Neither the crackling of chintz nor the aspect of the faces in the drawing-room was conducive5 to clear psychological analysis. Mr. Ziegler, with a glass of Pilsener by his side on a small table and a cigar in his richly jewelled hand, reposed6 with crossed legs in an easy chair. He had utterly7 recovered from the momentary8 irritation9 caused by Audrey’s attack on Strauss, and his perfect beaming satisfaction with himself made a spectacle which would have distracted an Indian saint from the contemplation of eternity10 and nothingness. Mr. and Mrs. Spatt, seated as far as was convenient from one another on a long sofa, their emaciated11 bodies very upright and alert, gazed with intense expectation at Musa. Musa stood in the middle of the room, tuning12 his violin with little twangs and listening to the twangs as to a secret message.
Miss Nickall, being an invalid13, had excusably gone to bed, and Jane Foley, sharer of her bedroom, had followed. The happy relief on Jane’s face as she said good night to her hosts had testified to the severity of the ordeal14 of hospitality through which she had so heroically passed. She might have been going out of prison instead of going out of the most intellectual drawing-room in Frinton.
Audrey, too, would have liked to retire, for automobiles15 and sensations had exhausted16 her; but just at this point her unreason had begun to operate. She would not leave Musa alone, because Miss Nickall was leaving him alone. Yet she did not feel at all benevolent17 towards Musa. She was angry with him for having quitted Paris. She was angry with him for having said to her, in such a peculiar18 tone: “It’s you I came to London to see.” She was angry with him for not having found an opportunity, during the picnic meal provided for the two new-comers after the regular dinner, to explain why he had come to London to see her. She was angry with him for that dark hostility19 which he had at once displayed towards Mr. Ziegler, though she herself hated the innocent Mr. Ziegler with the ferocity of a woman of the Revolution. And further, she was glad, ridiculously glad, that Musa had come to London to see her. Lastly she was aware of a most irrational20 objection to the manner in which Miss Nickall and Musa said good night to one another, and the obvious fact that Musa in less than an hour had reached terms of familiarity with Jane Foley.
She thought:
“I haven’t the faintest idea why he has given up his practising in Paris to come to see me. But if it is what I feel sure it is, there will be trouble.... Why do I stay in this ghastly drawing-room? I am dying to go to sleep, and I simply detest21 everybody in the room. I detest Musa more than all, because as usual he has been acting22 like a child.... Why can’t you smile at him, Audrey Moze? Why frown and pretend you’re cross when you know you aren’t, Audrey Moze? ... I am cross, and he shall suffer. Was this a time to leave his practising—and the concerts soon coming on? I positively23 prefer this Ziegler man to him. Yes, I do.” So ran her reflections, and they annoyed her.
“What would you wish me to play?” asked Musa, when he had definitely finished twanging. Audrey noticed that his English accent was getting a little less French. She had to admit that, though his appearance was extravagantly24 un-British, it was distinguished25. The immensity of his black silk cravat26 made the black cravat of Mr. Spatt seem like a bootlace round his thin neck.
And as a fact the excellent woman, majestic28 now in spite of her red nose and her excessive thinness, did not care what Musa played. He had merely to play. She had decided29 for herself, from the conversation, that he was a very celebrated30 performer, and she had ascertained31, by direct questioning, that he had never performed in England. She was determined32 to be able to say to all comers till death took her that “Musa—the great Musa, you know—first played in England in my own humble33 drawing-room.” The thing itself was actually about to occur; nothing could stop it from occurring; and the thought of the immediate34 realisation of her desire and ambition gave Mrs. Spatt greater and more real pleasure than she had had for years; it even fortified35 her against the possible resentment36 of her cherished Mr. Ziegler.
“French music—would you wish?” Musa suggested.
“Is there any French music? That is to say, of artistic importance?” asked Mr. Ziegler calmly. “I have never heard of it.”
He was not consciously being rude. Nor was he trying to be funny. His question implied an honest belief. His assertion was sincere. He glanced, blinking slightly, round the room, with a self-confidence that was either terrible or pathetic, according to the degree of your own self-confidence.
