the lesson of the master-第15部分

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another　look。　　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　you've　stopped　writing？〃



〃My　dear　fellow；　of　course　I　have。　　It's　too　late。　　Didn't　I　tell

you？〃



〃I　can't　believe　it！〃



〃Of　course　you　can't　…　with　your　own　talent！　　No；　no；　for　the　rest

of　my　life　I　shall　only　read　YOU。〃



〃Does　she　know　that　…　Miss　Fancourt？〃



〃She　will　…　she　will。〃　　Did　he　mean　this；　our　young　man　wondered；

as　a　covert　intimation　that　the　assistance　he　should　derive　from

that　young　lady's　fortune；　moderate　as　it　was；　would　make　the

difference　of　putting　it　in　his　power　to　cease　to　work　ungratefully

an　exhausted　vein？　　Somehow；　standing　there　in　the　ripeness　of　his

successful　manhood；　he　didn't　suggest　that　any　of　his　veins　were

exhausted。　　〃Don't　you　remember　the　moral　I　offered　myself　to　you

that　night　as　pointing？〃　St。　George　continued。　　〃Consider　at　any

rate　the　warning　I　am　at　present。〃



This　was　too　much　…　he　WAS　the　mocking　fiend。　　Paul　turned　from　him

with　a　mere　nod　for　goodnight　and　the　sense　in　a　sore　heart　that　he

might　come　back　to　him　and　his　easy　grace；　his　fine　way　of

arranging　things；　some　time　in　the　far　future；　but　couldn't

fraternise　with　him　now。　　It　was　necessary　to　his　soreness　to

believe　for　the　hour　in　the　intensity　of　his　grievance　…　all　the

more　cruel　for　its　not　being　a　legal　one。　　It　was　doubtless　in　the

attitude　of　hugging　this　wrong　that　he　descended　the　stairs　without

taking　leave　of　Miss　Fancourt；　who　hadn't　been　in　view　at　the

moment　he　quitted　the　room。　　He　was　glad　to　get　out　into　the　honest

dusky　unsophisticating　night；　to　move　fast；　to　take　his　way　home　on

foot。　　He　walked　a　long　time；　going　astray；　paying　no　attention。

He　was　thinking　of　too　many　other　things。　　His　steps　recovered

their　direction；　however；　and　at　the　end　of　an　hour　he　found

himself　before　his　door　in　the　small　inexpensive　empty　street。　　He

lingered；　questioning　himself　still　before　going　in；　with　nothing

around　and　above　him　but　moonless　blackness；　a　bad　lamp　or　two　and

a　few　far…away　dim　stars。　　To　these　last　faint　features　he　raised

his　eyes；　he　had　been　saying　to　himself　that　he　should　have　been

〃sold〃　indeed；　diabolically　sold；　if　now；　on　his　new　foundation；　at

the　end　of　a　year；　St。　George　were　to　put　forth　something　of　his

prime　quality　…　something　of　the　type　of　〃Shadowmere〃　and　finer

than　his　finest。　　Greatly　as　he　admired　his　talent　Paul　literally

hoped　such　an　incident　wouldn't　occur；　it　seemed　to　him　just　then

that　he　shouldn't　be　able　to　bear　it。　　His　late　adviser's　words

were　still　in　his　ears　…　〃You're　very　strong；　wonderfully　strong。〃

Was　he　really？　　Certainly　he　would　have　to　be；　and　it　might　a

little　serve　for　revenge。　　IS　he？　the　reader　may　ask　in　turn；　if

his　interest　has　followed　the　perplexed　young　man　so　far。　　The　best

answer　to　that　perhaps　is　that　he's　doing　his　best；　but　that　it's

too　soon　to　say。　　When　the　new　book　came　out　in　the　autumn　Mr。　and

Mrs。　St。　George　found　it　really　magnificent。　　The　former　still　has

published　nothing　but　Paul　doesn't　even　yet　feel　safe。　　I　may　say

for　him；　however；　that　if　this　event　were　to　occur　he　would　really

be　the　very　first　to　appreciate　it：　　which　is　perhaps　a　proof　that

the　Master　was　essentially　right　and　that　Nature　had　dedicated　him

to　intellectual；　not　to　personal　passion。











End