The bright and warm weather was tonic5; it accounted for the whole temperament6 of Parisians. Under such a sky, with such a delicate pricking7 vitalisation in the air, it was impossible not to be Parisian. The trees, all arranged in beautiful perspectives, were coming into leaf, and through their screens could be seen everywhere children shouting as they played at ball and top, and both kinds of nurses, and scores of perambulators and mothers, and a few couples dallying8 with their sensations, and old men reading papers, and old women knitting and relating anecdotes9 or entire histories. And nobody was curious beyond his own group. The people were perfectly10 at home in this grandiose11 setting of gardens and fountains and grey palaces, with theatres, boulevards and the odour and roar of motor-buses just beyond the palisades. And Miss Ingate in the exciting sunshine gazed around with her subdued12 Essex grin, as if saying: “It’s the most topsy-turvy planet that I was ever on, and why am I, of all people, trying to make this canvas look like a piece of sculpture and a street?”
“Now, Miss Ingate,” said tall red-haired Tommy, who was standing13 over her. “Before you go any farther, do look at the line of roofs and see how interesting it is; it’s really full of interest. And you’ve simply not got on speaking terms with it yet.”
“No more I have! No more I have!” cried Miss Ingate, glancing round at Audrey, who was swinging her racket. “Thank you, Tommy. I ought to have thought of it for my own sake, because roofs are so much easier than statues, and I must get an effect somewhere, mustn’t I?”
Tommy winked14 at Audrey. But Tommy’s wink15 was as naught16 to the great invisible wink of Miss Ingate, the everlasting17 wink that derided18 the universe and the sun himself.
Then Musa appeared, with paraphernalia19, at the end of a path. Accompanying him was a specimen20 of the creature known on tennis lawns as “a fourth.” He was almost nameless, tall, very young, with the seedlings21 of a moustache and a space of nude22 calf23 between his knickerbockers and his socks. He was very ceremonious, shy, ungainly and blushful. He played a fair-to-middling game; and nothing more need be said of him.
Musa by contrast was an accomplished24 man of the world, and the fact that the fourth obviously regarded him as a hero helped Musa to behave in a manner satisfactory to himself in front of these English and American women, so strange, so exotic, so kind, and so disconcerting. Musa looked upon Britain as a romantic isle25 where people died for love. And as for America, in his mind it was as sinister26, as wondrous27, and as fatal as the Indies might seem to a bank clerk in Bradford. He had need of every moral assistance in this or any other social ordeal28. For, though he was still the greatest violinist in Paris, and perhaps in the world, he could not yet prove this profound truth by the only demonstration29 which the world accepts.
If he played in studios he was idolised. If he played at small concerts in unknown halls he was received with rapture30. But he was never lionised. The great concert halls never saw him on their platforms; his name was never in the newspapers; and hospitable31 personages never fought together for his presence at their tables, even if occasionally they invited him to perform for charity in return for a glass of claret and a sandwich. Monsieur Dauphin had attempted to force the invisible barriers for him, but without success. All his admirers in the Quarter stuck to it that he was in the rank of Kreisler and Ysaye; at the same time they were annoyed with him inasmuch as he did not force the world to acknowledge the prophetic good taste of the Quarter. And Musa made mistakes. He ought to have arrived at studios in a magnificent automobile32, and to have given superb and uproarious repasts, and to have rendered innumerable women exquisitely33 unhappy. Whereas he arrived by tube or bus, never offered hospitality of any sort, and was like a cat with women. Hence the attitude of the Quarter was patronising, as if the Quarter had said: “Yes, he is the greatest violinist in Paris and perhaps in the world; but that’s all, and it isn’t enough.”
The young man and the boy made ready for the game as for a gladiatorial display. Their frowning seriousness proved that they had comprehended the true British idea of sport. Musa came round the net to Audrey’s side, but Audrey said in French:
“Miss Thompkins and I will play together. See, we are going to beat you and Gustave.”
“Play!” he muttered, in a thick and threatening voice, whose depth was the measure of his nervousness.
He served a double fault to Tommy, and then a fault to Audrey. The fourth ball he got over. Audrey played it. The two males rushed with appalling35 force together on the centre line in pursuit, and a terrible collision occurred. Musa fell away from Gustave as from a wall. When he arose out of the pebbly36 dust his right arm hung very limp from the shoulder. No sooner had he risen than he sank again, and the blood began to leave his face, and his eyes closed. The fourth, having recovered from the collision, knelt down by his side, and gazed earnestly at him. Tommy and Audrey hurried towards the statuesque group, and Audrey was thinking: “Why did I refuse to let him play with me? If he had played with me there would have been no accident.” She reproached herself because she well knew that only out of the most absurd contrariness had she repulsed37 Musa. Or was it that she had repulsed him from fear of something that Tommy might say or look?
