Thus three weeks passed without apparent change in their relations. Ernest possessed1 a personal magnetism2 that, always emanating3 from him, was felt most deeply when withdrawn4. He was at all times involuntarily exerting his power, which she ever resisted, always on the alert, always warding6 off.
When at last pressure of work made his immediate7 departure for New York imperative8, he had not apparently9 gained the least ground. But Ethel knew in her heart that she was fascinated, if not in love. The personal fascination10 was supplemented by a motherly feeling toward Ernest that, sensuous11 in essence, was in itself not far removed from love. She struggled bravely and with external success against her emotions, never losing sight of the fact that twenty and thirty are fifty.
Increasingly aware of her own weakness, she constantly attempted to lead the conversation into impersonal12 channels, speaking preferably of his work.
"Tell me," she said, negligently13 fanning herself, "what new inspiration have you drawn5 from your stay at the seaside?"
"Why," he exclaimed enthusiastically, "volumes and volumes of it. I shall write the great novel of my life after I am once more quietly installed at Riverside Drive."
"The great American novel?" she rejoined.
"Perhaps."
"Who will be your hero--Clarke?"
There was a slight touch of malice14 in her words, or rather in the pause between the penultimate word and the last. Ernest detected its presence, and knew that her love for Reginald was dead. Stiff and cold it lay in her heart's chamber--beside how many others?--all emboxed in the coffin15 of memory.
"No," he replied after a while, a little piqued16 by her suggestion, "Clarke is not the hero. What makes you think that he casts a spell on everything I do?"
"Dear child," she replied, "I know him. He cannot fail to impress his powerful personality upon all with whom he comes in contact, to the injury of their intellectual independence. Moreover, he is so brilliant and says everything so much better than anybody else, that by his very splendor17 he discourages effort in others. At best his influence will shape your development according to the tenets of his mind--curious, subtle and corrupted18. You will become mentally distorted, like one of those hunchback Japanese trees, infinitely19 wrinkled and infinitely grotesque20, whose laws of growth are not determined21 by nature, but by the diseased imagination of the East."
"I am no weakling," Ernest asserted, "and your picture of Clarke is altogether out of perspective. His splendid successes are to me a source of constant inspiration. We have some things in common, but I realise that it is along entirely22 different lines that success will come to me. He has never sought to influence me, in fact, I never received the smallest suggestion from him." Here the Princess Marigold seemed to peer at him through the veil of the past, but he waved her aside. "As for my story," he continued, "you need not go so far out of your way to find the leading character?"
"Who can it be?" Ethel remarked, with a merry twinkle, "You?"
"Ethel," he said sulkingly, "be serious. You know that it is you."
"I am immensely flattered," she replied. "Really, nothing pleases me better than to be immortalised in print, since I have little hope nowadays of perpetuating23 my name by virtue24 of pencil or brush. I have been put into novels before and am consumed with curiosity to hear the plot of yours."
"If you don't mind, I had rather not tell you just yet," Ernest said. "It's going to be called Leontina--that's you. But all depends on the treatment. You know it doesn't matter much what you say so long as you say it well. That's what counts. At any rate, any indication of the plot at this stage would be decidedly inadequate25."
"I think you are right," she ventured. "By all means choose your own time to tell me. Let's talk of something else. Have you written anything since your delightful26 book of verse last spring? Surely now is your singing season. By the time we are thirty the springs of pure lyric27 passion are usually exhausted28."
Ethel's inquiry29 somehow startled him. In truth, he could find no satisfactory answer. A remark relative to his play--Clarke's play--rose to the threshold of his lips, but he almost bit his tongue as soon as he realised that the strange delusion30 which had possessed him that night still dominated the undercurrents of his cerebration. No, he had accomplished31 but little during the last few months--at least, by way of creative literature. So he replied that he had made money. "That is something," he said. "Besides, who can turn out a masterpiece every week? An artist's brain is not a machine, and in the respite32 from creative work I have gathered strength for the future. But," he added, slightly annoyed, "you are not listening."
His exclamation33 brought her back from the train of thoughts that his words had suggested. For in his reasoning she had recognised the same arguments that she had hourly repeated to herself in defence of her inactivity when she was living under the baneful34 influence of Reginald Clarke. Yes, baneful; for the first time she dared to confess it to herself. In a flash the truth dawned upon her that it was not her love alone, but something else, something irresistable and very mysterious, that had dried up the well of creation in her. Could it be that the same power was now exerting its influence upon the struggling soul of this talented boy? Rack her brains as she might, she could not definitely formulate35 her apprehensions36 and a troubled look came into her eyes.
"Ethel," the boy repeated, impatiently, "why are you not listening? Do you realise that I must leave you in half an hour?"
She looked at him with deep tenderness. Something like a tear lent a soft radiance to her large child-like eyes.
Ernest saw it and was profoundly moved. In that moment he loved her passionately37.
"Foolish boy," she said softly; then, lowering her voice to a whisper: "You may kiss me before you go."
His lips gently touched hers, but she took his head between her hands and pressed her mouth upon his in a long kiss.
Ernest drew back a little awkwardly. He had not been kissed like this before.
"Poet though you are," Ethel whispered, "you have not yet learned to kiss."
She was deeply agitated38 when she noticed that his hand was fumbling39 for the watch in his vest-pocket. She suddenly released him, and said, a little hurt: "No, you must not miss your train. Go by all means."
Vainly Ernest remonstrated40 with her.
"Go to him," she said, and again, "go to him."
With a heavy heart the boy obeyed. He waved his hat to her once more from below, and then rapidly disappeared in the crowd. For a moment strange misgivings41 cramped42 her heart, and something within her called out to him: "Do not go! Do not return to that house." But no sound issued from her lips. Worldly wisdom had sealed them, had stifled43 the inner voice. And soon the boy's golden head was swallowed up in the distance.
收听单词发音 |
1
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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magnetism
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| n.磁性，吸引力，磁学 | |
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emanating
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| v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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warding
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| 监护，守护（ward的现在分词形式） | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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sensuous
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| adj.激发美感的；感官的，感觉上的 | |
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impersonal
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| adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的 | |
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negligently
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malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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piqued
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| v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心） | |
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splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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perpetuating
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| perpetuate的现在进行式 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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lyric
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| n.抒情诗，歌词；adj.抒情的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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baneful
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| adj.有害的 | |
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formulate
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| v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述 | |
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apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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41
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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42
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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43
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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