michael-第6部分

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hink　of　it　all。　　We　shall　have　Francis　next　saying　that　he　wants　to　resign；　too；　and　become　a　dentist。〃

Lady　Ashbridge　considered　this　for　a　moment　in　her　stunned　mind。

〃Dear　me；　Robert；　I　hope　not；〃　she　said。　　〃I　do　not　think　it　the　least　likely　that　Francis　would　do　anything　of　the　kind。　　Look；　Petsy　is　better；　she　has　drunk　her　cream　and　rusks　quite　up。　　I　think　it　was　only　the　heat。〃

He　gave　a　little　good…humoured　giggle　of　falsetto　laughter。

〃I　wish；　Marion；〃　he　said；　〃that　you　could　manage　to　take　your　mind　off　your　dog　for　a　moment　and　attend　to　me。　　And　I　must　really　ask　you　not　to　give　your　Petsy　any　more　cream；　or　she　will　certainly　be　sick。〃

Lady　Ashbridge　gave　a　little　sigh。

〃All　gone；　Petsy；〃　she　said。

〃I　am　glad　it　has　all　gone；〃　said　he；　〃and　we　will　hope　it　won't　return。　　But　about　Michael　now！〃

Lady　Ashbridge　pulled　herself　together。

〃Yes；　poor　Michael！〃　she　said。　　〃He　is　coming　to…night；　is　he　not？　But　just　now　you　were　speaking　of　Francis；　and　the　fear　of　his　wanting　to　be　a　dentist！〃

〃Well；　I　am　now　speaking　of　Michael's　wanting　to　be　a　musician。　　Of　course　that　is　utterly　out　of　the　question。　　If；　as　he　says；　he　has　sent　in　his　resignation；　he　will　just　have　to　beg　them　to　cancel　it。　　Michael　seems　not　to　have　the　slightest　idea　of　the　duties　which　his　birth　and　position　entail　on　him。　　Unfitted　for　the　life　he　now　leads　。　。　。　waste　of　time。　。　。　。　　Instead　he　proposes　to　go　to　Baireuth　in　August；　and　then　to　settle　down　in　London　to　study！〃

Lady　Ashbridge　recollected　the　almanac。

〃That　will　be　in　September；　then；〃　she　said。　　〃I　do　not　think　I　was　ever　in　London　in　September。　　I　did　not　know　that　anybody　was。〃

〃The　point；　my　dear；　is　not　how　or　where　you　have　been　accustomed　to　spend　your　Septembers；〃　said　her　husband。　　〃What　we　are　talking　about　is〃

〃Yes；　dear；　I　know　quite　well　what　we　are　talking　about；〃　said　she。　〃We　are　talking　about　Michael　not　studying　music　all　September。〃

Lord　Ashbridge　got　up　and　began　walking　across　the　terrace　opposite　the　tea…table　with　his　elbows　stuck　out　and　his　feet　lifted　rather　high。

〃Michael　doesn't　seem　to　realise　that　he　is　not　Tom　or　Dick　or　Harry；〃　said　he。　　〃Music；　indeed！　　I'm　musical　myself；　all　we　Combers　are　musical。　　But　Michael　is　my　only　son；　and　it　really　distresses　me　to　see　how　little　sense　he　has　of　his　responsibilities。　　Amusements　are　all　very　well；　it　is　not　that　I　want　to　cut　him　off　his　amusements；　but　when　it　comes　to　a　career〃

Lady　Ashbridge　was　surreptitiously　engaged　in　pouring　out　a　little　more　cream　for　Petsy；　and　her　husband；　turning　rather　sooner　than　she　had　expected；　caught　her　in　the　act。

〃Do　not　give　Petsy　any　more　cream；〃　he　said；　with　some　asperity；　〃I　absolutely　forbid　it。〃

Lady　Ashbridge　quite　composedly　replaced　the　cream…jug。

〃Poor　Petsy！〃　she　observed。

〃I　ask　you　to　attend　to　me；　Marion；〃　he　said。

〃But　I　am　attending　to　you　very　well；　Robert；〃　said　she；　〃and　I　understand　you　perfectly。　　You　do　not　want　Michael　to　be　a　musician　in　September　and　wear　long　hair　and　perhaps　play　at　concerts。　　I　am　sure　I　quite　agree　with　you；　for　such　a　thing　would　be　as　unheard　of　in　my　family　as　in　yours。　　But　how　do　you　propose　to　stop　it？〃

