eight。'
　　　　'I　didn't　ask　to　be　called；　you　know。'
　　　　'Pardon　me？'
　　　　'Oh；　it　doesn't　matter。'
　　　　'You're　wele。'
　　　　As　I　was　shaving；　my　wife　from　the　bath　said：　'Just　like　old　times。　I'm　not　worrying　any　more；　Charles。'
　　　　'Good。'
　　　　'I　was　so　terribly　afraid　that　two　years　might　have　made　a　difference。　Now　I　know　we　can　start　again　exactly　where　we　left　off。'
　　　　'When？'　I　asked。　'What？　When　we　left　off　what？'
　　　　When　you　went　away；　of　course。'
　　　　'You　are　not　thinking　of　something　else；　a　little　time　before？'
　　　　'Oh；　Charles；　that's　old　history。　That　was　nothing。　It　was　never　anything。　It's　all　over　and　forgotten。'
　　　　'I　just　wanted　to　know；'　I　said。　'We're　back　as　we　were　the　day　I　went　abroad；　is　that　it？'
　　　　So　we　started　that　day　exactly　where　we　left　off　two　years　before；　with　my　wife　in　tears。

　　　　My　wife's　softness　and　English　reticence　；　her　very　white；　small　regular　teeth；　her　neat　rosy　finger…nails；　her　schoolgirl　air　of　innocent　mischief　and　her　schoolgirl　dress；　her　modern　jewellery；　which　was　made　at　great　expense　to　give　the　impression；　at　a　distance；　of　having　been　mass　produced；　her　ready；　rewarding　smile；　her　deference　to　me　and　her　zeal　in　my　interests；　her　motherly　heart　which　made　her　cable　daily　to　the　nanny　at　home　…　in　short；　her　peculiar　charm　…　made　her　popular　among　the　Americans；　and　our　cabin　on　the　day　of　departure　was　full　of　cellophane　packages　…　flowers；　fruit；　sweets；　books；　toys　for　the　children　…　from　friends　she　had　known　for　a　week。　Stewards；　like　sisters　in　a　nursing　home；　used　to　judge　their　passengers'　importance　by　the　number　and　value　of　these　trophies；　we　therefore　started　the　voyage　in　high　esteem。
　　　　My　wife's　first　thought　on　ing　aboard　was　of　the　passenger　list。
　　　　'Such　a　lot　of　friends；'　she　said。　'It's　going　to　be　a　lovely　trip。　Let's　have　a　cocktail　party　this　evening。'
　　　　The　panion…ways　were　no　sooner　cast　off　than　she　was　busy　with　the　telephone。
　　　　'Julia。　This　is　Celia　…　Celia　Ryder。　It's　lovely　to　find　you　on　board。　What　have　you　been　up　to？　e　and　have　a　cocktail　this　evening　and　tell　me　all　about　it。'
　　　　'Julia　who？'
　　　　'Mottram。　I　haven't　seen　her　for　years。'
　　　　Nor　had　I；　not；　in　fact；　since　my　wedding　day；　not　to　speak　to　for　any　time；　since　the　private　view　of　my　exhibition　where　the　four　canvases　of　Marchmain　House；　lent　by　Brideshead；　had　hung　together　attracting　much　attention。　Those　pictures　were　my　last　contact　with　the　Flytes；　our　lives；　so　close　for　a　year　or　two；　had　drawn　apart。　Sebastian；　I　knew；　was　still　abroad；　Rex　and　Julia；　I　sometimes　heard　said；　were　unhappy　together。　Rex　was　not　prospering　quite　as　well　as　had　been　predicted；　he　remained　on　the　fringe　of　the　Government；　prominent　but　vaguely　suspect。　He　lived　among　the　very　rich；　and　in　his　speeches　seemed　to　incline　to　revolutionary　policies；　flirting；　with　munists　and　Fascists。　