There was to be a private inspection5 of the picture at the studio of the artist, and Mr. Phoebus had invited Lothair to attend it. Our friend had accordingly, on the appointed day, driven down to Belmont and then walked to the residence of Mr. Phoebus with Colonel Campian and his wife. It was a short and pretty walk, entirely6 through the royal park, which the occupiers of Belmont had the traditionary privilege thus to use.
The residence of Mr. Phoebus was convenient and agreeable, and in situation not unlike that of Belmont, being sylvan7 and sequestered8. He had himself erected9 a fine studio, and added it to the original building. The flower-garden was bright and curious, and on the lawn was a tent of many colors, designed by himself and which might have suited some splendid field of chivalry10. Upon gilt11 and painted perches12, also, there were paroquets and macaws.
Lothair on his arrival found many guests assembled, chiefly on the lawn. Mr. Phoebus was highly esteemed13, and had distinguished14 and eminent15 friends, whose constant courtesies the present occasion allowed him elegantly to acknowledge. There was a polished and gray-headed noble who was the head of the patrons of art in England, whose nod of approbation16 sometimes made the fortune of a young artist, and whose purchase of pictures for the nation even the furious cognoscenti of the House of Commons dared not question. Some of the finest works of Mr. Phoebus were to be found in his gallery; but his lordship admired Madame Phoebus even more than her husband’s works, and Euphrosyne as much as her sister. It was sometimes thought, among their friends, that this young lady had only to decide in order to share the widowed coronet; but Euphrosyne laughed at every thing, even her adorers; and, while her witching mockery only rendered them more fascinated, it often prevented critical declarations.
And Lady Beatrice was there, herself an artist, and full of aesthetical enthusiasm. Her hands were beautiful, and she passed her life in modelling them. And Cecrops was there, a rich old bachelor, with, it was supposed, the finest collection of modern pictures extant. His theory was, that a man could not do a wiser thing than invest the whole of his fortune in such securities, and it led him to tell his numerous nephews and nieces that he should, in all probability, leave his collection to the nation.
Clorinda, whose palace was always open to genius, and who delighted in the society of men who had discovered planets, excavated17 primeval mounds18, painted pictures on new principles, or composed immortal19 poems which no human being could either scan or construe20, but which she delighted in as “subtle” and full of secret melody, came leaning on the arms of a celebrated21 plenipotentiary, and beaming with sympathy on every subject, and with the consciousness of her universal charms.
And the accomplished22 Sir Francis was there, and several R. A. s of eminence23, for Phoebus was a true artist, and loved the brotherhood24, and always placed them in the post of honor.
No language can describe the fascinating costume of Madame Phoebus and her glittering sister. “They are habited as sylvans,” the great artist deigned25 to observe, if any of his guests could not refrain from admiring the dresses; which he had himself devised. As for the venerable patron of art in Britain, he smiled when he met the lady of the house, and sighed when he glanced at Euphrosyne; but the first gave him a beautiful flower, and the other fastened it in his button-hole. He looked like a victim bedecked by the priestesses of some old fane of Hellenic loveliness, and proud of his impending26 fate. What could the Psalmist mean in the immortal passage? Three-score-and-ten, at the present day, is the period of romantic passions. As for our enamoured sexagenarians, they avenge27 the theories of our cold-hearted youth.
Mr. Phoebus was an eminent host. It delighted him to see people pleased, and pleased under his influence. He had a belief, not without foundation, that every thing was done better under his roof than under that of any other person. The banquet in the air on the present occasion could only be done justice to by the courtly painters of the reign28 of Louis XV. Vanloo, and Watteau, and Lancres, would have caught the graceful29 group and the well-arranged colors, and the faces, some pretty, some a little affected30; the ladies on fantastic chairs of wicker-work, gilt and curiously31 painted; the gentlemen reclining on the turf, or bending behind them with watchful32 care. The little tables all different, the soups in delicate cups of Sevres, the wines in golden glass of Venice, the ortolans, the Italian confectionery, the endless bouquets33, were worthy34 of the soft and invisible music that resounded35 from the pavilion, only varied36 by the coquettish scream of some macaw, jealous, amid all this novelty and excitement, of not being noticed.
