the madonna of the future-第8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！
not been made on some good bit of honeycombed old panel。 The stately
Serafina hereupon protested that Mr。 Theobald was the soul of honour；
and that he would never lend himself to a deceit。 〃I am not a judge
of genius；〃 she said； 〃and I know nothing of pictures。 I am but a
poor simple widow； but I know that the Signor Teobaldo has the heart
of an angel and the virtue of a saint。 He is my benefactor；〃 she
added sententiously。 The after…glow of the somewhat sinister flush
with which she had greeted me still lingered in her cheek； and
perhaps did not favour her beauty； I could not but fancy it a wise
custom of Theobald's to visit her only by candle…light。 She was
coarse； and her pour adorer was a poet。
〃I have the greatest esteem for him；〃 I said； 〃it is for this reason
that I have been uneasy at not seeing him for ten days。 Have you
seen him？ Is he perhaps ill？〃
〃Ill！ Heaven forbid！〃 cried Serafina； with genuine vehemence。
Her companion uttered a rapid expletive； and reproached her with not
having been to see him。 She hesitated a moment； then she simpered
the least bit and bridled。 〃He comes to see mewithout reproach！
But it would not be the same for me to go to him； though； indeed； you
may almost call him a man of holy life。〃
〃He has the greatest admiration for you；〃 I said。 〃He would have
been honoured by your visit。〃
She looked at me a moment sharply。 〃More admiration than you。 Admit
that！〃 Of course I protested with all the eloquence at my command；
and my mysterious hostess then confessed that she had taken no fancy
to me on my former visit； and that； Theobald not having returned； she
believed I had poisoned his mind against her。 〃It would be no
kindness to the poor gentleman； I can tell you that；〃 she said。 〃He
has come to see me every evening for years。 It's a long friendship！
No one knows him as well as I。〃
〃I don't pretend to know him or to understand him；〃 I said。 〃He's a
mystery！ Nevertheless； he seems to me a little〃 And I touched my
forehead and waved my hand in the air。
Serafina glanced at her companion a moment； as if for inspiration。
He contented himself with shrugging his shoulders as he filled his
glass again。 The padrona hereupon gave me a more softly insinuating
smile than would have seemed likely to bloom on so candid a brow。
〃It's for that that I love him！〃 she said。 〃The world has so little
kindness for such persons。 It laughs at them； and despises them； and
cheats them。 He is too good for this wicked life！ It's his fancy
that he finds a little Paradise up here in my poor apartment。 If he
thinks so； how can I help it？ He has a strange beliefreally； I
ought to he ashamed to tell youthat I resemble the Blessed Virgin：
Heaven forgive me！ I let him think what he pleases； so long as it
makes him happy。 He was very kind to me once； and I am not one that
forgets a favour。 So I receive him every evening civilly； and ask
after his health； and let him look at me on this side and that！ For
that matter； I may say it without vanity； I was worth looking at
once！ And he's not always amusing； poor man！ He sits sometimes for
an hour without speaking a word； or else he talks away； without
stopping； on art and nature； and beauty and duty； and fifty fine
things that are all so much Latin to me。 I beg you to understand
that he has never said a word to me that I mightn't decently listen
to。 He may be a little cracked； but he's one of the blessed saints。〃
〃Eh！〃 cried the man； 〃the blessed saints were all a little cracked！〃
Serafina； I fancied； left part of her story untold； but she told
enough of it to make poor Theobald's own statement seem intensely
pathetic in its exalted simplicity。 〃It's a strange fortune；
certainly；〃 she went on； 〃to have such a friend as this dear mana
friend who is less than a lover and more than a friend。〃 I glanced
at her companion； who preserved an impenetrable smile； twisted the
end of his moustache； and disposed of a copious mouthful。 Was HE
less than a lover？ 〃But what will you have？〃 Serafina pursued。 〃In
this hard world one must not ask too many questions； one must take
what comes and keep what one gets。 I have kept my good friend for
twenty years； and I do hope that； at this time of day； signore； you
have not come to turn him against me！〃
I assured her that I had no such design； and that I should vastly
regret disturbing Mr。 Theobald's habits or convictions。 On the
