Glasses.docx

Glasses.docx

《Glasses.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Glasses.docx（40页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

Glasses

GlassesbyHenryJamesCHAPTERIYesindeed,Isaytomyself,peninhand,Icankeepholdofthethreadandletitleadmebacktothefirstimpression.Thelittlestoryisallthere,Icantouchitfrompointtopoint;forthethread,asIcallit,isarowofcolouredbeadsonastring.Noneofthebeadsaremissing--atleastIthinkthey'renot:

that'sexactlywhatIshallamusemyselfwithfindingout.

IhadbeenallsummerworkinghardintownandthenhadgonedowntoFolkestoneforablow.Artwaslong,Ifelt,andmyholidayshort;mymotherwassettledatFolkestone,andIpaidheravisitwhenIcould.Irememberhowonthisoccasion,afterweeksinmystuffystudiowithmynoseonmypalette,Isniffedupthecleansaltairandcooledmyeyeswiththepurplesea.Theplacewasfulloflodgings,andthelodgingswereatthatseasonfullofpeople,peoplewhohadnothingtodobuttostareatoneanotheronthegreatflatdown.TherewerethousandsoflittlechairsandalmostasmanylittleJews;andtherewasmusicinanopenrotunda,overwhichthelittleJewswaggedtheirbignoses.Weallstrolledtoandfroandtookpennyworthsofrest;thelong,levelcliff-top,edgedinplaceswithitsironrail,mighthavebeenthedeckofahugecrowdedship.TherewereoldfolksinBathchairs,andtherewasonedearchair,creepingtoitslastfullstop,bythesideofwhichIalwayswalked.TherewasinfineweatherthecoastofFrancetolookat,andthereweretheusualthingstosayaboutit;therewasalsoineverystateoftheatmosphereourfriendMrs.

Meldrum,asubjectofremarknotlessinveterate.ThewidowofanofficerintheEngineers,shehadsettled,likemanymembersofthemartialmiscellany,wellwithinsightofthehereditaryenemy,whohoweverhadleftherleisuretoforminspiteofthedifferenceoftheiryearsaclosealliancewithmymother.Shewastheheartiest,thekeenest,theugliestofwomen,theleastapologetic,theleastmorbidinhermisfortune.Shecarriedithighaloftwithloudsoundsandfreegestures,madeitflutterinthebreezeasifithadbeentheflagofhercountry.Itconsistedmainlyofabigredface,indescribablyoutofdrawing,fromwhichsheglaredatyouthroughgold-rimmedaidstovision,opticcirclesofsuchdiameterandsofrequentlydisplacedthatsomeonehadvividlyspokenofherasflatteringhernoseagainsttheglassofherspectacles.Shewasextraordinarilynear-sighted,andwhatevertheydidtootherobjectstheymagnifiedimmenselythekindeyesbehindthem.Blestconveniencestheywere,intheirhideous,honeststrength--theyshowedthegoodladyeverythingintheworldbutherownqueerness.Thiselementwasenhancedbywildbraveriesofdress,recklesschargesofcolourandstubbornresistancesofcut,wondrousencountersinwhichtheartofthetoiletseemedtolaydownitslife.Shehadthetreadofagrenadierandthevoiceofanangel.

InthecourseofawalkwithherthedayaftermyarrivalIfoundmyselfgrabbingherarmwithsuddenandunduefamiliarity.IhadbeenstruckbythebeautyofafacethatapproachedusandIwasstillmoreaffectedwhenIsawtheface,atthesightofmycompanion,openlikeawindowthrownwide.Asmileflutteredoutofitanbrightlyasadraperydroppedfromasill--adraperyshakenthereinthesunbyayoungladyflankedbytwoyoungmen,awonderfulyoungladywho,aswedrewnearer,rusheduptoMrs.

Meldrumwitharmsflourishedforanembrace.Myimmediateimpressionofherhadbeenthatshewasdressedinmourning,butduringthefewmomentsshestoodtalkingwithourfriendImademorediscoveries.Thefigurefromtheneckdownwasmeagre,thestatureinsignificant,butthedesiretopleasetoweredhigh,aswellastheairofinfalliblyknowinghowandofnever,nevermissingit.ThiswasalittlepersonwhomIwouldhavemadeahighbidforagoodchancetopaint.Thehead,thefeatures,thecolour,thewholefacialovalandradiancehadawonderfulpurity;thedeepgreyeyes--themostagreeable,Ithought,thatIhadeverseen--brushedwithakindofwinglikegraceeveryobjecttheyencountered.TheirpossessorwasjustbackfromBoulogne,whereshehadspentaweekwithdearMrs.Floyd-Taylor:

thisaccountedfortheeffusivenessofherreunionwithdearMrs.Meldrum.Herblackgarmentswereofthefreshestanddaintiest;shesuggestedapink-and-whitewreathatashowyfuneral.Sheconfoundedusforthreeminuteswithherpresence;shewasabeautyofthegreatconsciouspublicresponsibleorder.Theyoungmen,hercompanions,gazedatherandgrinned:

Icouldseetherewereveryfewmomentsofthedayatwhichyoungmen,theseorothers,wouldnotbesooccupied.Thepeoplewhoapproachedtookleaveoftheirmanners;everyoneseemedtolingerandgape.WhenshebroughtherfaceclosetoMrs.Meldrum's--andsheappearedtobealwaysbringingitclosetosomebody's--itwasamarvelthatobjectssodissimilarshouldexpressthesamegeneralidentity,theunmistakablecharacteroftheEnglishgentlewoman.Mrs.Meldrumsustainedthecomparisonwithherusualcourage,butIwonderedwhyshedidn'tintroduceme:

Ishouldhavehadnoobjectiontothebringingofsuchafaceclosetomine.However,bythetimetheyoungladymovedonwithherescortsheherselfbequeathedmeasensethatsomesuchRAPPROCHEMENTmightstilloccur.WasthisbyreasonofthegeneralfrequencyofencountersatFolkestone,orbyreasonofasubtleacknowledgmentthatshecontrivedtomakeoftherights,onthepartofothers,thatsuchbeautyasherscreated?