I　heard　the　Mottrams'　names　in　conversation；　I　saw　their　faces　now　and　again　peeping　from　the　Tatler；　as　I　turned　the　pages　impatiently　waiting　for　someone　to　e；　but　they　and　I　had　fallen　apart；　as　one　could　in　England　and　only　there；　into　separate　worlds；　little　spinning　planets　of　personal　relationship；　there　is　probably　a　perfect　metaphor　for　the　process　to　be　found　in　physics；　from　the　way　in　which；　I　dimly　apprehend；　particles　of　energy　group　and　regroup　themselves　in　separate　magnetic　systems；　a　metaphor　ready　to　hand　for　the　man　who　can　speak　of　these　things　with　assurance；　not　for　me；　who　can　only　say　that　England　abounded　in　these　small　panies　of　intimate　friends；　so　that；　as　in　this　case　of　Julia　and　myself；　we　could　live　in　the　same　street　in　London；　see　at　times；　a　few　miles　distant；　the　rural　horizon；　could　have　a　liking　one　for　the　other；　a　mild　curiosity　about　the　other's　fortunes；　a　regret；　even；　that　we　should　be　separated；　and　the　knowledge　that　either　of　us　had　only　to　pick　up　the　telephone　and　speak　by　the　other's　pillow；　enjoy　the　intimacies　of　the　levee；　ing　in；　as　it　were；　with　the　morning　orange　juice　and　the　sun；　yet　be　restrained　from　doing　so　by　the　centripetal　force　of　our　own　worlds；　and　the　cold；　interstellar　space　between　them。
　　　　My　wife；　perched　on　the　back　of　the　sofa　in　a　litter　of　cellophane　and　silk　ribbons；　continued　telephoning；　working　brightly　through　the　passenger　list。。。'Yes；　do　of　course　bring　him；　I'm　told　he's　sweet。。。Yes；　I've　got　Charles　back　from　the　wilds　at　last；　isn't　it　lovely。。。What　a　treat　seeing　your　name　in　the　list！　It's　made　my　trip。。。darling；　we　were　at　the　Savoy…Carlton；　too；　how　can　we　have　missed　you？'。。。Sometimes　she　turned　to　me　and　said：　'I　have　to　make　sure　you're　still　really　there。　I　haven't　got　used　to　it　yet。'
　　　　I　went　up　and　out　as　we　steamed　slowly　down　the　river　to　one　of　the　great　glass　cases　where　the　passengers　stood　to　watch　the　land　slip　by。　'Such　a　lot　of　friends；'　my　wife　had　said。　They　looked　a　strange　crowd　to　me；　the　emotions　of　leave…taking　were　just　beginning　to　subside；　some　of　them；　who　had　been　drinking　till　the　last　moment　with　those　who　were　seeing　them　off；　were　still　boisterous；　others　were　planning　where　they；　would　have　their　deck　chairs；　the　band　played　unnoticed　…　all　were　as　restless　as　ants。
　　　　I　turned　into　some　of　the　halls　of　the　ship；　which　were　huge　without　any　splendour；　as　though　they　had　been　designed　for　a　railway　coach　and　preposterously　magnified。　I　passed　through　vast　bronze　gates　on　which　paper…thin　Assyrian　animals　cavorted；　I　trod　carpets　the　colour　of　blotting　paper；　the　painted　panels　of　the　walls　were　like　blotting　paper；　too　…　kindergarten　work　in　flat；　drab　colours　…　and　between　the　walls　were　yards　and　yards　of　biscuit…coloured　wood　which　no　carpenter's　tool　had　ever　touched；　wood　that　had　been　bent　round　ers；　invisibly　joined　strip　to　strip；　steamed　and　squeezed　and　polished；　all　over　the　blotting…paper　carpet　were　strewn　tables　designed　perhaps　by　a　sanitary　engineer；　square　blocks　of　stuffing；　with　square　holes　for　sitting　in；　and　upholstered；　it　seemed；　in　blotting　paper　also；　the　light　of　the　hall　was　suffused　from　scores　of　hollows；　giving　an　even　glow；　casting　no　shadows　…　the　whole　place　hummed　from　its　hundred　ventilators　and　vibrated　with　the　turn　of　the　great　engines　below。
　　　　'Here　I　am；'　I　thought；　'back　from　the　jungle；　back　from　the　ruins。　Here　where　wealth　is　no　longer　gorgeous　and　power　has　no　dignity。　Quomodo　sedet　sola　civitas'　（for　I　had　heard　that　great　lament；　which　Cordelia　once　quoted　to　me　in　the　drawing…room　of　Marchmain　House；　sung　by　a　half…caste　choir　in　Guatemala；　nearly　a　year　ago）。
　　　　A　steward　came　up　to　me。
　　　　'Can　I　get　you　anything；　sir？'
　　　　'A　whisky　and　soda；　not　iced。'
　　　　'I'm　sorry；　sir；　all　the　soda　is　iced。'
　　　　'Is　the　water　iced；　too？'
　　　　'Oh　yes