Audrey said to herself.
“I’m glad this isn’t my drawing-room.” And she was almost frightened by the thought that that skull37 opposite to her was absolutely impenetrable, and that it would go down to the grave unpierced with all its collection of ideas intact and braggart38.
As for Mr. and Mrs. Spatt they were both in the state of not knowing where to look. Immediately their gaze met another gaze it leapt away as from something dangerous or obscene.
“I will play Debussy’s Toccata for violin solo,” Musa announced tersely39. He had blushed; his great eyes were sparkling. And he began to play.
And as soon as he had played a few bars, Audrey gave a start, fortunately not a physical start, and she blushed also. Musa sternly winked40 at her. Frenchmen do not make a practice of winking42, but he had learnt the accomplishment43 for fun from Miss Thompkins in Paris. The wink41 caused Audrey surreptitiously to observe Mr. and Mrs. Spatt. It was no relief to her to perceive that these two were listening to Debussy’s Toccata for solo violin with the trained and appreciative44 attention of people who had heard it often before in the various capitals of Europe, who knew it by heart, and who knew at just what passages to raise the head, to give a nod of recognition or a gesture of ecstasy45. The bare room was filled with the sound of Musa’s fiddle46 and with the high musical culture of Mr. and Mrs. Spatt. When the piece was over they clapped discreetly47, and looked with soft intensity48 at Audrey, as if murmuring: “You, too, are a cultured cosmopolitan49. You share our emotion.” And across the face of Mrs. Spatt spread a glow triumphant50, for Musa now positively had played for the first time in England in her drawing-room, and she foresaw hundreds of occasions on which she could refer to the matter with a fitting air of casualness. The glow triumphant, however, paled somewhat as she felt upon herself the eye of Mr. Ziegler.
“Where is Siegfried, Alroy?” she demanded, after having thanked Musa. “I wouldn’t have had him miss that Debussy for anything, but I hadn’t noticed that he was gone. He adores Debussy.”
“I think it is like bad Bach,” Mr. Ziegler put in suddenly. Then he raised his glass and imbibed51 a good portion of the beer specially52 obtained and provided for him by his hostess and admirer, Mrs. Spatt.
“Do you really?” murmured Mrs. Spatt, with deprecation.
“There’s something in the comparison,” Mr. Spatt admitted thoughtfully.
“Why not like good Bach?” Musa asked, glaring in a very strange manner at Mr. Ziegler.
“Bosh!” ejaculated Mr. Ziegler with a most notable imperturbability53. “Only Bach himself could com-pose good Bach.”
Musa’s breathing could be heard across the drawing-room.
“Eh bien!“ said Musa. “Now I will play for you Debussy’s Toccata. I was not playing it before. I was playing the Chaconne of Bach, the most famous composition for the violin in the world.”
He did not embroider54 the statement. He left it in its nakedness. Nor did he permit anybody else to embroider it. Before a word of any kind could be uttered he had begun to play again. Probably in all the annals of artistic snobbery55, no cultured cosmopolitan had ever been made to suffer a more exquisite56 moral torture of humiliation57 than Musa had contrived58 to inflict59 upon Mr. and Mrs. Spatt in return for their hospitality. Their sneaped squirmings upon the sofa were terrible to witness. But Mr. Ziegler’s sensibility was apparently60 quite unaffected. He continued to smile, to drink, and to smoke. He seemed to be saying to himself: “What does it matter to me that this miserable61 Frenchman has caught me in a mistake? I could eat him, and one day I shall eat him.”