In a few seconds, strongly drawn38 by this marvellous piece of luck, promenaders were darting39 with joyous40 rapidity from north, south, east and west to witness the tragedy. There were nurses with coloured streamers six feet long, lusty children, errand boys, lads, and sundry41 nondescript men, some of whom carefully folded up their newspapers as they hurried to the cynosure42. They beheld43 the body as though it were a corpse44, and the corpse of an enemy; they formulated45 and discussed theories of the event; they examined minutely the rackets which had been thrown on the ground. They were exercising the immemorial rights of unmoved curiosity; they held themselves as indifferent as gods, and the murmur46 of their impartial voices floated soothingly47 over Musa, and the shadow of their active profiles covered him from the sparkling sunshine. Somebody mentioned policemen, in the plural48, but none came. All remarked in turn that the ladies were English, as though that were a sufficient explanation of the whole affair.
No one said:
“It is Musa, the greatest violinist in Paris and perhaps in Europe.”
Desperately49 Audrey stooped and seized Musa beneath the armpits to lift him to a sitting position.
But Audrey still struggled with the mass, convinced that she was showing initiative and firmness of character. The fourth with fierce vigour52 began to aid her, and another youth from the crowd was joining the enterprise when Miss Ingate arrived from her stool.
“drop him, you silly little thing!” adjured53 Miss Ingate. “Instead of lifting his head you ought to lift his feet.”
Audrey stared uncertain for a moment, and then let the mass subside54. Whereupon Miss Ingate with all her strength lifted both legs to the height of her waist, giving Musa the appearance of a wheelless barrow.
“You want to let the blood run into his head,” said Miss Ingate with a self-conscious grin at the increasing crowd. “People only faint because the blood leaves their heads—that’s why they go pale.”
Musa’s cheeks showed a tinge55 of red. You could almost see the precious blood being decanted56 by Miss Ingate out of the man’s feet into his head. In a minute he opened his eyes. Miss Ingate lowered the legs.
“It was only the pain that made him feel queer,” she said.
The episode was over, and the crowd very gradually and reluctantly scattered57, disappointed at the lack of a fatal conclusion. Musa stood up, smiling apologetically, and Audrey supported him by the left arm, for the right could not be touched.
“Hadn’t you better take him home, Mrs. Moncreiff?” Tommy suggested. “You can get a taxi here in the Rue de Vaugirard.” She did not smile, but her green eyes glinted.
And Tommy’s eyes glinted still more.
“And I shall get a doctor,” said Audrey. “His arm may be broken.”
“Well, if it is, I can’t set it,” said Miss Ingate quizzically. “I was getting on so well with the high lights on that statue. I’ll come along back to the studio in about half an hour.”
The fourth, who had been hovering60 near like a criminal magnetised by his crime, bounded off furiously at the suggestion that he should stop a taxi at the entrance to the gardens.
“I hope he has broken his arm and he can never play any more,” thought Audrey, astoundingly, as she and the fourth helped pale Musa into the open taxi. “It will just serve those two right.” She meant Miss Ingate and Tommy.
No sooner did the taxi start than Musa began to cry. He did not seem to care that he was in the midst of a busy street, with a piquant61 widow by his side.
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1
impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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cosmopolitan
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| adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的 | |
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sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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pricking
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| 刺，刺痕，刺痛感 | |
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dallying
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| v.随随便便地对待( dally的现在分词 )；不很认真地考虑；浪费时间；调情 | |
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anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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grandiose
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| adj.宏伟的，宏大的，堂皇的，铺张的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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13
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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14
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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16
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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18
derided
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
paraphernalia
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| n.装备；随身用品 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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seedlings
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| n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 ) | |
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22
nude
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| adj.裸体的；n.裸体者，裸体艺术品 | |
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calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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24
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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28
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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30
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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31
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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33
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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pebbly
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| 多卵石的，有卵石花纹的 | |
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37
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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38
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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39
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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40
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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41
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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42
cynosure
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| n.焦点 | |
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43
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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44
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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45
formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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46
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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47
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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48
plural
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| n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的 | |
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49
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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50
ironic
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| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
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51
innuendo
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| n.暗指，讽刺 | |
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52
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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53
adjured
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| v.（以起誓或诅咒等形式）命令要求( adjure的过去式和过去分词 )；祈求；恳求 | |
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54
subside
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| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
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55
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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56
decanted
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| v.将（酒等）自瓶中倒入另一容器( decant的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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58
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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59
concurred
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| 同意（concur的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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60
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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61
piquant
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| adj.辛辣的，开胃的，令人兴奋的 | |
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