登陆注册
15684900000005

第5章

With his blooming complexion and his serene gray eye, he felt the friction of existence more than was suspected;but he asked no allowance on grounds of temper, he assumed that fate had treated him inordinately well and that he had no excuse for taking an ill-natured view of life, and he undertook constantly to believe that all women were fair, all men were brave, and the world was a delightful place of sojourn, until the contrary had been distinctly proved.

Cecilia's blooming garden and shady porch had seemed so friendly to repose and a cigar, that she reproached him the next morning with indifference to her little parlor, not less, in its way, a monument to her ingenious taste.

"And by the way," she added as he followed her in, "if I refused last night to show you a pretty girl, I can at least show you a pretty boy."She threw open a window and pointed to a statuette which occupied the place of honor among the ornaments of the room.Rowland looked at it a moment and then turned to her with an exclamation of surprise.

She gave him a rapid glance, perceived that her statuette was of altogether exceptional merit, and then smiled, knowingly, as if this had long been an agreeable certainty.

"Who did it? where did you get it?" Rowland demanded.

"Oh," said Cecilia, adjusting the light, "it 's a little thing of Mr.Hudson's.""And who the deuce is Mr.Hudson?" asked Rowland.But he was absorbed;he lost her immediate reply.The statuette, in bronze, something less than two feet high, represented a naked youth drinking from a gourd.

The attitude was perfectly simple.The lad was squarely planted on his feet, with his legs a little apart; his back was slightly hollowed, his head thrown back, and both hands raised to support the rustic cup.

There was a loosened fillet of wild flowers about his head, and his eyes, under their drooped lids, looked straight into the cup.

On the base was scratched the Greek word ;aa;gD;gi;gc;ga, Thirst.

The figure might have been some beautiful youth of ancient fable,--Hylas or Narcissus, Paris or Endymion.Its beauty was the beauty of natural movement; nothing had been sought to be represented but the perfection of an attitude.This had been most attentively studied, and it was exquisitely rendered.Rowland demanded more light, dropped his head on this side and that, uttered vague exclamations.

He said to himself, as he had said more than once in the Louvre and the Vatican, "We ugly mortals, what beautiful creatures we are!"Nothing, in a long time, had given him so much pleasure.

"Hudson--Hudson," he asked again; "who is Hudson?""A young man of this place," said Cecilia.

"A young man? How old?"

"I suppose he is three or four and twenty.""Of this place, you say--of Northampton, Massachusetts?""He lives here, but he comes from Virginia.""Is he a sculptor by profession?"

"He 's a law-student."

Rowland burst out laughing."He has found something in Blackstone that Inever did.He makes statues then simply for his pleasure?"Cecilia, with a smile, gave a little toss of her head."For mine!""I congratulate you," said Rowland."I wonder whether he could be induced to do anything for me?""This was a matter of friendship.I saw the figure when he had modeled it in clay, and of course greatly admired it.

He said nothing at the time, but a week ago, on my birthday, he arrived in a buggy, with this.He had had it cast at the foundry at Chicopee; I believe it 's a beautiful piece of bronze.

He begged me to accept."

"Upon my word," said Mallet, "he does things handsomely!"And he fell to admiring the statue again.

"So then," said Cecilia, "it 's very remarkable?""Why, my dear cousin," Rowland answered, "Mr.Hudson, of Virginia, is an extraordinary--" Then suddenly stopping:

"Is he a great friend of yours?" he asked.

"A great friend?" and Cecilia hesitated."I regard him as a child!""Well," said Rowland, "he 's a very clever child.

Tell me something about him: I should like to see him."Cecilia was obliged to go to her daughter's music-lesson, but she assured Rowland that she would arrange for him a meeting with the young sculptor.

He was a frequent visitor, and as he had not called for some days it was likely he would come that evening.Rowland, left alone, examined the statuette at his leisure, and returned more than once during the day to take another look at it.He discovered its weak points, but it wore well.

It had the stamp of genius.Rowland envied the happy youth who, in a New England village, without aid or encouragement, without models or resources, had found it so easy to produce a lovely work.

In the evening, as he was smoking his cigar on the veranda, a light, quick step pressed the gravel of the garden path, and in a moment a young man made his bow to Cecilia.It was rather a nod than a bow, and indicated either that he was an old friend, or that he was scantily versed in the usual social forms.Cecilia, who was sitting near the steps, pointed to a neighboring chair, but the young man seated himself abruptly on the floor at her feet, began to fan himself vigorously with his hat, and broke out into a lively objurgation upon the hot weather.