〃I　shall　use　my　authority；〃　he　said；　stepping　a　little　higher。

〃Yes；　dear；　I　am　sure　you　will。　　But　what　will　happen　if　Michael　doesn't　pay　any　attention　to　your　authority？　　You　will　be　worse　off　than　ever。　　Poor　Michael　is　very　obedient　when　he　is　told　to　do　anything　he　intends　to　do；　but　when　he　doesn't　agree　it　is　difficult　to　do　anything　with　him。　　And；　you　see；　he　is　quite　independent　of　you　with　my　mother　having　left　him　so　much　money。　Poor　mamma！〃

Lord　Ashbridge　felt　strongly　about　this。

〃It　was　a　most　extraordinary　disposition　of　her　property　for　your　mother　to　make；〃　he　observed。　　〃It　has　given　Michael　an　independence　which　I　much　deplore。　　And　she　did　it　in　direct　opposition　to　my　wishes。〃

This　touched　on　one　of　the　questions　about　which　Lady　Ashbridge　had　her　convictions。　　She　had　a　mild　but　unalterable　opinion　that　when　anybody　died；　all　that　they　had　previously　done　became　absolutely　flawless　and　laudable。

〃Mamma　did　as　she　thought　right　with　her　property；〃　she　said；　〃and　it　is　not　for　us　to　question　it。　　She　was　conscientiousness　itself。　You　will　have　to　excuse　my　listening　to　any　criticism　you　may　feel　inclined　to　make　about　her；　Robert。〃

〃Certainly；　my　dear。　　I　only　want　you　to　listen　to　me　about　Michael。　　You　agree　with　me　on　the　impossibility　of　his　adopting　a　musical　career。　　I　cannot；　at　present；　think　so　ill　of　Michael　as　to　suppose　that　he　will　defy　our　joint　authority。〃

〃Michael　has　a　great　will　of　his　own；〃　she　remarked。　　〃He　gets　that　from　you；　Robert；　though　he　gets　his　money　from　his　grandmother。〃

The　futility　of　further　discussion　with　his　wife　began　to　dawn　on　Lord　Ashbridge；　as　it　dawned　on　everybody　who　had　the　privilege　of　conversing　with　her。　　Her　mind　was　a　blind　alley　that　led　nowhere；　it　was　clear　that　she　had　no　idea　to　contribute　to　the　subject　except　slightly　pessimistic　forebodings　with　which；　unfortunately；　he　found　himself　secretly　disposed　to　agree。　　He　had　always　felt　that　Michael　was　an　uncomfortable　sort　of　boy；　in　other　words；　that　he　had　the　inconvenient　habit　of　thinking　things　out　for　himself；　instead　of　blindly　accepting　the　conclusions　of　other　people。

Much　as　Lord　Ashbridge　valued　the　sturdy　independence　of　character　which　he　himself　enjoyed　displaying；　he　appreciated　it　rather　less　highly　when　it　was　manifested　by　people　who　were　not　sensible　enough　to　agree　with　him。　　He　looked　forward　to　Michael's　arrival　that　evening　with　the　feeling　that　there　was　a　rebellious　standard　hoisted　against　the　calm　blue　of　the　evening　sky；　and　remembering　the　advent　of　his　sister　he　wondered　whether　she　would　not　join　the　insurgent。　　Barbara　Jerome；　as　has　been　remarked；　often　annoyed　her　brother；　she　also　genially　laughed　at　him；　but　Lord　Ashbridge；　partly　from　affection；　partly　from　a　loyal　family　sense　of　clanship；　always　expected　his　sister　to　spend　a　fortnight　with　him　in　August；　and　would　have　been　much　hurt　had　she　refused　to　do　so。　Her　husband；　however；　so　far　from　spending　a　fortnight　with　his　brother…in…law；　never　spent　a　minute　in　his　presence　if　it　could　possibly　be　avoided；　an　arrangement　which　everybody　concerned　considered　to　be　wise；　and　in　the　interests　of　cordiality。

〃And　Barbara　comes　this　evening　as　well　as　Michael；　does　she　not？〃　he　said。　　〃I　hope　she　will　not　take　Michael's　part　in　his　absurd　scheme。〃

〃I　have　given　Barbara　the　blue　room；〃　said　Lady　Ashbridge；　after　a　little　thought。　　〃I　am　afraid　she　may　bring　her　great　dog　with　her。　I　hope　he　will　not　quarrel　with　Petsy。　　Petsy　does　not　like　other　dogs。〃


