lavengro-第73部分

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aside　and　whispered。　　〃He'll　do；〃　I　heard　one　say；　〃Yes；　he'll　do；〃　

said　another；　and　then　they　came　to　me；　and　one　of　them；　a　little　

man　with　a　hump　on　his　back；　who　is　a　watchmaker；　assumed　the　

office　of　spokesman；　and　made　a　long　speech　…　（the　old　town　has　

been　always　celebrated　for　orators）　…　in　which　he　told　me　how　much　

they　had　been　pleased　with　my　productions　…　（the　old　town　has　been　

always　celebrated　for　its　artistic　taste）　…　and；　what　do　you　think？　

offered　me　the　painting　of　the　mayor's　portrait；　and　a　hundred　

pounds　for　my　trouble。　　Well；　of　course　I　was　much　surprised；　and　

for　a　minute　or　two　could　scarcely　speak；　recovering　myself；　

however；　I　made　a　speech；　not　so　eloquent　as　that　of　the　watchmaker　

of　course；　being　not　so　accustomed　to　speaking；　but　not　so　bad　

either；　taking　everything　into　consideration；　telling　them　how　

flattered　I　felt　by　the　honour　which　they　had　conferred　in　

proposing　to　me　such　an　undertaking；　expressing；　however；　my　fears　

that　I　was　not　competent　to　the　task；　and　concluding　by　saying　what　

a　pity　it　was　that　Crome　was　dead。　　〃Crome；〃　said　the　little　man；　

〃Crome；　yes；　he　was　a　clever　man；　a　very　clever　man　in　his　way；　he　

was　good　at　painting　landscapes　and　farm…houses；　but　he　would　not　

do　in　the　present　instance　were　he　alive。　　He　had　no　conception　of　

the　heroic；　sir。　　We　want　some　person　capable　of　representing　our　

mayor　striding　under　the　Norman　arch　out　of　the　cathedral。〃　　At　the　

mention　of　the　heroic　an　idea　came　at　once　into　my　head。　　〃Oh；〃　

said　I；　〃if　you　are　in　quest　of　the　heroic；　I　am　glad　that　you　came　

to　me；　don't　mistake　me；〃　I　continued；　〃I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　I　

could　do　justice　to　your　subject；　though　I　am　fond　of　the　heroic；　

but　I　can　introduce　you　to　a　great　master　of　the　heroic；　fully　

competent　to　do　justice　to　your　mayor。　　Not　to　me；　therefore；　be　

the　painting　of　the　picture　given；　but　to　a　friend　of　mine；　the　

great　master　of　the　heroic；　to　the　best；　the　strongest；　＇greek　text　

which　cannot　be　reproduced＇〃　I　added；　for；　being　amongst　orators；　I　

thought　a　word　of　Greek　would　tell。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'and　what　did　the　orators　say？'



