登陆注册
15465600000060

第60章 CHAPTER XXIII THE STAINED-GLASS MAN(2)

The stained-glass man stooped to sniff a rosebush. "Yes," he said;"it suits me very well. I get lots of time for my art work.""That must be very interesting," said Shelton, whose glance was roving for Antonia; "I never managed to begin a hobby.""Never had a hobby!" said the stained-glass man, brushing back his hair (he was walking with no hat); "why, what the deuce d' you do?"Shelton could not answer; the idea had never troubled him.

"I really don't know," he said, embarrassed; "there's always something going on, as far as I can see."The stained-glass man placed his hands within his pockets, and his bright glance swept over his companion.

"A fellow must have a hobby to give him an interest in life," he said.

"An interest in life?" repeated Shelton grimly; "life itself is good enough for me.""Oh!" replied the stained-glass man, as though he disapproved of regarding life itself as interesting.

"That's all very well, but you want something more than that. Why don't you take up woodcarving?""Wood-carving?"

"The moment I get fagged with office papers and that sort of thing Itake up my wood-carving; good as a game of hockey.""I have n't the enthusiasm."

The eyebrows of the stained-glass man twitched; he twisted his moustache.

"You 'll find not having a hobby does n't pay," he said; "you 'll get old, then where 'll you be?"It came as a surprise that he should use the words "it does n't pay,"for he had a kind of partially enamelled look, like that modern jewellery which really seems unconscious of its market value.

"You've given up the Bar? Don't you get awfully bored having nothing to do?" pursued the stained-glass man, stopping before an ancient sundial.

Shelton felt a delicacy, as a man naturally would, in explaining that being in love was in itself enough to do. To do nothing is unworthy of a man! But he had never felt as yet the want of any occupation.

His silence in no way disconcerted his acquaintance.

"That's a nice old article of virtue," he said, pointing with his chin; and, walking round the sundial, he made its acquaintance from the other side. Its grey profile cast a thin and shortening shadow on the turf; tongues of moss were licking at its sides; the daisies clustered thick around its base; it had acquired a look of growing from the soil. "I should like to get hold of that," the stained-glass man remarked; "I don't know when I 've seen a better specimen,"and he walked round it once again.

His eyebrows were still ironically arched, but below them his eyes were almost calculating, and below them, again, his mouth had opened just a little. A person with a keener eye would have said his face looked greedy, and even Shelton was surprised, as though he had read in the Spectator a confession of commercialism.

"You could n't uproot a thing like that," he said; "it would lose all its charm."His companion turned impatiently, and his countenance looked wonderfully genuine.

"Couldn't I?" he said. "By Jove! I thought so. 1690! The best period." He ran his forger round the sundial's edge. "Splendid line-clean as the day they made it. You don't seem to care much about that sort of thing"; and once again, as though accustomed to the indifference of Vandals, his face regained its mask.

They strolled on towards the kitchen gardens, Shelton still busy searching every patch of shade. He wanted to say "Can't stop," and hurry off; but there was about the stained-glass man a something that, while stinging Shelton's feelings, made the showing of them quite impossible. "Feelings!" that person seemed to say; "all very well, but you want more than that. Why not take up wood-carving?

. . . . Feelings! I was born in England, and have been at Cambridge.""Are you staying long?" he asked Shelton. "I go on to Halidome's to-morrow; suppose I sha'n't see you there? Good, chap, old Halidome! Collection of etchings very fine!""No; I 'm staying on," said Shelton.

"Ah!" said the stained-glass man, "charming people, the Dennants!"Shelton, reddening slowly, turned his head away; he picked a gooseberry, and muttered, "Yes.""The eldest girl especially; no nonsense about her. I thought she was a particularly nice girl."Shelton heard this praise of Antonia with an odd sensation; it gave him the reverse of pleasure, as though the words had cast new light upon her. He grunted hastily, "I suppose you know that we 're engaged?""Really!" said the stained-glass man, and again his bright, clear, iron-committal glance swept over Shelton--"really! I didn't know.

Congratulate you!"