The　day　had　been　very　hot；　and　Lord　Ashbridge；　not　having　taken　any　exercise；　went　off　to　have　a　round　of　golf　with　the　professional　of　the　links　that　lay　not　half　a　mile　from　the　house。　　He　considered　exercise　an　essential　part　of　the　true　Englishman's　daily　curriculum；　and　as　necessary　a　contribution　to　the　traditional　mode　of　life　which　made　them　all　what　they　wereor　should　beas　a　bath　in　the　morning　or　attendance　at　church　on　Sunday。　　He　did　not　care　so　much　about　playing　golf　with　a　casual　friend；　because　the　casual　friend；　as　a　rule；　casually　beat　himthus　putting　him　in　an　un…　English　positionand　preferred　a　game　with　this　first…class　professional　whose　duty　it　wasin　complete　violation　of　his　capacitiesto　play　just　badly　enough　to　be　beaten　towards　the　end　of　the　round　after　an　exciting　match。　　It　required　a　good　deal　of　cleverness　and　self…control　to　accomplish　this；　for　Lord　Ashbridge　was　a　notably　puerile　performer；　but　he　generally　managed　it　with　tact　and　success；　by　dint　of　missing　absurdly　easy　putts；　and　（here　his　skill　came　in）　by　pulling　and　slicing　his　ball　into　far…distant　bunkers。　　Throughout　the　game　it　was　his　business　to　keep　up　a　running　fire　of　admiring　ejaculations　such　as　〃Well　driven；　my　lord；〃　or　〃A　fine　putt；　my　lord。　　Ah！　dear　me；　I　wish　I　could　putt　like　that；〃　though　occasionally　his　chorus　of　praise　betrayed　him　into　error；　and　from　habit　he　found　himself　saying：　〃Good　shot；　my　lord；〃　when　my　lord　had　just　made　an　egregious　mess　of　things。　　But　on　the　whole　he　devised　so　pleasantly　sycophantic　an　atmosphere　as　to　procure　a　substantial　tip　for　himself；　and　to　make　Lord　Ashbridge　conscious　of　being　a　very　superior　performer。　　Whether　at　the　bottom　of　his　heart　he　knew　he　could　not　play　at　all；　he　probably　did　not　inquire；　the　result　of　his　matches　and　his　opponent's　skilfully…showered　praise　was　sufficient　for　him。　　So　now　he　left　the　discouraging　companionship　of　his　wife　and　Petsy　and　walked　swingingly　across　the　garden　and　the　park　to　the　links；　there　to　seek　in　Macpherson's　applause　the　self…confidence　that　would　enable　him　to　encounter　his　republican　sister　and　his　musical　son　with　an　unyielding　front。

His　spirits　mounted　rapidly　as　he　went。　　It　pleased　him　to　go　jauntily　across　the　lawn　and　reflect　that　all　this　smooth　turf　was　his；　to　look　at　the　wealth　of　well…tended　flowers　in　his　garden　and　know　that　all　this　polychromatic　loveliness　was　bred　in　Lord　Ashbridge's　borders　（and　was　graciously　thrown　open　to　the　gaze　of　the　admiring　public　on　Sunday　afternoon；　when　they　were　begged　to　keep　off　the　grass）；　and　that　Lord　Ashbridge　was　himself。　　He　liked　reminding　himself　that　the　towering　elms　drew　their　leafy　verdure　from　Lord　Ashbridge's　soil；　that　the　rows　of　hen…coops　in　the　park；　populous　and　cheeping　with　infant　pheasants；　belonged　to　the　same　fortunate　gentleman　who　in　November　would　so　unerringly　shoot　them　down　as　they　rocketted　swiftly　over　the　highest　of　his　tree…tops；　that　to　him　also　appertained　the　long…fronted　Jacobean　house　which　stood　so　commandingly　upon　the　hill…top；　and　glowed　with　all　the　mellowness　of　its　three…hundred…years…old　bricks。　　And　his　satisfaction　was　not　wholly　fatuous　nor　entirely　personal；　all　these　spacious　dignities　were　insignia　（temporarily　conferred　on　him；　like　some　order；　and　permanently　conferred　on　his　family）　of　the　splendid　political　constitution　under　which　England　had　made　herself　mistress　of　an　empire　and　the　seas　that　guarded　it。　Probably　he　would　have　been　proud　of　belonging　to