IwasinapositiontoanswerthatquestionafterMrs.Meldrumhadansweredafewofmine.

CHAPTERII

FloraSaunt,theonlydaughterofanoldsoldier,hadlostbothherparents,hermotherwithinafewmonths.Mrs.Meldrumhadknownthem,disapprovedofthem,considerablyavoidedthem:

shehadwatchedthegirl,offandon,fromherearlychildhood.Flora,justtwenty,wasextraordinarilyaloneintheworld--soalonethatshehadnonaturalchaperon,noonetostaywithbutamercenarystranger,Mrs.HammondSynge,thesister-in-lawofoneoftheyoungmenIhadjustseen.Shehadlotsoffriends,butnoneofthemnice:

shekeptpickingupimpossiblepeople.TheFloyd-Taylors,withwhomshehadbeenatBoulogne,weresimplyhorrid.TheHammondSyngeswereperhapsnotsovulgar,buttheyhadnoconscienceintheirdealingswithher.

"SheknowswhatIthinkofthem,"saidMrs.Meldrum,"andindeedsheknowswhatIthinkofmostthings.""Shesharesthatprivilegewithmostofyourfriends!

"Irepliedlaughing.

"Nodoubt;butpossiblytosomeofmyfriendsitmakesalittledifference.Thatgirldoesn'tcareabutton.SheknowsbestofallwhatIthinkofFloraSaunt.""Andwhatmayyouropinionbe?

"

"Why,thatshe'snotworthtroublingabout--anidiottooabysmal.""Doesn'tshecareforthat?

"

"Justenough,asyousaw,tohugmetillIcryout.She'stoopleasedwithherselfforanythingelsetomatter.""Surely,mydearfriend,"Irejoined,"shehasagooddealtobepleasedwith!

""Soeveryonetellsher,andsoyouwouldhavetoldherifIhadgivenyouthechance.However,thatdoesn'tsignifyeither,forhervanityisbeyondallmakingormending.Shebelievesinherself,andshe'swelcome,afterall,poordear,havingonlyherselftolookto.I'veseldommetayoungwomanmorecompletelyfreetobesilly.Shehasaclearcourse--she'llmakeashowyfinish.""Well,"Ireplied,"assheprobablywillreducemanypersonstothesamedegradedstate,herpartakingofitwon'tstandoutsomuch.""Ifyoumeanthattheworld'sfulloftwaddlersIquiteagreewithyou!

"criedMrs.Meldrum,trumpetingherlaughhalfacrosstheChannel.

Ihadafterthistoconsideralittlewhatshewouldcallmymother'sson,butIdidn'tletitpreventmefrominsistingonhermakingmeacquaintedwithFloraSaunt;indeedItookthebullbythehorns,urgingthatshehaddrawntheportraitofanaturewhichcommoncharitynowdemandedofhertoputintorelationwithacharacterreallyfine.Suchafrailcreaturewasjustanobjectofpity.Thiscontentiononmyparthadatfirstofcoursebeenjocular;butstrangetosayitwasquitethegroundIfoundmyselftakingwithregardtoouryoungladyafterIhadbeguntoknowher.

Icouldn'thavesaidwhatIfeltaboutherexceptthatshewasundefended;fromthefirstofmysittingwithherthereafterdinner,underthestars--thatwasaweekatFolkestoneofbalmynightsandmuffledtidesandcrowdedchairs--Ibecameawareboththatprotectionwaswhollyabsentfromherlifeandthatshewaswhollyindifferenttoitsabsence.Theoddthingwasthatshewasnotappealing:

shewasabjectly,divinelyconceited,absurdlyfantasticallypleased.Herbeautywasasyetalltheworldtoher,aworldshehadplentytodotolivein.Mrs.Meldrumtoldmemoreabouther,andtherewasnothingthat,asthecentreofagroupofgiggling,nudgingspectators,Florawasn'treadytotellaboutherself.Sheheldherlittlecourtinthecrowd,uponthegrass,playingherlightoverJewsandGentiles,completelyateaseinallpromiscuities.Itwasaneffectofthesethingsthatfromtheveryfirst,witheveryonelistening,Icouldmentionthatmymainbusinesswithherwouldbejusttohaveagoatherheadandtoarrangeinthatviewforanearlysitting.Itwouldhavebeenasimpossible,Ithink,tobeimpertinenttoherasitwouldhavebeentothrowastoneataplate-glasswindow;soanytalkthatwentforwardonthebasisofherlovelinesswasthemostnaturalthingintheworldandimmediatelybecamethemostgeneralandsociable.

ItwaswhenIsawallthisthatIjudgedhow,thoughitwasthelastthingsheaskedfor,whatonewouldevermosthaveatherservicewasacuriouscompassion.Thatsentimentwascolouredbythevisionof