登陆注册
5197700000061

第61章

"Scene, a railway-platform.Lights down.Enter Prince (in disguise, of course) and faithful Attendant.This is the Prince--"(taking Bruno's hand) "and here stands his humble Servant!"What is your Royal Highness next command.?"

And he made a most courtier-like low bow to his puzzled little friend.

"Oo're not a Servant!" Bruno scornfully exclaimed."Oo're a Gemplun!""Servant, I assure your Royal Highness!" Eric respectfully insisted.

"Allow me to mention to your Royal Highness my various situations--past, present, and future.""What did oo begin wiz?" Bruno asked, beginning to enter into the jest.

"Was oo a shoe-black?"

"Lower than that, your Royal Highness! Years ago, I offered myself as a Slave--as a 'Confidential Slave,' I think it's called?" he asked, turning to Lady Muriel.

But Lady Muriel heard him not: something had gone wrong with her glove, which entirely engrossed her attention.

"Did oo get the place?" said Bruno.

"Sad to say, Your Royal Highness, I did not! So I had to take a situation as--as Waiter, which I have now held for some years haven't I?" He again glanced at Lady Muriel.

"Sylvie dear, do help me to button this glove!" Lady Muriel whispered, hastily stooping down, and failing to hear the question.

"And what will oo be next?" said Bruno.

"My next place will, I hope, be that of Groom.And after that--""Don't puzzle the child so!" Lady Muriel interrupted.

"What nonsense you talk!"

"--after that," Eric persisted, "I hope to obtain the situation of Housekeeper, which--Fourth Act!" he proclaimed, with a sudden change of tone."Lights turned up.Red lights.Green lights.Distant rumble heard.Enter a passenger-train!"And in another minute the train drew up alongside of the platform, and a stream of passengers began to flow out from the booking office and waiting-rooms.

"Did you ever make real life into a drama?" said the Earl.

"Now just try.I've often amused myself that way.

Consider this platform as our stage.Good entrances and exits on both sides, you see.Capital background scene: real engine moving up and down.

All this bustle, and people passing to and fro, must have been most carefully rehearsed! How naturally they do it! With never a glance at the audience! And every grouping is quite fresh, you see.

No repetition!"

It really was admirable, as soon as I began to enter into it from this point of view.Even a porter passing, with a barrow piled with luggage, seemed so realistic that one was tempted to applaud.

He was followed by an angry mother, with hot red face, dragging along two screaming children, and calling, to some one behind, "John! Come on!"Enter John, very meek, very silent, and loaded with parcels.

And he was followed, in his turn, by a frightened little nursemaid, carrying a fat baby, also screaming.All the children screamed.

"Capital byplay!" said the old man aside."Did you notice the nursemaid's look of terror? It was simply perfect!""You have struck quite a new vein," I said."To most of us Life and its pleasures seem like a mine that is nearly worked out.""Worked out!" exclaimed the Earl."For any one with true dramatic instincts, it is only the Overture that is ended! The real treat has yet to begin.You go to a theatre, and pay your ten shillings for a stall, and what do you get for your money? Perhaps it's a dialogue between a couple of farmers--unnatural in their overdone caricature of farmers' dress---more unnatural in their constrained attitudes and gestures--most unnatural in their attempts at ease and geniality in their talk.Go instead and take a seat in a third-class railway-carriage, and you'll get the same dialogue done to the life!

Front-seats--no orchestra to block the view--and nothing to pay!""Which reminds me," said Eric."There is nothing to pay on receiving a telegram! Shall we enquire for one?" And he and Lady Muriel strolled off in the direction of the Telegraph-Office.

"I wonder if Shakespeare had that thought in his mind," I said, "when he wrote 'All the world's a stage'?"The old man sighed."And so it is, "he said, "look at it as you will.

Life is indeed a drama; a drama with but few encores--and no bouquets!"he added dreamily."We spend one half of it in regretting the things we did in the other half!""And the secret of enjoying it," he continued, resuming his cheerful tone, "is intensity!""But not in the modern aesthetic sense, I presume? Like the young lady, in Punch, who begins a conversation with 'Are you intense?'""By no means!" replied the Earl.

