登陆注册
5380000000090

第90章

The CavaliereThere befell at last a couple of days during which Rowland was unable to go to the hotel.Late in the evening of the second one Roderick came into his room.In a few moments he announced that he had finished the bust of his mother.

"And it 's magnificent!" he declared."It 's one of the best things I have done.""I believe it," said Rowland."Never again talk to me about your inspiration being dead.""Why not? This may be its last kick! I feel very tired.

But it 's a masterpiece, though I do say it.They tell us we owe so much to our parents.Well, I 've paid the filial debt handsomely!" He walked up and down the room a few moments, with the purpose of his visit evidently still undischarged.

"There 's one thing more I want to say," he presently resumed.

"I feel as if I ought to tell you!" He stopped before Rowland with his head high and his brilliant glance unclouded.

"Your invention is a failure!"

"My invention?" Rowland repeated.

"Bringing out my mother and Mary."

"A failure?"

"It 's no use! They don't help me."

Rowland had fancied that Roderick had no more surprises for him;but he was now staring at him, wide-eyed.

"They bore me!" Roderick went on.

"Oh, oh!" cried Rowland.

"Listen, listen!" said Roderick with perfect gentleness.

"I am not complaining of them; I am simply stating a fact.

I am very sorry for them; I am greatly disappointed.""Have you given them a fair trial?"

"Should n't you say so? It seems to me I have behaved beautifully.""You have done very well; I have been building great hopes on it.""I have done too well, then.After the first forty-eight hours my own hopes collapsed.But I determined to fight it out;to stand within the temple; to let the spirit of the Lord descend!

Do you want to know the result? Another week of it, and I shall begin to hate them.I shall want to poison them.""Miserable boy!" cried Rowland."They are the loveliest of women!""Very likely! But they mean no more to me than a Bible text to an atheist!""I utterly fail," said Rowland, in a moment, "to understand your relation to Miss Garland."Roderick shrugged his shoulders and let his hands drop at his sides.

"She adores me! That 's my relation." And he smiled strangely.

"Have you broken your engagement?"

"Broken it? You can't break a ray of moonshine.""Have you absolutely no affection for her?"Roderick placed his hand on his heart and held it there a moment.

"Dead--dead--dead!" he said at last.

"I wonder," Rowland asked presently, "if you begin to comprehend the beauty of Miss Garland's character.

She is a person of the highest merit."

"Evidently--or I would not have cared for her!""Has that no charm for you now?"

"Oh, don't force a fellow to say rude things!""Well, I can only say that you don't know what you are giving up."Roderick gave a quickened glance."Do you know, so well?""I admire her immeasurably."

Roderick smiled, we may almost say sympathetically.

"You have not wasted time."

Rowland's thoughts were crowding upon him fast.If Roderick was resolute, why oppose him? If Mary was to be sacrificed, why, in that way, try to save her? There was another way;it only needed a little presumption to make it possible.

Rowland tried, mentally, to summon presumption to his aid;but whether it came or not, it found conscience there before it.

Conscience had only three words, but they were cogent.

"For her sake--for her sake," it dumbly murmured, and Rowland resumed his argument."I don't know what I would n't do,"he said, "rather than that Miss Garland should suffer.""There is one thing to be said," Roderick answered reflectively.

"She is very strong."

"Well, then, if she 's strong, believe that with a longer chance, a better chance, she will still regain your affection.""Do you know what you ask?" cried Roderick."Make love to a girl I hate?""You hate?"

"As her lover, I should hate her!"

"Listen to me!" said Rowland with vehemence.

"No, listen you to me! Do you really urge my marrying a woman who would bore me to death? I would let her know it in very good season, and then where would she be?"Rowland walked the length of the room a couple of times and then stopped suddenly."Go your way, then! Say all this to her, not to me!""To her? I am afraid of her; I want you to help me.""My dear Roderick," said Rowland with an eloquent smile, "I can help you no more!"Roderick frowned, hesitated a moment, and then took his hat.

"Oh, well," he said, "I am not so afraid of her as all that!"And he turned, as if to depart.

"Stop!" cried Rowland, as he laid his hand on the door.

Roderick paused and stood waiting, with his irritated brow.

"Come back; sit down there and listen to me.Of anything you were to say in your present state of mind you would live most bitterly to repent.

You don't know what you really think; you don't know what you really feel.

You don't know your own mind; you don't do justice to Miss Garland.

All this is impossible here, under these circumstances.You 're blind, you 're deaf, you 're under a spell.To break it, you must leave Rome.""Leave Rome! Rome was never so dear to me.""That 's not of the smallest consequence.Leave it instantly.""And where shall I go?"

"Go to some place where you may be alone with your mother and Miss Garland.""Alone? You will not come?"

"Oh, if you desire it, I will come."

Roderick inclining his head a little, looked at his friend askance.

"I don't understand you," he said; "I wish you liked Miss Garland either a little less, or a little more."Rowland felt himself coloring, but he paid no heed to Roderick's speech.

