the fortunes of oliver horn-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Mr。　Crocker。〃

〃What　Mr。　Crocker？〃　She　arched　her　eyebrows　and　looked　at　him　in　surprise。　The　name　came　as　a　shock。　She　knew　of　Mr。　Crocker；　of　course；　but　she　wanted　Oliver　to　describe　him。　Surely；　she　thought；　with　a　sudden　sense　of　alarm；　the　boy　has　not　fallen　in　love　with　the　daughter　of　that　shabby　old　man。

〃Why；　the　landscape…painterthe　one　father　knows。　I　have　been　taking　drawing　lessons　of　him　and　he　says　I've　got　a　lot　of　talent　and　that　all　I　want　is　practice。　He　says　that　if　I　begin　now　and　draw　from　the　cast　three　or　four　hours　a　day　that　by　the　end　of　the　year　I　can　begin　in　color；　and　then　I　can　go　to　New　York　and　study；　and　then　to　Paris。〃

The　little　lady　scrutinized　him　from　under　her　eyelids。　The　boy's　enthusiasm　always　delighted　her；　she　would　often　forget　what　he　was　talking　about；　so　interested　was　she　in　following　his　gestures　as　he　spoke。

〃And　what　then？〃

〃Why　then　I　can　be　a　painter；　of　course。　Isn't　that　a　great　deal　better　than　sitting　every　day　in　Judge　Ellicott's　dingy　office　reading　law…books？　I　hate　the　law！〃

〃And　you　love　Mr。　Crocker？〃

〃Yes；　don't　you？〃

〃I　don't　know　him；　Ollie。　Tell　me　what　he　is　like。〃

〃Well；　he　isn't　young　any　more。　He's　about　father's　age；　but　he's　a　splendid　old　man；　and　he's　so　poor！　Nobody　buys　his　pictures；　nor　appreciates　him；　and；　just　think；　he　has　to　paint　portraits　and　dogs　and　anything　he　can　get　to　do。　Don't　you　think　that's　a　shame？　Nobody　goes　to　see　him　but　father　and　Uncle　Nat　and　one　or　two　others。　They　don't　seem　to　think　him　a　gentleman。〃　He　was　putting　the　case　so　as　to　enlist　all　her　sympathies　at　once。

〃He　has　a　daughter；　hasn't　he？〃　She　was　probing　him　quietly　and　without　haste。　Time　enough　for　her　sympathies　to　work　when　she　got　at　the　facts。

〃Yes；　but　I　don't　like　her　very　much；　for　I　don't　think　she's　very　good　to　him。〃　Miss　Clendenning　smothered　a　little　sigh　of　relief；　there　was　no　danger；　thank　Heaven；　in　that　direction！　What；　then；　could　he　want；　she　thought　to　herself。

〃And　he's　so　different　from　anybody　I　ever　met；〃　Oliver　continued。　〃He　doesn't　talk　about　horses　and　duck…shooting　and　politics；　or　music　or　cards　like　everyone　you　meet；　except　Daddy；　but　he　talks　about　pictures　and　artists　and　great　men。　Just　think；　he　was　a　young　student　in　Dusseldorf　for　two　years；　and　then　he　shouldered　a　knapsack　and　tramped　all　through　Switzerland；　painting　as　he　went；　and　often　paying　for　his　lodgings　with　his　sketches。　Then　he　was　in　Paris　for　ever　so　long；　and　now　he　is　here；　where〃

〃Where　you　tell　me　he　is　painting　dogs　for　a　living；〃　interrupted　Miss　Clendenning。　〃Do　you　think；　you　young　scapegrace；　that　this　would　be　better　　than　being　a　lawyer　like　Judge　Ellicott？〃　and　she　turned　upon　him　with　one　of　her　quick　outbursts　of　mock　indignation。

