’Allamongthelords，Isee，’saidMrsVanSiever。ThenMrsDobbsBroughtondrewherselfback，rememberingsomelittleattackwhichhadbeenmadeonherbyMrsVanSieverwhensheherselfhadhadthereallordtodinewithher。
TherewasaMissVanSievertherealso，sittingbetweenCrosbieandConwayDalrymple。ConwayDalrymplehadbeenspeciallybroughttheretositnexttoMissVanSiever。’There’snoknowinghowmuchshe’llhave，’
saidMrsDobbsBroughton，inthewarmthoftheirfriendship。’Butit’sallreal。Itis，indeed，。Themotherisawfullyrich。’
’Butshe’sawfulinanotherway，too，’saidDalrymple。
’Indeedsheis，Conway。’MrsDobbsBroughtonhadgotintoawayofcallingheryoungfriendbyhisChristianname。’AlltheworldcallshimConway，’shehadsaidtoherhusbandoncewhenherhusbandhadcaughtherdoingso。’Sheisawful。HerhusbandmadethebusinessintheCity，whenthingswereverydifferentfromwhattheyarenow，andIcan’thelphavingher。ShehastransactionsofbusinesswithDobbs。Butthere’snomistakeaboutthemoney。’
’Sheneedn’tleaveittoherdaughter，Isuppose？’
’Butwhyshouldn’tshe？Shehasnobodyelse。Youmightoffertopainther，youknow。She’dmakeanexcellentpicture。Somuchcharacter。Youcomeandseeher。’
ConwayDalrymplehadexpressedhiswillingnesstomeetMissVanSiever，sayingsomething，however，astohispresentpositionbeingonewhichdidnotadmitofanymatrimonialspeculation。ThenMrsDobbsBroughtonhadtoldhim，withmuchseriousness，thathewasaltogetherwrong，andthatwerehetoforgethimself，orcommithimself，ormisbehavehimself，theremustbeanendtotheirpleasantintimacy。Inanswertowhich，MrDalrymplehadsaidthathisGracewassurelyofallGracestheleastgracious。AndnowhehadcometomeetMissVanSiever，andwasnowseatednexttoherattable。
MissVanSiever，whoatthistimehadperhapsreachedhertwenty—fifthyear，wascertainlyahandsomeyoungwoman。Shewasfairandlarge，bearingnolikenesswhatevertohermother。Herfeatureswereregular，andherfull，cleareyeshadabrillianceoftheirown，lookingatyoualwayssteadfastlyandboldly，thoughveryseldompleasantly。Hermouthwouldhavebeenbeautifulhaditnotbeentoostrongforfemininebeauty。Herteethwereperfect——tooperfect——lookinglikeminiaturewallsofcarvedivory。Sheknewthefaultofthisperfection，andshowedherteethaslittleasshecould。Hernoseandchinwerefinelychiselled，andherheadstoodwelluponhershoulders。Buttherewassomethinghardaboutitallwhichrepelledyou。Dalrymple，whenhesawher，recoiledfromher，notoutwardly，butinwardly。Yes，shewashandsome，asmaybehorseoratiger；buttherewasabouthernothingoffemininesoftness。HecouldnotbringhimselftothinkoftakingClaraVanSieverasthemodelthatwastositbeforehimfortherestofhislife。Hecertainlycouldmakeapictureofher，ashadbeensuggestedbyhisfriend，MrsBroughton，butitmustbeasJudithwiththedisseveredhead，ofasJaelusingherhammeroverthetempleofSisera。Yes——hethoughtshewoulddoasJael；andifMrsVanSieverwouldthrowhimasugar—plum——forhewouldwantthesugar—plum，seeingthatanyotherresultwasoutofthequestion——thethingmightbedone。SuchwastheideaofMrConwayDalrymplerespectingMissVanSiever——beforeheledherdowntodinner。
Atfirsthefoundithardtotalktoher。Sheansweredhim，andnotwithmonosyllables。Butsheansweredhimwithoutsympathy，orapparentpleasureintalking。Nowtheyoungartistwasinthehabitofbeingflatteredbyladies，andexpectedtohavehissmalltalkmadeveryeasyforhim。Helikedtogivehimselflittleairs，andwasnotgenerallydisposedtolabourveryhardatthetaskofmakinghimselfagreeable。
