登陆注册
15512400000024

第24章 CHAPTER V(3)

"One might be painted while one is asleep," suggested Mr. Brand, as a contribution to the discussion.

"Ah, do paint me while I am asleep," said Gertrude to Felix, smiling.

And she closed her eyes a little. It had by this time become a matter of almost exciting anxiety to Charlotte what Gertrude would say or would do next.

She began to sit for her portrait on the following day--in the open air, on the north side of the piazza. "I wish you would tell me what you think of us--how we seem to you," she said to Felix, as he sat before his easel.

"You seem to me the best people in the world," said Felix.

"You say that," Gertrude resumed, "because it saves you the trouble of saying anything else."

The young man glanced at her over the top of his canvas.

"What else should I say? It would certainly be a great deal of trouble to say anything different."

"Well," said Gertrude, "you have seen people before that you have liked, have you not?"

"Indeed I have, thank Heaven!"

"And they have been very different from us," Gertrude went on.

"That only proves," said Felix, "that there are a thousand different ways of being good company."

"Do you think us good company?" asked Gertrude.

"Company for a king!"

Gertrude was silent a moment; and then, "There must be a thousand different ways of being dreary," she said; "and sometimes I think we make use of them all."

Felix stood up quickly, holding up his hand. "If you could only keep that look on your face for half an hour--while I catch it!" he said.

"It is uncommonly handsome."

"To look handsome for half an hour--that is a great deal to ask of me," she answered.

"It would be the portrait of a young woman who has taken some vow, some pledge, that she repents of," said Felix, "and who is thinking it over at leisure."

"I have taken no vow, no pledge," said Gertrude, very gravely;

"I have nothing to repent of."

"My dear cousin, that was only a figure of speech.

I am very sure that no one in your excellent family has anything to repent of."

"And yet we are always repenting!" Gertrude exclaimed.

"That is what I mean by our being dreary. You know it perfectly well; you only pretend that you don't."

Felix gave a quick laugh. "The half hour is going on, and yet you are handsomer than ever. One must be careful what one says, you see."

"To me," said Gertrude, "you can say anything."

Felix looked at her, as an artist might, and painted for some time in silence.

"Yes, you seem to me different from your father and sister--from most of the people you have lived with," he observed.

"To say that one's self," Gertrude went on, "is like saying--by implication, at least--that one is better. I am not better;

I am much worse. But they say themselves that I am different.

It makes them unhappy."

"Since you accuse me of concealing my real impressions, I may admit that I think the tendency--among you generally--is to be made unhappy too easily."

"I wish you would tell that to my father," said Gertrude.

"It might make him more unhappy!" Felix exclaimed, laughing.

"It certainly would. I don't believe you have seen people like that."

"Ah, my dear cousin, how do you know what I have seen?" Felix demanded.

"How can I tell you?"

"You might tell me a great many things, if you only would. You have seen people like yourself--people who are bright and gay and fond of amusement.

We are not fond of amusement."

"Yes," said Felix, "I confess that rather strikes me.

You don't seem to me to get all the pleasure out of life that you might. You don't seem to me to enjoy..... Do you mind my saying this?" he asked, pausing.

"Please go on," said the girl, earnestly.

"You seem to me very well placed for enjoying. You have money and liberty and what is called in Europe a 'position.'

But you take a painful view of life, as one may say."

"One ought to think it bright and charming and delightful, eh?" asked Gertrude.

"I should say so--if one can. It is true it all depends upon that," Felix added.

"You know there is a great deal of misery in the world," said his model.

"I have seen a little of it," the young man rejoined.

"But it was all over there--beyond the sea. I don't see any here.

This is a paradise."

Gertrude said nothing; she sat looking at the dahlias and the currant-bushes in the garden, while Felix went on with his work.

"To 'enjoy,' " she began at last, "to take life--not painfully, must one do something wrong?"

Felix gave his long, light laugh again. "Seriously, I think not.

And for this reason, among others: you strike me as very capable of enjoying, if the chance were given you, and yet at the same time as incapable of wrong-doing."

"I am sure," said Gertrude, "that you are very wrong in telling a person that she is incapable of that.

We are never nearer to evil than when we believe that."

"You are handsomer than ever," observed Felix, irrelevantly.

Gertrude had got used to hearing him say this.

There was not so much excitement in it as at first.

"What ought one to do?" she continued. "To give parties, to go to the theatre, to read novels, to keep late hours?"

"I don't think it 's what one does or one does n't do that promotes enjoyment," her companion answered.

"It is the general way of looking at life."

"They look at it as a discipline--that 's what they do here.

I have often been told that."