〃But　I'm　not　going　to　paint　dogs；〃　he　replied；　with　some　impatience。　〃I　am　going　to　paint　women；　like　the　Sir　Peter　Lely　that　Uncle　John　Tilghman　has。　Oh；　she's　a　beauty！　I　took　Mr。　Crocker　to　see　her　the　other　day。　It　had　just　been　brought　in　from　the　country；　you　know。　You　should　have　heard　him　go　on。　He　says　there's　nobody　who　can　paint　a　portrait　　like　it　nowadays。　He　raved　about　her。　You　know　it　is　Uncle　John　Tilghman's　grandmother　when　she　was　a　girl。〃　His　voice　suddenly　dropped　to　a　more　serious　tone　as　he　imparted　this　last　bit　of　information。

Miss　Clendenning　knew　whose　grandmother　it　was；　and　knew　and　loved　every　tone　in　the　canvas。　It　had　hung　in　the　Tilghman　Manor…House　for　years　and　was　one　of　its　most　precious　treasures；　but　she　did　not　intend　to　stop　and　discuss　it　now。

〃Mr。　Crocker　wants　me　to　copy　it　just　as　soon　as　I　draw　a　little　better。　Uncle　John　will　let　me；　I　know。〃

Miss　Clendenning　tapped　her　foot　in　a　noiseless　tattoo　upon　the　stool；　and　for　a　time　looked　off　into　space。　She　wanted　to　draw　him　out；　to　know　from　what　depth　this　particular　enthusiasm　had　sprung。　She　was　accustomed　to　his　exuberance　of　spirits；　it　was　one　of　the　many　things　she　loved　him　for。　If　this　new　craze　were　but　an　idle　fancy；　and　he　had　had　many　of　them；　it　would　wear　itself　out；　and　the　longer　they　talked　about　it　the　better。　If；　however；　it　sprang　from　an　inborn　taste；　and　was　the　first　　indication　of　a　hitherto　undeveloped　talent　forcing　itself　　to　the　surface；　the　situation　was　one　demanding　the　greatest　caution。　Twigs　like　Oliver　bent　at　the　wrong　time　might　never　straighten　out　again。

〃And　why　did　you　come　to　me　about　this；　Ollie；　why　don't　you　talk　to　your　father？〃

〃I　have。　He　doesn't　object。　He　says　that　Mr。　Crocker　is　one　of　the　rare　men　of　the　time；　and　that　only　inexperience　among　the　people　here　prevents　him　from　being　appreciated。　That's　what　he　goes　to　see　him　for。　It　isn't　father　that　worries　me；　it's　mother。　I　know　just　whet　she'll　say。　She's　got　her　heart　set　on　my　studying　law；　and　she　won't　listen　to　anything　else。　I　wouldn't　object　to　the　law　if　I　cared　for　it；　but　I　don't。　That's　what　makes　it　come　so　hard。〃

〃And　you　want　me　to　speak　to　your　mother？〃

〃Yes；　of　course。　That's　just　what　I　DO　want　you　to　do。　Nobody　can　help　me　but　you；〃　he　cried　with　that　coaxing　manner　which　would　have　seemed　effeminate　until　one　looked　at　his　well…built；　muscular　　body　and　the　firm　lines　about　his　mouth。　〃You　tell　her　of　all　the　painters　you　knew　in　London　when　you　lived　there；　and　of　what　they　do　and　how　they　are　looked　up　to；　and　that　some　of　them　are　gentlemen　　and　not　idlers　and　loafers。　Mother　will　listen　to　you；　I　know；　and　maybe　then　when　I　tell　her　it　won't　be　such　a　shock　to　her。　Do　you　know　it　is　incomprehensible　to　me；　all　this　contempt　for　people　who　don't　do　just　the　same　things　that　their　grandfathers　　did。　And　how　do　I　know；　too；　that　they　are　right　about　it　all？　It　seems　to　me　that　when　a　man　is　born　a　gentleman　and　is　a　gentleman　he　can　follow　any　occupation　he　pleases。　Instead　of　his　trade　making　　him　respectable　he　should　make　IT　so。〃　He　spoke　with　a　virility　she　had　never　suspected　in　him　before；　this　boy　whom　she　had　held　in　her　arms　as　a　baby　and　who　was　still　only　the　child　to　her。

