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DEATH OF THE LION.TXT-Part5_HENRY JAMES(1843-1916)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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to go, but it's not impossible he had operated as a bait to the

illustrious stranger. The party had been made up for him, Mrs.



Wimbush averred, and every one was counting on it, the dear

Princess most of all. If he was well enough he was to read them



something absolutely fresh, and it was on that particular prospect

the Princess had set her heart. She was so fond of genius in ANY



walk of life, and was so used to it and understood it so well: she

was the greatest of Mr. Paraday's admirers, she devoured everything



he wrote. And then he read like an angel. Mrs. Wimbush reminded

me that he had again and again given her, Mrs. Wimbush, the



privilege of listening to him.

I looked at her a moment. "What has he read to you?" I crudely



enquired.

For a moment too she met my eyes, and for the fraction of a moment



she hesitated and coloured. "Oh all sorts of things!"

I wondered if this were an imperfect recollection or only a perfect



fib, and she quite understood my unuttered comment on her measure

of such things. But if she could forget Neil Paraday's beauties



she could of course forget my rudeness, and three days later she

invited me, by telegraph, to join the party at Prestidge. This



time she might indeed have had a story about what I had given up to

be near the master. I addressed from that fine residence several



communications to a young lady in London, a young lady whom, I

confess, I quitted with reluctance and whom the reminder of what



she herself could give up was required to make me quit at all. It

adds to the gratitude I owe her on other grounds that she kindly



allows me to transcribe from my letters a few of the passages in

which that hatefulsojourn is candidly commemorated.



CHAPTER IX.

"I SUPPOSE I ought to enjoy the joke of what's going on here," I



wrote, "but somehow it doesn't amuse me. Pessimism on the contrary

possesses me and cynicism deeply engages. I positively feel my own



flesh sore from the brass nails in Neil Paraday's social harness.

The house is full of people who like him, as they mention, awfully,



and with whom his talent for talking nonsense has prodigious

success. I delight in his nonsense myself; why is it therefore



that I grudge these happy folk their artless satisfaction? Mystery

of the human heart - abyss of the critical spirit! Mrs. Wimbush



thinks she can answer that question, and as my want of gaiety has

at last worn out her patience she has given me a glimpse of her



shrewd guess. I'm made restless by the selfishness of the

insincere friend - I want to monopolise Paraday in order that he



may push me on. To be intimate with him is a feather in my cap; it

gives me an importance that I couldn't naturally pretend to, and I



seek to deprive him of social refreshment because I fear that

meeting more disinterested people may enlighten him as to my real



motive. All the disinterested people here are his particular

admirers and have been carefully selected as such. There's



supposed to be a copy of his last book in the house, and in the

hall I come upon ladies, in attitudes, bending gracefully over the



first volume. I discreetly avert my eyes, and when I next look

round the precarious joy has been superseded by the book of life.



There's a sociable circle or a confidential couple, and the

relinquished volume lies open on its face and as dropped under



extreme coercion. Somebody else presently finds it and transfers

it, with its air of momentarydesolation, to another piece of



furniture. Every one's asking every one about it all day, and

every one's telling every one where they put it last. I'm sure



it's rather smudgy about the twentieth page. I've a strong

impression, too, that the second volume is lost - has been packed



in the bag of some departing guest; and yet everybody has the

impression that somebody else has read to the end. You see



therefore that the beautiful book plays a great part in our

existence. Why should I take the occasion of such distinguished






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