contrary； I was alarmed about him； and I should immediately go in
search of him。 She gave me his address； and a florid account of her
sufferings at his non…appearance。 She had not been to him for
various reasons； chiefly because she was afraid of displeasing him；
as he had always made such a mystery of his home。 〃You might have
sent this gentleman！〃 I ventured to suggest。
〃Ah；〃 cried the gentleman； 〃he admires the Signora Serafina； but he
wouldn't admire me。〃 And then； confidentially； with his finger on
his nose； 〃He's a purist！〃
I was about to withdraw； after having promised that I would inform
the Signora Serafina of my friend's condition； when her companion；
who had risen from table and girded his loins apparently for the
onset； grasped me gently by the arm； and led me before the row of
statuettes。 〃I perceive by your conversation； signore； that you are
a patron of the arts。 Allow me to request your honourable attention
for these modest products of my own ingenuity。 They are brand…new；
fresh from my atelier； and have never been exhibited in public。 I
have brought them here to receive the verdict of this dear lady； who
is a good critic； for all she may pretend to the contrary。 I am the
inventor of this peculiar style of statuetteof subject； manner；
material； everything。 Touch them； I pray you； handle them freely
you needn't fear。 Delicate as they look； it is impossible they
should break！ My various creations have met with great success。
They are especially admired by Americans。 I have sent them all over
Europeto London； Paris； Vienna！ You may have observed some little
specimens in Paris； on the Boulevard； in a shop of which they
constitute the specialty。 There is always a crowd about the window。
They form a very pleasing ornament for the mantel…shelf of a gay
young bachelor； for the boudoir of a pretty woman。 You couldn't make
a prettier present to a person with whom you wished to exchange a
harmless joke。 It is not classic art； signore； of course； but；
between ourselves； isn't classic art sometimes rather a bore？
Caricature； burlesque； la charge； as the French say； has hitherto
been confined to paper； to the pen and pencil。 Now； it has been my
inspiration to introduce it into statuary。 For this purpose I have
invented a peculiar plastic compound which you will permit me not to
divulge。 That's my secret； signore！ It's as light； you perceive； as
cork； and yet as firm as alabaster！ I frankly confess that I really
pride myself as much on this little stroke of chemical ingenuity as
upon the other element of novelty in my creationsmy types。 What do
you say to my types； signore？ The idea is bold； does it strike you
as happy？ Cats and monkeysmonkeys and catsall human life is
there！ Human life； of course； I mean； viewed with the eye of the
satirist！ To combine sculpture and satire； signore； has been my
unprecedented ambition。 I flatter myself that I have not egregiously
failed。〃
As this jaunty Juvenal of the chimney…piece delivered himself of his
persuasive allocution； he took up his little groups successively from
the table； held them aloft； turned them about； rapped them with his
knuckles； and gazed at them lovingly； with his head on one side。
They consisted each of a cat and a monkey； fantastically draped； in
some preposterously sentimental conjunction。 They exhibited a
certain sameness of motive； and illustrated chiefly the different
phases of what； in delicate terms； may be called gallantry and
coquetry； but they were strikingly clever and expressive； and were at
once very perfect cats and monkeys and very natural men and women。 I
confess； however； that they failed to amuse me。 I was doubtless not
in a mood to enjoy them； for they seemed to me peculiarly cynical and
vulgar。 Their imitative felicity was revolting。 As I looked askance
at the complacent little artist； brandishing them between finger and
thumb and caressing them with an amorous eye； he seemed to me himself
little more than an exceptionally intelligent ape。 I mustered an
admiring grin； however； and he blew another blast。 〃My figures are
studied from life！ I have a little menagerie of monkeys whose
frolics I contemplate by the hour。 As for the cats； one has only to
look out of one's back window！ Since I have begun to examine these
expressive little brutes； I have made many profound observations。
Speaking； signore； to a man of imagination； I may say that my