After a little while Musa snatched out of his right-hand lower waistcoat pocket the tiny wooden “mute” which all violinists carry without fail upon all occasions in all their waistcoats; and, sticking it with marvellous rapidity upon the bridge of the violin, he entered upon a pianissimo, but still lively, episode of the Toccata. And simultaneously62 another melody faint and clear could be heard in the room. It was Mr. Ziegler humming “The Watch on the Rhine” against the Toccata of Debussy. Thus did it occur to Mr. Ziegler to take revenge on Musa for having attempted to humiliate63 him. Not unsurprisingly, Musa detected at once the competitive air. He continued to play, gazing hard at his violin and apparently entranced, but edging little by little towards Mr. Ziegler. Audrey desired either to give a cry or to run out of the room. She did neither, being held to inaction by the spell of Mr. Ziegler’s perfect unconcern as, with the beer glass lifted towards his mouth, he proceeded steadily64 to work through “The Watch on the Rhine,” while Musa lilted out the delicate, gay phrases of Debussy. The enchantment65 upon the whole room was sinister66 and painful. Musa got closer to Mr. Ziegler, who did not blench67 nor cease from his humming. Then suddenly Musa, lowering his fiddle and interrupting the scene, snatched the mute from the bridge of the violin.
“I have put it on the wrong instrument,” he said thickly, with a very French intonation68, and simultaneously he shoved the mute with violence into the mouth of Mr. Ziegler. In doing so, he jerked up Mr. Ziegler’s elbow, and the remains69 of the beer flew up and baptised Mr. Ziegler’s face and vesture. Then he jammed the violin into its case, and ran out of the room.
“Barbare! Imbécile! Sauvage!“ he muttered ferociously70 on the threshold.
The enchantment was broken. Everybody rose, and not the least precipitately71 the streaming Mr. Ziegler, who, ejecting the mute with much spluttering, and pitching away his empty glass, sprang towards the door, with justifiable72 homicide in every movement.
“Mr. Ziegler!” Audrey appealed to him, snatching at his dress-coat and sticking to it.
He turned, furious, his face still dripping the finest Pilsener beer.
“If your dress-coat is not wiped instantly, it will be ruined,” said Audrey.
“Ach! Meiner Frack!“ exclaimed Mr. Ziegler, forgetting his deep knowledge of English. His economic instincts had been swiftly aroused, and they dominated all the other instincts. “Meiner Frack! Vill you vipe it?” His glance was imploring73.
“Oh! Mrs. Spatt will attend to it,” said Audrey with solemnity, and walked out of the room into the hall. There was not a sign of Musa; the disappearance74 of the violinist was disquieting75; and yet it made her glad—so much so that she laughed aloud. A few moments later Mr. Ziegler stalked forth76 from the house which he was never to enter again, and his silent scorn and the grandeur77 of his displeasure were terrific. He entirely78 ignored Audrey, who had nevertheless been the means of saving his Frack for him.
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1
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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austere
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| adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的 | |
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pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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conducive
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| adj.有益的，有助的 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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tuning
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| n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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13
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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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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automobiles
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| n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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17
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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irrational
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| adj.无理性的，失去理性的 | |
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detest
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| vt.痛恨，憎恶 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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23
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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extravagantly
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| adv.挥霍无度地 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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cravat
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| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
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aurora
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| n.极光 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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33
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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34
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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35
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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braggart
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| n.吹牛者；adj.吹牛的，自夸的 | |
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39
tersely
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| adv. 简捷地, 简要地 | |
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40
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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41
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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42
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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43
accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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44
appreciative
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| adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的 | |
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45
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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46
fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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47
discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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48
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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49
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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50
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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51
imbibed
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| v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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52
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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53
imperturbability
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| n.冷静；沉着 | |
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54
embroider
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| v.刺绣于(布)上；给…添枝加叶，润饰 | |
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55
snobbery
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| n. 充绅士气派, 俗不可耐的性格 | |
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56
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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57
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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58
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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59
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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60
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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61
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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humiliate
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| v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace | |
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64
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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67
blench
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| v.退缩，畏缩 | |
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68
intonation
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| n.语调，声调；发声 | |
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69
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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70
ferociously
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| 野蛮地，残忍地 | |
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71
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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72
justifiable
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| adj.有理由的，无可非议的 | |
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73
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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74
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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75
disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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76
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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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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