michael-第12部分

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s　arms。　　But　for　the　moment　his　old　invincible　habit　of　shyness　and　sensitiveness　forbade　any　responsive　lightness　of　welcome；　and　he　was　merely　formal；　merely　courteous。

〃And　all　your　luggage　left　behind；〃　he　said。　　〃Won't　you　be　dreadfully　uncomfortable？〃

〃Uncomfortable？　　Why？〃　asked　Falbe。　　〃I　shall　buy　a　handkerchief　and　a　collar　every　day；　and　a　shirt　and　a　pair　of　socks　every　other　day　till　it　arrives。〃

Michael　felt　a　sudden；　daring　impulse。　　He　remembered　Aunt　Barbara's　salutary　remarks　about　crossness　being　the　equivalent　of　thinking　about　oneself。　　And　the　effort　that　it　cost　him　may　be　taken　as　the　measure　of　his　solitary　disposition。

〃But　you　needn't　do　that；〃　he　said；　〃ifif　you　will　be　good　enough　to　borrow　of　me　till　your　things　come。〃

He　blurted　it　out　awkwardly；　almost　brusquely；　and　Falbe　looked　slightly　amused　at　this　wholly　surprising　offer　of　hospitality。

〃But　that's　awfully　good　of　you；〃　he　said；　laughing　and　saying　nothing　direct　about　his　acceptance。　　〃It　implies；　too；　that　you　are　going　to　Baireuth。　　We　travel　together；　then；　I　hope；　for　it　is　dismal　work　travelling　alone；　isn't　it？　　My　sister　tells　me　that　half　my　friends　were　picked　up　in　railway　carriages。　　Been　there　before？〃

Michael　felt　himself　lured　from　the　ordinary　aloofness　of　attitude　and　demeanour；　which　had　been　somewhat　accustomed　to　view　all　strangers　with　suspicion。　　And　yet；　though　till　this　moment　he　had　never　spoken　to　him；　he　could　hardly　regard　Falbe　as　a　stranger；　for　he　had　heard　him　say　on　the　piano　what　his　sister　understood　by　the　songs　of　Brahms　and　Schubert。　　He　could　not　help　glancing　at　Falbe's　hands；　as　they　busied　themselves　with　the　filling　and　lighting　of　a　pipe；　and　felt　that　he　knew　something　of　those　long；　broad…tipped　fingers；　smooth　and　white　and　strong。　　The　man　himself　he　found　to　be　quite　different　to　what　he　had　expected；　he　had　seen　him　before；　eager　and　intent　and　anxious…faced；　absorbed　in　the　task　of　following　another　mind；　now　he　looked　much　younger；　much　more　boyish。

〃No；　it's　my　first　visit　to　Baireuth；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　can't　tell　you　how　excited　I　am　about　it。　　I've　been　looking　forward　to　it　so　much　that　I　almost　expect　to　be　disappointed。〃

Falbe　blew　out　a　cloud　of　smoke　and　laughter。

〃Oh；　you're　safe　enough；〃　he　said。　　〃Baireuth　never　disappoints。　It's　one　of　the　factsa　reliable　fact。　　And　Munich？　　Do　you　go　to　Munich　afterwards？〃

〃Yes。　　I　hope　so。〃

Falbe　clicked　with　his　tongue

〃Lucky　fellow；〃　he　said。　　〃How　I　wish　I　was。　　But　I've　got　to　get　back　again　after　my　week。　　You'll　spend　the　mornings　in　the　galleries；　and　the　afternoons　and　evenings　at　the　opera。　　O　Lord；　Munich！〃

He　came　across　from　the　other　side　of　the　carriage　and　sat　next　Michael；　putting　his　feet　up　on　the　seat　opposite。

〃Talk　of　Munich；〃　he　said。　　〃I　was　born　in　Munich；　and　I　happen　to　know　that　it's　the　heavenly　Jerusalem；　neither　more　nor　less。〃

〃Well；　the　heavenly　Jerusalem　is　practically　next　door　to　Baireuth；〃　said　Michael。

〃I　know；　but　it　can't　be　managed。　　However；　there's　a　week　of　unalloyed　bliss　between　me　now　and　the　desolation　of　London　in　August。　　What　is　so　maddening　is　to　think　of　all　the　people　who　could　go　to　Munich　and　don't。〃