"What I mean is intensity of thought--a concentrated attention.

We lose half the pleasure we might have in Life, by not really attending.

Take any instance you like: it doesn't matter how trivial the pleasure may be--the principle is the same.Suppose A and B are reading the same second-rate circulating-library novel.A never troubles himself to master the relationships of the characters, on which perhaps all the interest of the story depends: he 'skips' over all the descriptions of scenery, and every passage that looks rather dull: he doesn't half attend to the passages he does read: he goes on reading merely from want of resolution to find another occupation--for hours after he ought to have put the book aside: and reaches the 'FINIS' in a state of utter weariness and depression! B puts his whole soul into the thing--on the principle that 'whatever is worth doing is worth doing well':

he masters the genealogies: he calls up pictures before his 'mind's eye'

as he reads about the scenery: best of all, he resolutely shuts the book at the end of some chapter, while his interest is yet at its keenest, and turns to other subjects; so that, when next he allows himself an hour at it, it is like a hungry man sitting down to dinner:

同类推荐
  • A Hazard of New Fortunes

    A Hazard of New Fortunes

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 仁术便览

    仁术便览

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 虬髯客传

    虬髯客传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 拔陂菩萨经

    拔陂菩萨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 等目菩萨所问三昧经

    等目菩萨所问三昧经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 灵宝五经提纲

    灵宝五经提纲

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 总裁-别抢我妈眯

    总裁-别抢我妈眯

    【正文简介】当年,她和他都被下了药;一夜缠绵之后,她不见踪影……四年后,他收到了一封挑战书!而向他挑战的,居然是个三岁大的小鬼头。“宫刑翼,你不许抢我妈咪,要不然,我让你没好日子过。”眼前这个,只不过才到他膝盖的小鬼头,恶狠狠的看着宫刑翼。宫刑翼眼前闪过无数个问号,这个小鬼头的妈咪,到底是谁?“不过在此之前,该算的帐,我们还是得要算算!”小鬼头从腰后拿出一个算盘,小小的手指,在上面拨弄着,小嘴念道:“孕检费、生产费、营养费、奶粉费、尿布费、教育费……抚养费总共是二百六十二万,再加上我妈咪的辛苦费,就是乘以二,一共是五百二十四万,如果你愿意大方一点,可以给我五百三十万。”宫刑翼直到把钱送到眼前的小鬼手上时,才发现……他根本就不知道这个小鬼的妈咪是谁?而且,他居然被敲诈了!不过,他倒是来了兴趣。倒是想要看看,这个小鬼的妈咪是谁?居然敲诈的主意,打到了他宫刑翼的身上……【精彩情节一】“你给我踏进来试试,如果敢踏进来,我就T飞你!”奇奇双手叉腰,淡紫色的眼眸,瞪着门口的男人!“我是你爹地,臭小子,快点让开。”宫刑翼对这个儿子,越来越头痛!“我是臭小子,你就是臭老子。”“……”宫刑翼再次无语!【精彩情节二】“我要跟妈咪一起睡!”小鬼头霸在宋芯瑶的怀里,双眼恶狠狠的瞪着只围了条浴巾的宫刑翼。“儿子,赶紧出去,爹地跟你妈咪,有正事要办!”宫刑翼伸手去抱这个让他头痛的儿子。“办正事?什么正事?我要一起!”“……”宫刑翼无语,宋芯瑶红着脸,瞪着宫刑翼。【半价现言】《壹纸契约》【虐恋】【宝宝系列】《总裁-别抢我妈咪》《总裁-别碰我妈眯》《蛇王-她是我妈眯》《吸血鬼-你是我爹地》【推荐好友文】薄荷清凉糖《惹上一窝相公》清甜水果糖《赖上一帮相公》狂想曲《狂誘御龙》河清海晏七七《赦婚》云惑烟《缠婚》木轻轻《暗帝》一露走来《妖孽女王》风兮兮《一个警花三个黑老大》日晴《重生之冲喜新娘》酥肉儿《弃妃不愁嫁》言凌歌《绝色相公七选一》毒情话一一《豪门之“继母”前妻》许佳诺《傻子王爷疯王妃》公主桃《一等贱妃》淑蓝《一品太子妃》晓竹清风《禁囚》紫砂萍《压倒绝色王爷》(美男N多)《特警傻后要休夫》陌上柳絮《冷宫奴妃》莫芊涵《迷—婚》紫砂萍
  • 妖魔铃