"Well, that 's very good. But there is another way," added Felix, smiling:

"to look at it as an opportunity."

"An opportunity--yes," said Gertrude. "One would get more pleasure that way."

"I don't attempt to say anything better for it than that it has been my own way--and that is not saying much!"

Felix had laid down his palette and brushes; he was leaning back, with his arms folded, to judge the effect of his work.

"And you know," he said, "I am a very petty personage."

"You have a great deal of talent," said Gertrude.

"No--no," the young man rejoined, in a tone of cheerful impartiality, "I have not a great deal of talent. It is nothing at all remarkable.

I assure you I should know if it were. I shall always be obscure.

同类推荐
  • 璇矶图

    璇矶图

    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。
  • 淡新档案选录行政编初集

    淡新档案选录行政编初集

    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。
  • 观音经持验记

    观音经持验记

    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。
  • Hamlet

    Hamlet

    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。
  • 横吹曲辞 捉搦歌

    横吹曲辞 捉搦歌

    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。
热门推荐
  • 传习录全鉴

    传习录全鉴

    《传习录》是王阳明的问答语录和论学书信集,是一部儒家简明而有代表性的哲学著作。《传习录》不但全面涵盖了王阳明的哲学思想,还体现了他辩证的教学方法以及生动活泼、善于用譬、常带机锋的语言艺术。因此该书一经问世,便受到世人的推崇。 本书延续并发展了“国学全鉴系列”的特点,专门向读者介绍《传习录》,内容丰富,材料充分,配以通俗易懂的解译,让读者能够轻松地领会《传习录》的精髓,是一部学习国学传统经典的好书。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 恶魔大人的阴谋

    恶魔大人的阴谋

    她,只是一个被人收养的孤儿,却有强大内心。他,华鹏娱乐公司总裁,影视歌三栖巨星,却有很多秘密。他高傲、冷酷,无情,风流成性,放荡不羁。他说,他不会爱,这辈子都不会爱上任何人。遇见她后,却放下所有的身段,只为她的一个笑容。他将所有的身家都交给她,只因为一句“我相信你。”他不再流连在夜场,他准时回家,他身边只有一个她。是天大的宠爱?还是天大的阴谋?
  • 万物兑换系统

    万物兑换系统

    一名19年来过得都很惨的穷屌丝万里,在得到一从天而降的系统后,开始屌丝逆袭的故事。书里有各种类型的美女,有会武功、会奇术的强者。且看万里如何运用系统所赋予的能力,一路逆袭,直至世界之巅。
  • 纸鹤恋

    纸鹤恋

    静“谁允许你牵我手的?”天翔“不用这样吧老婆?”…………o(∩_∩)o...就这样和他走在一块………………(*^__^*)嘻嘻……就这样和他相爱……
  • 至尊阴阳师

    至尊阴阳师

    大陆之上,异界之中,各族的精英汇聚一堂,阴阳师,武者,魔法师,弓箭手,等等,完美的组合,精彩纷呈,即将展现
  • 火澜

    火澜

    当一个现代杀手之王穿越到这个世界。是隐匿,还是崛起。一场血雨腥风的传奇被她改写。一条无上的强者之路被她踏破。修斗气,炼元丹,收兽宠,化神器,大闹皇宫,炸毁学院,打死院长,秒杀狗男女,震惊大陆。无止尽的契约能力,上古神兽,千年魔兽,纷纷前来抱大腿,惊傻世人。她说:在我眼里没有好坏之分,只有强弱之分,只要你能打败我,这世间所有都是你的,打不败我,就从这世间永远消失。她狂,她傲,她的目标只有一个,就是凌驾这世间一切之上。三国皇帝,魔界妖王,冥界之主,仙界至尊。到底谁才是陪着她走到最后的那个?他说:上天入地,我会陪着你,你活着,有我,你死,也一定有我。本文一对一,男强女强,强强联手,不喜勿入。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 超级大能

    超级大能

    一个屌丝的都市生活。在无意中得到了建国系统,就这样他在都市生活过得是风生水起。最后建立了自己的商业国......
  • 汐氏童话

    汐氏童话

    “汐月死了,是你杀了她,请你下次别跟我提她!你没有这个权力!”幕。“我的女儿没有死!她还活着!”幕。“这是我们初遇的地方,你还记得吧!”幕。“你快起来好不好,别吓我,你睁眼看看啊!”幕。“我快结婚了,祝你幸福!”幕。“陪着你她没有幸福,这是你上次给她的戒指,她不要了,还给你!”幕。记忆重拼起,到底是爱还是恨,谁能战到最后呢。