Michael　held　debate　within　himself。　　He　felt　that　he　ought　to　tell　his　new　acquaintance　that　he　knew　who　he　was；　that；　however　trivial　their　conversation　might　be；　it　somehow　resembled　eavesdropping　to　talk　to　a　chance　fellow…passenger　as　if　he　were　a　complete　stranger。　　But　it　required　again　a　certain　effort　to　make　the　announcement。

〃I　think　I　had　better　tell　you；〃　he　said　at　length；　〃that　I　know　you；　that　I've　listened　to　you　at　least；　at　your　sister's　recital　a　few　days　ago。〃

Falbe　turned　to　him　with　the　friendliest　pleasure。

〃Ah！　were　you　there？〃　he　asked。　　〃I　hope　you　listened　to　her；　then；　not　to　me。　　She　sang　well；　didn't　she？〃

〃But　divinely。　　At　the　same　time　I　did　listen　to　you；　especially　in　the　French　songs。　　There　was　less　song；　you　know。〃

Falbe　laughed。

〃And　more　accompaniment！〃　he　said。　　〃Perhaps　you　play？〃

Michael　was　seized　with　a　fit　of　shyness　at　the　idea　of　talking　to　Falbe　about　himself。

〃Oh；　I　just　strum；〃　he　said。


Throughout　the　journey　their　acquaintanceship　ripened；　and　casually；　in　dropped　remarks；　the　two　began　to　learn　something　about　each　other。　　Falbe's　command　of　English；　as　well　as　his　sister's；　which　was　so　complete　that　it　was　impossible　to　believe　that　a　foreigner　was　speaking；　was　explained；　for　it　came　out　that　his　mother　was　English；　and　that　from　infancy　they　had　spoken　German　and　English　indiscriminately。　　His　father；　who　had　died　some　dozen　years　before；　had　been　a　singer　of　some　note　in　his　native　land；　but　was　distinguished　more　for　his　teaching　than　his　practice；　and　it　was　he　who　had　taught　his　daughter。　　Hermann　Falbe　himself　had　always　intended　to　be　a　pianist；　but　the　poverty　in　which　they　were　left　at　his　father's　death　had　obliged　him　to　give　lessons　rather　than　devote　himself　to　his　own　career；　but　now　at　the　age　of　thirty　he　found　himself　within　sight　of　the　competence　that　would　allow　him　to　cut　down　his　pupils；　and　begin　to　be　a　pupil　again　himself。

His　sister；　moreover；　for　whom　he　had　slaved　for　years　in　order　that　she　might　continue　her　own　singing　education　unchecked；　was　now　more　than　able；　especially　after　these　last　three　months　in　London；　where　she　had　suddenly　leaped　into　eminence；　to　support　herself　and　contributed　to　the　expenses　of　their　common　home。　　But　there　was　still；　so　Michael　gathered；　no　great　superabundance　of　money；　and　he　guessed　that　Falbe's　inability　to　go　to　Munich　was　due　to　the　question　of　expense。

All　this　came　out　by　inference　and　allusion　rather　than　by　direct　information；　while　Michael；　naturally　reticent　and　feeling　that　his　own　uneventful　affairs　could　have　no　interest　for　anybody；　was　less　communicative。　　And；　indeed；　while　shunning　the　appearance　of　inquisitiveness；　he　was　far　too　eager　to　get　hold　of　his　new　acquaintance　to　think　of　volunteering　much　himself。　　Here　to　him　was　this　citizen　of　the　new　country　who　all　his　life　had　lived　in　the　palace　of　art；　and　that　in　no　dilettante　fashion；　but　with　set　aim　and　serious　purpose。　　And　Falbe　abounded　in　such　topics；　he　knew　the　singers　and　the　musicians　of　the　world；　and；　which　was　much　more　than　that；　he　was　himself　of　them；　humble；　no　doubt；　in　circumstances　and　achievement　as　yet；　but　clearly　to　Michael　of　the　blood　royal　of　artistry。　　That　was　the　essential　thing　about　him　as　regards　his　relations　with　his　fellow…traveller；　though；　when　next　morning　the　spires　of　Cologne　and　the　swift　river　of　his　Fatherland　came　into　sight；　he　burst　out　into　a　sort　of　rhapsody　of　patriotism　that　mockingly　covered　a　great　sincerity。

〃Ah！　beloved　land！〃　he　cried。　　〃Soil　of　heaven　and　of　divine　harmony！　　Hail　to　thee！　　Hail　to　thee！　　Rhine；　Rhine　deep　and　true　and　steadfast。　。　。　。〃　　And　he　waved　his　hat　and　sang　the　greeting　of　Brunnhilde。　　Then　he　turned　laughingly　to　Michael。

