登陆注册
15512400000003

第3章 CHAPTER I(3)

The young man turned a little and looked at her, with his crayon poised.

"My dear Eugenia," he murmured, "were you so happy at sea?"

Eugenia got up; she still held in her hand the drawing her brother had given her. It was a bold, expressive sketch of a group of miserable people on the deck of a steamer, clinging together and clutching at each other, while the vessel lurched downward, at a terrific angle, into the hollow of a wave.

It was extremely clever, and full of a sort of tragi-comical power.

Eugenia dropped her eyes upon it and made a sad grimace.

"How can you draw such odious scenes?" she asked. "I should like to throw it into the fire!" And she tossed the paper away.

Her brother watched, quietly, to see where it went.

It fluttered down to the floor, where he let it lie.

She came toward the window, pinching in her waist.

"Why don't you reproach me--abuse me?" she asked.

"I think I should feel better then. Why don't you tell me that you hate me for bringing you here?"

"Because you would not believe it. I adore you, dear sister!

I am delighted to be here, and I am charmed with the prospect."

"I don't know what had taken possession of me. I had lost my head,"

Eugenia went on.

The young man, on his side, went on plying his pencil.

"It is evidently a most curious and interesting country.

Here we are, and I mean to enjoy it."

His companion turned away with an impatient step, but presently came back.

"High spirits are doubtless an excellent thing," she said; "but you give one too much of them, and I can't see that they have done you any good."

The young man stared, with lifted eyebrows, smiling; he tapped his handsome nose with his pencil. "They have made me happy!"

"That was the least they could do; they have made you nothing else.

You have gone through life thanking fortune for such very small favors that she has never put herself to any trouble for you."

"She must have put herself to a little, I think, to present me with so admirable a sister."

"Be serious, Felix. You forget that I am your elder."

"With a sister, then, so elderly!" rejoined Felix, laughing.

"I hoped we had left seriousness in Europe."

"I fancy you will find it here. Remember that you are nearly thirty years old, and that you are nothing but an obscure Bohemian--a penniless correspondent of an illustrated newspaper."

"Obscure as much as you please, but not so much of a Bohemian as you think.

And not at all penniless! I have a hundred pounds in my pocket.

I have an engagement to make fifty sketches, and I mean to paint the portraits of all our cousins, and of all their cousins, at a hundred dollars a head."

"You are not ambitious," said Eugenia.

"You are, dear Baroness," the young man replied.

The Baroness was silent a moment, looking out at the sleet-darkened grave-yard and the bumping horse-cars. "Yes, I am ambitious," she said at last. "And my ambition has brought me to this dreadful place!" She glanced about her--the room had a certain vulgur nudity; the bed and the window were curtainless--and she gave a little passionate sigh. "Poor old ambition!" she exclaimed.

Then she flung herself down upon a sofa which stood near against the wall, and covered her face with her hands.

Her brother went on with his drawing, rapidly and skillfully; after some moments he sat down beside her and showed her his sketch.

"Now, don't you think that 's pretty good for an obscure Bohemian?" he asked. "I have knocked off another fifty francs."

Eugenia glanced at the little picture as he laid it on her lap.

"Yes, it is very clever," she said. And in a moment she added, "Do you suppose our cousins do that?"

"Do what?"

"Get into those things, and look like that."

Felix meditated awhile. "I really can't say. It will be interesting to discover."

"Oh, the rich people can't!" said the Baroness.

"Are you very sure they are rich?" asked Felix, lightly.

His sister slowly turned in her place, looking at him. "Heavenly powers!" she murmured. "You have a way of bringing out things!"

"It will certainly be much pleasanter if they are rich," Felix declared.

"Do you suppose if I had not known they were rich I would ever have come?"

The young man met his sister's somewhat peremptory eye with his bright, contented glance. "Yes, it certainly will be pleasanter," he repeated.

"That is all I expect of them," said the Baroness. "I don't count upon their being clever or friendly--at first--or elegant or interesting.

But I assure you I insist upon their being rich."

Felix leaned his head upon the back of the sofa and looked awhile at the oblong patch of sky to which the window served as frame.

The snow was ceasing; it seemed to him that the sky had begun to brighten.

"I count upon their being rich," he said at last, "and powerful, and clever, and friendly, and elegant, and interesting, and generally delightful!

Tu vas voir." And he bent forward and kissed his sister. "Look there!" he went on. "As a portent, even while I speak, the sky is turning the color of gold; the day is going to be splendid."

And indeed, within five minutes the weather had changed.

The sun broke out through the snow-clouds and jumped into the Baroness's room. "Bonte divine," exclaimed this lady, "what a climate!"

"We will go out and see the world," said Felix.

And after a while they went out. The air had grown warm as well as brilliant; the sunshine had dried the pavements.