〃But；　Ollie；〃　she　interrupted；　in　some　surprise；　〃you　must　never　forget　that　you　are　your　father's　son。　No　one　is　absolutely　independent　in　this　world；　everyone　has　his　family　to　consider。〃　She　was　becoming　　not　only　interested　now；　but　anxious。　Mr。　Crocker　had　evidently　been　teaching　the　boy　something　　besides　the　way　to　use　his　pencil。　Such　democratic　　ideas　were　rare　in　Kennedy　Square。

〃Yes；　I　know　what　you　mean。〃　He　had　sprung　from　his　seat　now　and　was　standing　over　her；　she　looking　up　into　his　face。　〃You　mean　that　it　is　all　right　for　me　to　go　into　old　Mr。　Wardell's　counting…　house　because　he　sells　coffee　by　the　cargo；　but　that　I　can't　take　a　situation　in　Griggson's　grocery　here　on　the　corner　because　he　sells　coffee　by　the　pound。　You　mean；　too；　that　it　is　possible　for　a　man　to　be　a　professor　　or　president　of　a　college　and　still　be　a　gentleman；　　but　if　he　teaches　in　the　public　school　he　is　done　for。　You　mean；　too；　that　I　could　saw　off　a　patient's　leg　and　still　be　invited　to　Uncle　Tilghman's　house　to　dinner；　but　that　if　I　pulled　out　one　of　his　teeth　I　could　only　eat　in　his　kitchen。〃

Miss　Clendenning　threw　back　her　head　and　laughed　until　the　combs　in　her　side…curls　needed　refastening；　but　she　did　not　interrupt　him。

〃I　can't　get　this　sort　of　thing　into　my　head　and　I　never　will。　And　father　doesn't　believe　in　it　any　more　than　I　do；　and　I　don't　think　that　mother　would　if　it　wasn't　for　a　lot　of　old　people　who　live　around　this　square　and　who　talk　of　nothing　all　day　but　their　relations　and　think　there's　nobody　worth　knowing　but　themselves。　Now；　you've　GOT　to　talk　to　mother；　I　won't　take　no　for　an　answer；〃　and　he　threw　himself　　down　beside　her　again。　〃Come；　dear　Midget；　hold　up　your　right　hand　and　promise　me　now；　before　　I　let　you　go；〃　he　pleaded　in　his　wheedling　way　that　made　him　so　lovable　to　his　intimates；　catching　her　two　hands　in　his　and　holding　them　tight。

Of　course　she　promised。　Had　she　ever　refused　him　anything？　And　Oliver；　a　boy　again；　now　that　his　confessions　were　made；　kissed　her　joyously　on　both　cheeks　and　instantly　forgetting　his　troubles　as　his　habit　was　when　prospects　of　relief　had　opened；　he　launched　out　into　an　account　of　a　wonderful　adventure　　Mr。　Crocker　once　had　in　an　old　town　in　Italy；　where　he　was　locked　up　over…night　in　a　convent　　by　mistake；　and　how　he　had　slept　on　his　knapsack　　in　the　chapel；　and　what　the　magistrate　had　said　to　him　the　next　day；　and　how　he　had　to　paint　a　portrait　　of　that　suspicious　officer　to　prove　he　was　a　painter　and　a　man　of　the　best　intentions。　In　his　enthusiasm　he　not　only　acted　the　scene；　but　he　imitated　the　gesture　and　dialect　of　the　several　parties　to　the　escapade　so　perfectly　that　the　little　lady；　in　her　delight　over　the　story；　quite　forgot　her　anxiety　and　even　the　musicale　itself；　and　only　remembered　the　quartette　when　Malachi；　bowing　obsequiously　before　her；　said：

〃Dey's　a…waitin'　for　you；　Miss　Lavinia。　Mister　Unger　done　come　and　Marse　Richard　say　he　can't　wait　a　minute。〃

When　she　and　Oliver　entered　the　drawing…room　the　'cellist　was　the　centre　of　the　group。　He　was　stripping　off　the　green　baize　cover　from　his　instrument　　and　at　the　same　time　was　apologizing；　in　his　broken　English；　for　being　so　late。