〃I　am　sufficiently　English　to　know　how　ridiculous　that　must　seem　to　you；〃　he　said；　〃for　I　love　England　also；　and　the　passengers　on　the　boat　would　merely　think　me　mad　if　I　apostrophised　the　cliffs　of　Dover　and　the　mud　of　the　English　roads。　　But　here　I　am　a　German　again；　and　I　would　willingly　kiss　the　soil。　　You　Englishwe　English；　I　may　say；　for　I　am　as　much　English　as　GermanI　believe　have　got　the　same　feeling　somewhere　in　our　hearts；　but　we　lock　it　up　and　hide　it　away。　　Pray　God　I　shall　never　have　to　choose　to　which　nation　I　belong；　though　for　that　matter　there　in　no　choice　in　it　at　all；　for　I　am　certainly　a　German　subject。　　Guten　Tag；　Koln；　let　us　instantly　have　our　coffee。　　There　is　no　coffee　like　German　coffee；　though　the　French　coffee　is　undeniably　pleasanter　to　the　mere　superficial　palate。　　But　it　doesn't　touch　the　heart；　as　everything　German　touches　my　heart　when　I　come　back　to　the　Fatherland。〃

He　chattered　on　in　tremendous　high　spirits。

〃And　to　think　that　to…night　we　shall　sleep　in　true　German　beds；〃　he　said。　　〃I　allow　that　the　duvet　is　not　so　convenient　as　blankets；　and　that　there　is　a　watershed　always　up　the　middle　of　your　bed；　so　that　during　the　night　your　person　descends　to　one　side　while　the　duvet　rolls　down　the　other；　but　it　is　German；　which　makes　up　for　any　trifling　inconvenience。　　Baireuth；　too；　perhaps　it　will　strike　you　as　a　dull　and　stinking　little　town；　and　so　I　dare　say　it　is。　But　after　lunch　we　shall　go　up　the　hillside　to　where　the　theatre　stands；　at　the　edge　of　the　pine…woods；　and　from　the　porch　the　trumpets　will　give　out　the　motif　of　the　Grail；　and　we　shall　pass　out　of　the　heat　into　the　cool　darkness　of　the　theatre。　　Aren't　you　thrilled；　Comber？　　Doesn't　a　holy　awe　pervade　you！　　Are　you　worthy；　do　you　think？〃

All　this　youthful；　unrestrained　enthusiasm　was　a　revelation　to　Michael。　　Intentionally　absurd　as　Falbe's　rhapsody　on　the　Fatherland　had　been；　Michael　knew　that　it　sprang　from　a　solid　sincerity　which　was　not　ashamed　of　expressing　itself。　　Living；　as　he　had　always　done；　in　the　rather　formal　and　reticent　atmosphere　of　his　class　and　environment；　he　would　have　thought　this　fervour　of　patriotism　in　an　English　mouth　ridiculous；　or；　if　persevered　in；　merely　bad　form。　　Yet　when　Falbe　hailed　the　Rhine　and　the　spires　of　Cologne；　it　was　clear　that　there　was　no　bad　form　about　it　at　all。　He　felt　like　that；　and；　indeed；　as　Michael　was　beginning　to　perceive；　he　felt　with　a　similar　intensity　on　all　subjects　about　which　he　felt　at　all。　　There　was　something　of　the　same　vivid　quality　about　Aunt　Barbara；　but　Aunt　Barbara's　vividness　was　chiefly　devoted　to　the　hunt　of　the　absurdities　of　her　friends；　and　it　was　always　the　concretely　ridiculous　that　she　pursued。　　But　this　handsome；　vital　young　man；　with　his　eagerness　and　his　welcome　for　the　world；　who　had　fallen　with　so　delightful　a　cordiality　into　Michael's　company；　had　already　an　attraction　for　him　of　a　sort　he　had　never　felt　before。

Dimly；　as　the　days　went　by；　he　began　to　conjecture　that　he　who　had　never　had　a　friend　was　being　hailed　and　halloed　to；　was　being　ordered；　if　not　by　precept；　at　any　rate　by　example；　to　come　out　of　the　shell　of　his　reserve；　and　let　himself　feel　and　let　himself　express。　　He　could　see　how　utterly　different　was　Falbe's　general　co