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！
home again grew distasteful。
Mary； however； knew her father well enough； and at this lustrous hour；
while Florence stretched beneath them in its quiet； evening beauty； she
declared that they must not much longer delay their return。
〃Plenty of time；〃 he said。 〃I am not too old to learn； I find； and a man
would indeed be a great fool if he could not learn in such a place as this。
But though art can never mean much to me now； your case is different；
and I am thankful to know that these things will be a great addition and
interest to your future life。 I'm a Philistine； and shall always so remain；
but I'm a repentant one。 I see my mistake too late。〃
〃It's a new world； father；〃 she said； 〃and it has done a great deal for an
unhappy woman … not only in taking my thoughts off myself； but in
lessening my suffering； too。 I do not know why； or how； but music； and
these great； solemn pictures painted by dead men； all touch my thoughts of
dear Tom。 I seem to see that there are so many more mighty ones dead
than living。 And yet not dead。 They live in what they have made。
And Tom lives in what he made … that was my love for him and his for me。
He grows nearer and dearer than ever when I hear beautiful music。 I can
better bear to think of him at such times； and it will always help me to
remember him。〃
〃God bless art if it does so much；〃 he said。 〃We come to it as little
children； and I shall always be a child and never understand； but for you
the valuable message will be received。 May life never turn you away
from these things in years to come。〃
137
… Page 138…
THE GREY ROOM
〃Never！ Never！〃 she assured him。 〃Art has done too much for me。
I shall not try to live my life without it。 Already I feel I could not。〃
〃What have you seen to…day？〃 he asked。
〃I was at the Pitti all the morning。 I liked best Fra Bartolommeo's
great altar piece and Titian's portrait of Cardinal Ippolito dei Medici。
You must see him … a strange； unhappy spirit only twenty…three years old。
Two years afterwards he was poisoned； and his haunted； discontented eyes
closed for ever。 And the 'Concert' … so wonderful； with such a hunger…
starved expression in the soul of the player。 And Andrea del Sarto … how
gracious and noble； but Henry James says he's second…rate； because his
mind was second…rate； so I suppose he is； but not to me。 He never will be
to me。 To…morrow you must come and see some of the things I specially
love。 I won't bore you。 I don't know enough to bore you yet。 Oh； and
Allori's 'Judith' … so lovely； but I wonder if A＇lori did justice to her？
Certainly his 'Judith' could never have done what the real Judith did。
And there's a landscape by Rubens … dark and old … yet it reminded me of
our woods where they open out above the valley。〃
He devoted the next morning to Mary； and wandered among the
pictures with her。 He strove to share her enthusiasm； and； indeed； did so
sometimes。 Then occurred a little incident； so trivial that they forgot all
about it within an hour； yet were reminded of it at a very startling moment
now fast approaching。
They had separated； and Sir Walter's eye was caught by a portrait。 But
he forgot it a moment later in passing interest of a blazoned coat of arms
upon the frame … a golden bull's head on a red ground。 The heraldic
emblem was tarnished and inconspicuous； yet the spectator felt curiously
conscious that it was not unfamiliar。 It seemed that he had seen it already
somewhere。 He challenged Mary with it presently； but she had never
observed it before to her recollection。
Sir Walter enjoyed his daughter's interest； and finding that his
company among the pictures added to Mary's pleasure； while his
comments caused her no apparent pain； he declared his intention of seeing
more。
〃You must tell me what you know；〃 he said。
138
… Page 139…
THE GREY ROOM
〃It will be the blind leading the blind； dearest；〃 she answered； 〃but my
delight must be in finding things I think you'll like。 The truth is that
neither of us knows anything about what we ought to like。〃
〃That's a very small matter；〃 he declared。 〃We must begin by
learning to like pictures at all。 When Ernest comes； he will want us to
live in his great touring car and fly about； so we should use our present
time to the best advantage。 Pictures do not attract him； and he will be
very much surprised to hear that I have been looking at them。〃
〃We must interest him； too； if we can。〃
〃That would be impossible。 Ernest does not understand pictures； and
music gives him no pleasure。 He regards art with suspicion； as a
somewhat unmanly thing。〃
〃Poor Mr。 Travers！〃
〃Do not pity him； Mary。 His life is sufficiently full without it。〃
〃But I've lived to find out that no life can be。〃 In due course Ernest
and Nelly arrived； and； as Sir Walter had prophesied； their pleasure
consisted in long motor drives to neighboring places and scenes of interest
and beauty。 His daughter； in the new light that was glimmering for her；
found her father's friends had shrunk a little。 She could speak with them
and share their interests less whole…heartedly than of old； but they set it
down to her tribulation and tried to 〃rouse〃 her。 Ernest Travers even
lamented her new…found interests and hoped they were 〃only a passing
phase。〃
〃She appears to escape from reality into a world of pictures and
music；〃 he said。 〃You must guard against that； my dear Walter。 These
things can be of no permanent interest to a healthy mind。〃
For a fortnight they saw much of their friends； and Mary observed how
her father expanded in the atmosphere of Ernest and Nelly。 They
understood each other so well and echoed so many similar sentiments and
convictions。
Ernest entertained a poor opinion of the Italian character。 He argued
that a nation which depended for its prosperit