It was as if he said: "You're a man of taste; I should say she would go well in almost any drawing-room!""Thanks," said Shelton; "there she' is. If you'll excuse me, I want to speak to her."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 寂灭神枪

    寂灭神枪

    意外身亡的林云,灵魂被一怪异的笔携带到异界大陆。面对各方威胁,他只有一个理念,变强,再变强,纨绔风流只是他的伪装术,杀人才是他真本事。休闲之际,写写药方,画画丹药,弄个装备模型,升级个装备,当别人正为得到一把圣器而沾沾自喜时,他都可以画出神器了,有神笔,没有他画不出的,写药方,画丹药,弄装备,都是轻而易举,甚至天地他都可以画出来。除了笔,他还随身携带一把让人闻风丧胆的神枪,正所谓武能持枪上云霄,文能持笔画天地。【备注:每日至少两更六千字,放心阅读,绝无断更不良记录~新书期摆碗求点击,求收藏,求推荐票冲榜HO~~】
  • 香雪润红柳

    香雪润红柳

    爸爸说“你一个丫头片子什么都不是”丈夫说“以后你就指望我养活了,老实的听话,要不收拾死你”最后的最后那些声音都在那一声碎裂声中远去了。也只有那一刻她才明白,原来新生活不是盼来的呵
  • 冒牌阔少炼成记

    冒牌阔少炼成记

    凌源是绝世门独家传人,懂点医学,会点武功,无意中冒牌了凌家少爷,融入现代社会,但是这个家族却危机重重,且看我们主角的冒牌人生如何霸气冲天。
  • 异世界的二战

    异世界的二战

    附体重生,还可以召唤地球二战名将!那就不好意思了,成立地球帝国,做地球一世皇帝,就是我的目标了。
  • 吸血鬼族

    吸血鬼族

    一个沉睡已久的王者,重获力量,奇异的吸血鬼王国,即将再现。。
  • 我的双面陛下

    我的双面陛下

    追捕叛徒途中,被车撞倒?遇见黑白无常,是否重生?神秘男子遭捆绑,救不救?在奇怪的地方,有奇怪的相遇,她只想安静的做只鬼都不行?冷酷美男?暖男帅哥?求放过!
  • 紫禁城2011

    紫禁城2011

    一个不想做皇帝的太子,一个想做皇帝的王子,一个不是皇帝却一心为民的太子,一个是皇帝却一心只为自己的王子,他们之间到底会产生怎样的历史呢?无尽的历史是无尽的尘埃,是谁笑到了最后,掌握了历史?
  • 红尘道长

    红尘道长

    张星宝:“妖女,这红尘都市不是你所能呆的地儿,快快现出原形随我回往生戒中。”妖女:“臭道士,我又没有为非作歹,你凭什么抓我?”张星宝:“世间万物自有平衡,你身怀妖法混入都市便打破了俗世平衡。贫道身为末法时代最后一个修真者,岂能容你作孽?”妖女:“你虽是修道者,为什么就能在红尘里勾三搭四。而我虽然是妖,却为什么不能去红尘中寻一段真爱?”张星宝:“人有人伦,妖有妖道。你既是妖,深山野林里才是你的归宿。好了,还不快把衣服穿上,便是想用你的皮肉来勾引我么?”妖女:“废话,你把我的衣服扒掉,又不还我,让我怎么穿衣?”······这是一个都市少年修道,变为猥琐大叔的故事。
  • 江湖崛起

    江湖崛起

    一位身世迷离的少年,从血狼谷开始自己不一样的传说故事。是什么是原本单纯的他变得嗜血,又是什么使原本可爱的他变得邪气。江湖凶险,看一位传奇少年怎样踏上至尊之路
  • 冥婚之走阴人

    冥婚之走阴人

    刚满二十二岁的凌之桃回自己的村子见奶奶,可是在半路上却被一只鬼俘去强行接了冥婚。“我们不认识。”“入棺为妻,你是我妻,所以,你要履行妻子的义务。”“我保证我每天都会为你上三炷香。”“不行。”“那四炷香?”“女人,我要你生个娃儿。”从此,她过上了没羞没躁的生活。