"I 'm dripping wet!" he said, without ceremony.

"You walk too fast," said Cecilia."You do everything too fast.""I know it, I know it!" he cried, passing his hand through his abundant dark hair and making it stand out in a picturesque shock.

"I can't be slow if I try.There 's something inside of me that drives me.

A restless fiend!"

Cecilia gave a light laugh, and Rowland leaned forward in his hammock.

He had placed himself in it at Bessie's request, and was playing that he was her baby and that she was rocking him to sleep.

She sat beside him, swinging the hammock to and fro, and singing a lullaby.

When he raised himself she pushed him back and said that the baby must finish its nap."But I want to see the gentleman with the fiend inside of him," said Rowland.

"What is a fiend?" Bessie demanded."It 's only Mr.Hudson.""Very well, I want to see him."

同类推荐
  • 战略辑佚

    战略辑佚

    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。
  • American Notes

    American Notes

    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。
  • 析疑指迷论

    析疑指迷论

    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。
  • RHETORIC

    RHETORIC

    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。
  • 痴人福

    痴人福

    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
  • 都市至尊强者

    都市至尊强者

    为红颜佳人他张狂无限,为生死兄弟他两肋插刀,为强者巅峰他勇往直前!一代疯魔陆枫重返都市,本想做一名普通的烧烤摊贩,然而树欲静而风不止,他卷入了地下社团的纠纷当中,与此同时武道家族、修炼门派、军方特战队的高手纷纷涌现。于是,陆枫开始在都市中踏上一条问鼎强者巅峰的道路!
  • 灵魂宝塔

    灵魂宝塔

    有人说:鬼魅,你信就有,不信就无。我只想说,信与不信,且看我一一道来!······(ps:新书期间,希望各位多多支持,送票,收藏,点赞,打赏,希蕊不胜感激!)
  • 极品云海

    极品云海

    一个平凡的男孩一次偶然的机会来到一个陌生的城市,在这里他会有什么故事呢?想知道的话就支持,《极品云海》吧!
  • 绝色狂妃:第一厨娘

    绝色狂妃:第一厨娘

    25世纪是一个科技高度发达的时代,人们的食物都由机器生产,厨艺已经退步,甚至有些人从未下过厨。25世纪第一厨神叶萱,是国际著名美食权威大师。一次意外,她穿越到了以厨为尊的幻月大陆,成了月辰国叶丞相府嫡出的废物七小姐。同名同姓的她们,却有着不同的命运。当她变成了她,废物?厨神可不是白当的,我一道菜就让人为之疯狂。命运的齿轮让他们相遇。他,月辰国辰王,月影楼楼主,传说冷漠冷血,无情无爱,却独独对一人付出真心,对她呵护备至。他说:女人,你,永远是我夜辰轩的!
  • 星际盗梦

    星际盗梦

    梦中金玉高堂卧,梦醒转瞬皆为空。梦是假的,醒来之后我们依然是原来的我。但梦境对于现实真的没有意义吗?是的!可现在又不是了……自从“巨变”之后,诞生了一个新的职业——造梦师!他们能够把梦界的东西具现到现实世界。同时也为现实世界的人,打开了通向另一个世界的大门……
  • 灾厄始祖

    灾厄始祖

    拜天天崩,拜地地裂;敬神神死,祭仙仙灭;不死不灭,天地不容。拥有仙祖意识和灾厄之躯的杜少陵,为了三界众生,不得不拼了老命地提升自己的实力。杜少陵:没办法,我一懈怠,整个三界都要跟着陪葬啊。且看无敌的杜少陵如何在三界之中成就自己的至尊之位。
  • 道家少年

    道家少年

    人最容易变的时候,就是踏足江湖,接触的人多啦,心也就活啦,对于一些事情自然也就不会在意。有些事情,常常会出乎你的意料,无论你愿不愿意,都是一个结果……
  • 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!)
  • 明月知吾心

    明月知吾心

    这是一部充满爱与恨,欺骗与背叛,真实与谎言,非常俗以及非常不俗的故事。
  • 遇见花开,遇见你

    遇见花开,遇见你

    初夏的凉城是那么美丽啊!特别是在一个只有薰衣草的自然花园。薰衣草是一种馥郁的紫蓝色的小花,它就像它的所在地一样具有浪漫的情怀。传说这些薰衣草能受到时尚族群的青睐,是因为它们还有许多浪漫美好的寓意。薰衣草有极大的内涵,隐蕴着正确的生命态度。人们一直将薰衣草视为纯洁、清净、保护、感恩和平的象征。薰衣草的花语是——等待爱情!