They walked about the streets at hazard, looking at the people and the houses, the shops and the vehicles, the blazing blue sky and the muddy crossings, the hurrying men and the slow-strolling maidens, the fresh red bricks and the bright green trees, the extraordinary mixture of smartness and shabbiness.

From one hour to another the day had grown vernal; even in the bustling streets there was an odor of earth and blossom.

Felix was immensely entertained. He had called it a comical country, and he went about laughing at everything he saw.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 殿下有礼了

    殿下有礼了

    他不知道自己救她是不是因为那张倾国倾城的脸,只知道在她杀了自己的未婚妻后对她的感情渐渐变得无法掌控,终于爱上却亲眼目睹她在自己面前被炸成碎片。时隔三年终于寻回失忆的她,却看到记忆中熟悉的脸站在别人身边笑靥如花。作为一个嚣张的上了天的女人,她一直觉得没有什么男人入得了她的眼,可是偏偏爱上一个普通的公子哥,当风度翩翩的简公子回到自己的位置变得尊贵强大,她才觉得以前那种简单随心所欲是多么难得。这一世,谁是谁的救赎?
  • 站在阳光的彼岸

    站在阳光的彼岸

    小树是一所普通大学的学生,有一个穷追不舍的追求者,还有一群要好的死党,就连被众女生鄙弃的系花离江也视其为挚友。离江被父母抛弃后一直与爷爷相依为命,高中好友郑风为了离江被学校开除后离家出走,两人再次重逢却是鲜血飞溅。小树与离家的男友畅轩在一次意外中相识并成为好友,而他却几乎害的小树沦为价值千万的毒品的牺牲品……
  • 极品校花的超级混混

    极品校花的超级混混

    曾经他是插班生,废柴被他人轻视看不起…如今他重头来过,都市争霸,谁与争锋,美女如云,万花丛中一点绿总裁艳丽多情,空姐风流娇俏女神冷若冰霜萝莉天真活泼,妹妹娇小玲珑校花柔情似水且看他完美逆袭欢迎加入龙之梦娱乐粉丝群:438051982
  • 不点客栈

    不点客栈

    方白姓方,排行老二,在江月城外开了一家客栈。名叫不点。所谓不点,原是她找不来大厨师傅,要住她的客店吃她的客店,第一点要求就是不能点,没的点。萧齐这个人非常一板一眼,比如他想跟人比武,对人说的总是那句:“在下萧齐,特来向XXX讨教武功。”这让他显得相当乏味又很不圆滑。本来比武就是件有风险的事,让别人做一件有风险的事,总该说些贴心话,可萧齐的态度却很不好,仿佛他做的并不是一件有求于人的事似的。萧齐遇到过各种想利用他的人,但没有方白这种人。她挨近他,左左右右地打量,道:“你,够厉害吗?”萧齐盯着方白的眸子,里面又亮又空白。一般疯子的眸子都是这样的。方白,能称得上是无害吗?……显然不能!
  • 网络:共建地球村

    网络:共建地球村

    科学是人类进步的第一推动力,而科学知识的普及则是实现这一推动的必由之路。在新的时代,社会的进步、科技的发展、人们生活水平的不断提高,为我们青少年的科普教育提供了新的契机。抓住这个契机,大力普及科学知识,传播科学精神,提高青少年的科学素质,是我们全社会的重要课题。
  • 启迪人生的100篇哲理小品

    启迪人生的100篇哲理小品

    本书选取了外国名家的100篇哲理小品,其内容涉及人生的方方面面,包括《健康》、《两条路》、《年届五十》等。
  • 那些年我们的青春

    那些年我们的青春

    第一次相遇,有了误会第二次相遇,有了悸动第三次相遇……
  • 异世之眼

    异世之眼

    道家天眼,亦称异世之眼!古九州之一青州刑警张逸,凭借此异世之眼,纵横环宇,破奇案、诛巨恶!进昆仑,生死卧底抓捕南派盗墓祖师。入西域,死里逃生刀毙境外魔首!
  • 我命由我不由仙

    我命由我不由仙

    由于一场意外,林凡穿越到修真圣地——青玄大陆。这是一个没有蓝光高清、无码视频的恐怖地方。到处都是山一般高的怪兽、而人更得到了修真法门、掌控风雷水火土五灵之力。可最TM的是——刚刚穿越过来的我就没了青玄修真必须的心核,还TM是一具尸体。但是,我命由我不由仙!没心核有没心核的修真,把妹装逼自我我的办法,且看林凡如何——危机反转,逆境成仙!
  • 剑雷

    剑雷

    陆家少年,历经大难,家破人亡,沉睡千年的他能否为自己的家人报仇,而陌生的世界他又会有什么样的机遇,一切就在《剑雷》。