“It is a scene of enchantment,” whispered the chief patron of British art to Madame Phoebus.
“I always think luncheon37 in the air rather jolly,” said Madame Phoebus.
“It is perfect romance!” murmured the chief patron of British art to Euphrosyne.
“With a due admixture of reality,” she said, helping38 him to an enormous truffle, which she extracted from its napkin. “You know you must eat it with butter.”
Lothair was glad to observe that, though in refined society, none were present with whom he had any previous acquaintance, for he had an instinctive39 feeling that if Hugo Bohun had been there, or Bertram, or the Duke of Brecon, or any ladies with whom he was familiarly acquainted, he would scarcely have been able to avail himself of the society of Theodora with the perfect freedom which he now enjoyed. They would all have been asking who she was, where she came from, how long Lothair had known her, all those questions, kind and neighborly, which under such circumstances occur. He was in a distinguished circle, but one different from that in which he lived. He sat next to Theodora, and Mr. Phoebus constantly hovered40 about them, ever doing something very graceful, or saying something very bright. Then he would whisper a word to the great Clorinda, who flashed intelligence from her celebrated eyes, and then he made a suggestion to the aesthetical Lady Beatrice, who immediately fell into enthusiasm and eloquence41, and took the opportunity of displaying her celebrated hands.
The time had now arrived when they were to repair to the studio and view the picture. A curtain was over it, and then a silken rope across the chamber42, and then some chairs. The subject of the picture was Hero and Leander, chosen by the heir of all the Russias himself, during a late visit to England.
“A fascinating subject,” said old Cecrops to Mr. Phoebus, “but not a very original one.”
“The originality43 of a subject is in its treatment,” was the reply.
The theme, in the present instance, was certainly not conventionally treated. When the curtain was withdrawn44, they beheld45 a figure of life-like size, exhibiting in undisguised completeness the perfection of the female form, and yet the painter had so skilfully46 availed himself of the shadowy and mystic hour, and of some gauze-like drapery, which veiled without concealing47 his design, that the chastest eye might gaze on his heroine with impunity48. The splendor49 of her upstretched arms held high the beacon-light, which thew a glare upon the sublime50 anxiety of her countenance51, while all the tumult52 of the Hellespont, the waves, the scudding53 sky, the opposite shore revealed by a blood-red flash, were touched by the hand of a master who had never failed.
The applause was a genuine verdict, and the company after a time began to disperse54 about the house and gardens. A small circle remained, and, passing the silken rope, approached and narrowly scrutinized55 the picture. Among these were Theodora and Lothair, the chief patron of British art, an R. A. or two, Clorinda, and Lady Beatrice.
Mr. Phoebus, who left the studio but had now returned, did not disturb them. After a while he approached the group. His air was elate, and was redeemed56 only from arrogance57 by the intellect of his brow. The circle started a little as they heard his voice, for they had been unaware58 of his presence.
“To-morrow,” he said, “the critics will commence. You know who the critics are? The men who have failed in literature and art.”
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1
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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celebrity
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| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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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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sylvan
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| adj.森林的 | |
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sequestered
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| adj.扣押的；隐退的；幽静的；偏僻的v.使隔绝，使隔离( sequester的过去式和过去分词 )；扣押 | |
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9
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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11
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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perches
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| 栖息处( perch的名词复数 )； 栖枝； 高处； 鲈鱼 | |
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13
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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14
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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excavated
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| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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18
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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construe
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| v.翻译，解释 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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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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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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28
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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32
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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33
bouquets
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| n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香 | |
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34
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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36
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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38
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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40
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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41
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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42
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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43
originality
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| n.创造力，独创性；新颖 | |
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44
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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45
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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46
skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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47
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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48
impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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49
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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50
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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51
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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52
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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53
scudding
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| n.刮面v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的现在分词 ) | |
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54
disperse
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| vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散 | |
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55
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
redeemed
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| adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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57
arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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58
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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