    妖魔铃

    当铃音响起,神奇的铃能力就此发动,一个个拥有奇异力量的强者登上了绚丽的舞台,挥洒出自己的精彩。控制时间的流逝、拥有无限弹药之枪……为了自己的信念,为了朋友的情谊,铃使者站在了强大的敌人面前,以自己的神秘力量,让强者战栗!
  • 江山红颜

    江山红颜

    金戈铁马,你有你的锦绣河山;红妆素裹,我有我的心计巧谋。杨芷蘅是皇宫中卑微的公主,遭到所有人的唾弃,因此她视父如敌,视亲如仇,誓要亲手覆灭自己的家国!为了逃离皇宫,她宁愿下嫁丞相的残疾公子,然而大婚当晚,又生变节,不得不嫁给冷酷的大沅皇子李昭南。他是冷酷的大沅三皇子,饱受兄弟排挤,隐忍之下潜藏着一颗复仇的心。两个忍辱负重的人,两颗千疮百孔的心,他们便如这世上的双生花,心心相惜。这段恋情能否治愈两颗受伤的心,他们的爱情能否走到最后?
  • 明神宗宝训

    明神宗宝训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 牛虻

    牛虻

    《牛虻》是爱尔兰作家艾捷尔丽莲伏尼契的长篇小说,描写19世纪意大利爱国者反对奥地利统治者的斗争。本书描述了意大利青年牛虻的成长历程,讲述了他如何在黑暗现实的教训下觉醒,如何自觉投身到火热的斗争中,并成长为一名坚强战士的人生历程。牛虻作为一个有血有肉的爱国志士的形象已深入人心,成为世界文学画廊中的典型形象,感染了一代又一代的读者。
  • 别让生气毁了你

    别让生气毁了你

    生气是人类最危险的情绪之一。人在生气时,犹如一只发狂的狮子,肆无忌惮地伤害着自己和他人。在愤怒情绪的支配下,人往往会打破原则,说不该说的话,做不该做的事,伤身又伤心,伤人又伤己。愤怒是人之常情,但要学会克制。善于控制愤怒的人,总是将愤怒藏在心底深处,并慢慢将其转化成一种惊人的力量。
  • 逐梦芳华

    逐梦芳华

    【原名《那年我们高三复读》,全面反映高三复读生的酸甜苦辣,以及复读学校教学与管理的一本书籍。】 两代人奋斗的故事,两代人的爱恨情仇。一样的命运,不一样的结局……
  • 医妃倾城:王爷请自重

    医妃倾城:王爷请自重

    她是身负克夫传言的将军府废材嫡女,他是一人之下万人之上的病弱暴虐王爷。洞房花烛,他嫌弃她:“一个人尽可夫的女人有什么资格做本王的王妃。”21世纪特种兵部队的女军医,一朝穿越,废柴嫡女大翻身,斗小三,抗渣男。倾城的容颜,绝世的医术,明艳四方。暗害我者死,迫害我者亡。将需渗汤吊命的夫君从鬼门关拉回来后,却对他说:“一个什么车都上的男人有什么资格做我夫君。”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 墙外的猫

    墙外的猫

    纪宸:阿辞,你总说我改变了你,可你又何尝不是我的救赎孟非尘:七年的执念,终究让我看懂我们之间隔的山海,阿辞,是不是不管我如何追逐,你都不会回头看我。。。苏辞:如果没有遇见,是不是就不会有那么多的伤痛,如果你没有对我伸手,是不是就不会对你痴迷,如果。。。有如果,我宁愿不爱