"You ask me to help you," he went on."On these present conditions I can do nothing.But if you will postpone all decision as to the continuance of your engagement a couple of months longer, and meanwhile leave Rome, leave Italy, I will do what I can to 'help you,' as you say, in the event of your still wishing to break it.""I must do without your help then! Your conditions are impossible.

I will leave Rome at the time I have always intended--at the end of June.

同类推荐
  • 杂艺

    杂艺

    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。
  • 郴江百咏

    郴江百咏

    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。
  • 痹门

    痹门

    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。
  • 野老书

    野老书

    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。
  • Amours de Voyage

    Amours de Voyage

    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
  • 夜妆

    夜妆

    郁春带着对现实的不满但是又无可奈何的几近绝望的心情在夜晚乘坐火车做一次没有目的地的旅行,看到同一个车厢的一个男人,回想过往的种种;这个男人的一切都让郁春感到似曾相识,往事的回忆里有着大学时代与尹剑初的甜蜜恋情;而清醒的现实里,有着与丈夫周一洲的生活的种种;而在眼前的浓浓夜幕里,火车没有尽头的向前驶进。这是付秀莹的《夜妆》:细腻而不显繁琐,句句敲击着人的心灵世界。
  • 乖军师大人

    乖军师大人

    军师大人,以后不准和别人太好了我会吃醋所以你给我安分一点嘛~
  • 用沟通代替争执

    用沟通代替争执

    这是个沟通的年代,两国的争端,不应该用打仗解决;夫妻有矛盾,不必破口大骂;这次生意不成,下次还可以合作;会议上“水火不容”,可以沟通后“共同改进”……只要我们有爱心、有耐心、有诚心地去沟通,这世界必能和谐,这社会必能进步!本书提出“用沟通代替争执”的理念,就是力图让每一位读者将本书提到的70个智慧运用到自己的生活中去,让生活变得和谐,让人生变得快乐!
  • 太上洞玄灵宝补谢灶王经

    太上洞玄灵宝补谢灶王经

    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。
  • 降魔档案

    降魔档案

    看似和平安定的世界,时不时会发生一些奇怪而且灵异的事情,这个世界,存在着神仙和天堂,也存在着魔鬼和地狱,不过,有邪恶的存在,必然也会有正义的存在,然而更多的,还是最最真实的人性……黑暗的地方别看太久,否则,会被吸进去的…… 【文中人名地名等皆为虚构,如有雷同,纯属巧合,切勿对号入座。如有任何问题,可在评论区直接提出,不喜勿喷】
  • 绝世武圣

    绝世武圣

    谁说吊丝不能逆袭?沈涛偏偏就不信这个邪,以凡人之躯行逆天之事,不论是绝世天才、跨阶强者还是超级家族上古门派,挡我路者,杀无赦……
  • 一本书读懂星云大师

    一本书读懂星云大师

    无论你是否信佛,这本书都是让你心灵安静的一滴甘露。对于社会中的人来说,即便生命无常、一切皆空是真理,也不可能让每个人都按这样的真理去生活。世俗红尘依然是绝大多数人不可能离开的地方。所以,星云大师提倡“人间佛教”——以出世胸怀做入世事业。星云大师乃方外之人,全无私心杂念,所以对世事看得透彻,将佛教义理生活化,本书对于大师的人生观、财富观、爱情婚姻、家庭教育、人际交往、成功励志等诸方面进行阐释。不可否认的是大师的作品很多,对于很多读者来说可能存在选择上的疑惑,本书是将星云大师对于生活中最常见问题的指点做出归纳,在一个个小故事中,让你恍然开释,一切都为了让你的心灵得到安宁和舒适。
  • 呼伦贝尔记忆

    呼伦贝尔记忆

    中国作家协会副主席、原解放军艺术学院副院长,少将军衔,一级文学创作。著有中篇小说《高山下的花环》、长篇报告文学《大王魂》、散文集《大河遗梦》《最后的野象谷》《飘逝的绝唱》《绿色天书》等。其小说译有英、美、法、日、俄等国外文版本。作品曾获全国第二、三届优秀中篇小说奖,第三届鲁迅文学奖等。电影文学剧本《高山下的花环》获全国第五届电影金鸡奖及最佳编剧奖,《百年老屋》获全国优秀电影剧本奖等。人类的记忆常是文化的记忆,人类的历史也靠文化的链环得以衔接和赓续。
  • 我怎么变成了女生

    我怎么变成了女生

    正在放假中的我,明明一切日常安好,享受着假期的美妙生活,结果在前一天与同学喝酒的晚上回来后,第二天早上起来,莫名其妙的变成了一个美少女!欢迎加入变身女生书友群,群聊号码:662957562
  • 王的宠妃爱妃别想逃

    王的宠妃爱妃别想逃

    她在和韩琦的婚礼上出了车祸莫名的穿越到了汉朝!委屈的指着他的鼻子控告他的恶行————欧阳静,是第一个敢直呼他名讳,第一个敢在朝堂上骂丞相,第一个敢跟皇后打架的妃子!对于这些,他都能容忍,可是她太得寸进尺了!以为能驯服的了她,她竟然,竟然逃跑了?欧阳静,你别想逃!