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her composition than a cold ladylike candour and a well…starched
muslin dress。
It was in a garment and with an expression of this kind that she made
her entrance after I had exchanged a few words with Miss Ambient。
Her husband presently followed her and； there being no other company；
we went to dinner。 The impressions I received at that repast are
present to me still。 The elements of oddity in the air hovered； as
it were； without descendingto any immediate check of my delight。
This came mainly； of course； from Ambient's talk； the easiest and
richest I had ever heard。 I mayn't say to…day whether he laid
himself out to dazzle a rather juvenile pilgrim from over the sea；
but that matters littleit seemed so natural to him to shine。 His
spoken wit or wisdom； or whatever； had thus a charm almost beyond his
written； that is if the high finish of his printed prose be really；
as some people have maintained； a fault。 There was such a kindness
in him； however； that I've no doubt it gave him ideas for me； or
about me； to see me sit as open…mouthed as I now figure myself。 Not
so the two ladies； who not only were very nearly dumb from beginning
to end of the meal； but who hadn't even the air of being struck with
such an exhibition of fancy and taste。 Mrs。 Ambient； detached； and
inscrutable； met neither my eye nor her husband's； she attended to
her dinner； watched her servants； arranged the puckers in her dress；
exchanged at wide intervals a remark with her sister…in…law and；
while she slowly rubbed her lean white hands between the courses；
looked out of the window at the first signs of eveningthe long June
day allowing us to dine without candles。 Miss Ambient appeared to
give little direct heed to anything said by her brother； but on the
other hand she was much engaged in watching its effect upon me。 Her
〃die…away〃 pupils continued to attach themselves to my countenance；
and it was only her air of belonging to another century that kept
them from being importunate。 She seemed to look at me across the
ages； and the interval of time diminished for me the inconvenience。
It was as if she knew in a general way that he must be talking very
well； but she herself was so at home among such allusions that she
had no need to pick them up and was at liberty to see what would
become of the exposure of a candid young American to a high aesthetic
temperature。
The temperature was aesthetic certainly； but it was less so than I
could have desired； for I failed of any great success in making our
friend abound about himself。 I tried to put him on the ground of his
own genius； but he slipped through my fingers every time and shifted
the saddle to one or other of his contemporaries。 He talked about
Balzac and Browning； about what was being done in foreign countries；
about his recent tour in the East and the extraordinary forms of life
to be observed in that part of the world。 I felt he had reasons for
holding off from a direct profession of literary faith； a full
consistency or sincerity； and therefore dealt instead with certain
social topics； treating them with extraordinary humour and with a due
play of that power of ironic evocation in which his books abound。 He
had a deal to say about London as London appears to the observer who
has the courage of some of his conclusions during the high…pressure
timefrom April to Julyof its gregarious life。 He flashed his
faculty of playing with the caught image and liberating the wistful
idea over the whole scheme of manners or conception of intercourse of
his compatriots； among whom there were evidently not a few types for
which he had little love。 London in short was grotesque to him； and
he made capital sport of it； his only allusion that I can remember to
his own work was his saying that he meant some day to do an immense
and general； a kind of epic； social satire。 Miss Ambient's perpetual
gaze seemed to put to me： 〃Do you perceive how artistic； how very
strange and interesting； we are？ Frankly now is it possible to be
MORE artistic； MORE strange and interesting； than this？ You surely
won't deny that we're remarkable。〃 I was irritated by her use of the
plural pronoun； for she had no right to pair herself with her
brother； and moreover； of course； I couldn't see my way toat all
geniallyinclude Mrs。 Ambient。 Yet there was no doubt they were；
taken together； unprecedented enough； and； with all allowances； I had
never been left； or condemned； to draw so many rich inferences。
After the ladies had retired my host took me into his study to smoke；
where I appealingly brought him round； or so tried； to some
disclosure of fond ideals。 I was bent on proving I was worthy to
listen to him； on repaying him for what he had said to me before
dinner； by showing him how perfectly I understood。 He liked to talk；
he liked to defend his convictions and his honour （not that I
attacked them）； he liked a little perhapsit was a pardonable
weaknessto bewilder the youthful mind even while wishing to win it
over。 My ingenuous sympathy received at any rate a shock from three
or four of his professionshe made me occasionally gasp and stare。
He couldn't help forgetting； or rather couldn't know； how little； in
another and drier clime； I had ever sat in the school in which he was
master； and he promoted me as at a jump to a sense of its penetralia。
My trepidations； however； were delightful； they were just what I had
hoped for； and their only fault was that they passed away too
quickly； since I found that for the main points I was essentially； I
was quite constitutionally； on Mark Ambient's 〃side。〃 This was the
taken stand of the artist to whom every manifestation of human energy
was a thrilling spectacle and who felt for ever the desire to resolve
his experience of life into a literary form。 On that high head of
the passion for form the attempt at perfection； the quest for which
was to his mind the real search for the holy grailhe said the most
interesting； the most inspiring things。 He mixed with them a
thousand illustrations from his own life； from other lives he had
known； from history and fiction； and above all from the annals of the
time that was dear to him beyond all periods； the Italian cinque…
cento。 It came to me thus that in his books he had uttered but half
his thought； and that what he had kept back from motives I deplored
when I made them out laterwas the finer and braver part。 It was
his fate to make a great many still more 〃prepared〃 people than me
not inconsiderably wince； but there was no grain of bravado in his
ripest things （I've always maintained it； though often contradicted）；
and at bottom the poor fellow； disinterested to his finger…tips and
regarding imperfection not only as an aesthetic but quite also as a
social crime； had an extreme dread of scandal。 There are critics who
regret that having gone so far he didn't go further； but I regret
nothingputting aside two or three of the motives I just mentioned
since he arrived at a noble rarity and I don't see how you can go
beyond that。 The hours I spent in his studythis first one and the
few that followed it； they were not； after all； so numero