’Wereyoueverpaintedyet？’heaskedaftertheyhadbothbeensittingsilentfortwoorthreeminutes。
’WasIever——painted？Inwhatway？’
’Idon’tmeanrouged，orenamelled，orgotupbyMadameRachel；buthaveyoueverhadyourportraittaken？’
’Ihavebeenphotographedofcourse。’
’That’swhyIaskedyouifyouhadbeenpainted——soastomakesomelittledistinctionbetweenthetwo。Iamapainterbyprofession，anddoportraits。’
’SoMrsBroughtontoldme。’
’Iamnotaskingforajob，youknow。’
’Iamquitesureofthat。’
’ButIshouldhavethoughtyouwouldhavebeensuretohavesattosomebody。’
’Ineverdid。Ineverthoughtofdoingso。Onedoesthosethingsattheinstigationofone’sintimatefriends——fathers，mothers，uncles，andauntsandthelike。’
’Orhusbands，perhaps——orlovers？’
’Well，yes；myintimatefriendismymother，andshewouldneverdreamofsuchathing。Shehatespictures。’
’Hatespictures！’
’Andespeciallyportraits。AndI’mafraid，MrDalrymple，shehatesartists。’
’Goodheavens；howcruel！Isupposethereissomestoryattachedtoit。
Therehasbeensomefatallikeness——someterriblepicture——somethinginherearlydays。’
’Nothingofthekind，MrDalrymple。Itismerelythefactthathersympathiesarewithuglythings，ratherthanwithprettythings。Ithinkshelovesthemahoganydinner—tablebetterthananythingelseinthehouse；andshelikestohaveeverythingdark，andplain，andsolid。’
’Andgood？’
’Goodofitskind，certainly。’
’Ifeveryonewaslikeyourmother，howwouldtheartistlive？’
’Therewouldbenone。’
’Andtheworld，youthink，wouldbenonethepoorer？’
’Ididnotspeakformyself。Ithinktheworldwouldbeverymuchthepoorer。Iamveryfondofancientmasters，thoughIdonotsupposethatIunderstandthem。’
’Theyareeasierunderstoodthanthemodern，Icantellyou。Perhapsyoudon’tcareformodernpictures？’
’Notincomparison，certainly。Ifthatisuncivil，youhavebroughtitonyourself。ButIdonotintruthmeananythingderogatorytothepaintersoftheday。Whentheirpicturesareold，they——thatisthegoodonesamongthem——willbenicealso。’
’Picturesarelikewine，andwantage，youthink？’
’Yes，andstatuestoo，andbuildingsaboveallthings。Thecoloursofnewpaintingsaresoglaring，andthefacesaresobrightandself—conscious，thattheylooktomewhenIgototheexhibitionlikecolouredprintsinachild’snewpicture—book。Itisthesamethingwithbuildings。Oneseesallthepoints，andnothingislefttotheimagination。’
’IfindIhavecomeacrossarealcritic。’
’Ihopeso，atanyrate，Iamnotashamone’andMissVanSieverasshesaidthislookedverysavage。
’Ishouldn’ttakeyoutobeshaminanything。’
’Ah，thatwouldbesayingagreatdealformyself。Whocanundertaketosaythatheisnotashaminanything？’
Asshesaidthistheladiesweregettingup。SoMissVanSieveralsogotup，andleftMrConwayDalrympletoconsiderwhetherhecouldsayorcouldthinkofhimselfthathewasnotashaminanything。AsregardedMissClaraVanSiever，hebegantothinkthathecouldnotobjecttopaintherportrait，eventhoughtheremightbenosugar—plum。HewouldcertainlydoitasJael；andhewould，ifhedared，insertdimlyinthebackgroundsomeideaofthefaceofthemother，half—appearing，half—vanishing，asthespiritofthesacrifice。Hewascomposingthepicture，whileMrDobbsBroughtonwasarranginghimselfandhisbottles。
’Musselboro，’hesaid，’I’llcomeupbetweenyouandCrosbie。MrEames，thoughIrunawayfromyou，theclaretshallremain；or，rather，itshallflowbackwardsandforwardsasrapidlyasyouwill。’
’I’llkeepitmoving，’saidJohnny。
’Do；there’sagoodfellow。It’saniceglassofwineisn’tit...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：