'They　gazed　dubiously　at　me　and　at　one　another；'　said　my　brother；　

'at　last　the　watchmaker　asked　me　who　this　Mr。　Christo　was；　adding；　

that　he　had　never　heard　of　such　a　person；　that；　from　my　

recommendation　of　him；　he　had　no　doubt　that　he　was　a　very　clever　

man；　but　that　they　should　like　to　know　something　more　about　him　

before　giving　the　commission　to　him。　　That　he　had　heard　of　Christie　

the　great　auctioneer；　who　was　considered　to　be　an　excellent　judge　

of　pictures；　but　he　supposed　that　I　scarcely　…　Whereupon；　

interrupting　the　watchmaker；　I　told　him　that　I　alluded　neither　to　

Christo　nor　to　Christie；　but　to　the　painter　of　Lazarus　rising　from　

the　grave；　a　painter　under　whom　I　had　myself　studied　during　some　

months　that　I　had　spent　in　London；　and　to　whom　I　was　indebted　for　

much　connected　with　the　heroic。



'〃I　have　heard　of　him；〃　said　the　watchmaker；　〃and　his　paintings　

too；　but　I　am　afraid　that　he　is　not　exactly　the　gentleman　by　whom　

our　mayor　would　wish　to　be　painted。　　I　have　heard　say　that　he　is　

not　a　very　good　friend　to　Church　and　State。　　Come；　young　man；〃　he　

added；　〃it　appears　to　me　that　you　are　too　modest；　I　like　your　style　

of　painting；　so　do　we　all；　and　…　why　should　I　mince　the　matter？　…　

the　money　is　to　be　collected　in　the　town；　why　should　it　go　into　a　

stranger's　pocket；　and　be　spent　in　London？〃



'Thereupon　I　made　them　a　speech；　in　which　I　said　that　art　had　

nothing　to　do　with　Church　and　State；　at　least　with　English　Church　

and　State；　which　had　never　encouraged　it；　and　that；　though　Church　

and　State　were　doubtless　very　fine　things；　a　man　might　be　a　very　

good　artist　who　cared　not　a　straw　for　either。　　I　then　made　use　of　

some　more　Greek　words；　and　told　them　how　painting　was　one　of　the　

Nine　Muses；　and　one　of　the　most　independent　creatures　alive；　

inspiring　whom　she　pleased；　and　asking　leave　of　nobody；　that　I　

should　be　quite　unworthy　of　the　favours　of　the　Muse　if；　on　the　

present　occasion；　I　did　not　recommend　them　a　man　whom　I　considered　

to　be　a　much　greater　master　of　the　heroic　than　myself；　and　that；　

with　regard　to　the　money　being　spent　in　the　city；　I　had　no　doubt　

that　they　would　not　weigh　for　a　moment　such　a　consideration　against　

the　chance　of　getting　a　true　heroic　picture　for　the　city。　　I　never　

talked　so　well　in　my　life；　and　said　so　many　flattering　things　to　

the　hunchback　and　his　friends；　that　at　last　they　said　that　I　should　

have　my　own　way；　and　that　if　I　pleased　to　go　up　to　London；　and　

bring　down　the　painter　of　Lazarus　to　paint　the　mayor；　I　might；　so　

they　then　bade　me　farewell；　and　I　have　come　up　to　London。'



'To　put　a　hundred　pounds　into　the　hands　of　…　'



'A　better　man　than　myself；'　said　my　brother；　'of　course。'



'And　have　you　come　up　at　your　own　expense？'



'Yes；'　said　my　brother；　'I　have　come　up　at　my　own　expense。'



I　made　no　answer；　but　looked　in　my　brother's　face。　　We　then　

returned　to　the　former　subjects　of　conversation；　talking　of　the　

dead；　my　mother；　and　the　dog。



After　some　time　my　brother　said；　'I　will　now　go　to　the　painter；　and　

communicate　to　him　the　business　which　has　brought　me　to　town；　and；　

if　you　please；　I　will　take　you　with　me　and　introduce　you　to　him。'　　

Having　expressed　my　willingness；　we　descended　into　the　street。







CHAPTER　XXXVIII







Painter　of　the　heroic　…　I'll　go！　…　A　modest　peep　…　Who　is　this？　…　A　

capital　Pharaoh　…　Disproportionably　short　…　Imaginary　picture　…　

English　figures。



THE　painter　of　the　heroic　resided　a　great　way　off；　at　the　western　

end　of　the　town。　　We　had　some　difficulty　in　obtaining　admission　to　

him；　a　maid…servant；　who　opened　the　door；　eyeing　us　somewhat　

suspiciously：　　it　was　not　until　my　brother　had　said　that　he　was　a　

friend　of　the　painter　that　we　were　permitted　to　pass　the　threshold。　　

At　length　we　were　shown　into　the　studio；　where　we　found　the　

painter；　with　an　easel　and　brush；　standing　before　a　huge　piece　of　

canvas；　on　which　he　had　lately　commenced　painting　a　heroic　picture。　　

The　painter　might　be　about　thirty…five　years　old；　he　had　a　clever；　

intelligent　countenance；　with　a　sharp　gray　eye　…　his　hair　was　dark　

brown；　and　cut　a…la…Rafael；　as　I　was　subsequently　told；　that　is；　

there　was　little　before　and　much　behind　…　he　did　not　wear　a　neck…

cloth；　but；　in　its　stead；　a　black　riband；　so　that　his　neck；　which　

was　rather　fine；　was　somewhat　exposed　…　he　had　a　broad；　muscular　

breast；　and　I　make　no　doubt　that　he　would　have　been　a　very　fine　

figure；　but　unfortunately　his　legs　and　thighs　were　somewhat　short。　　

He　recognised　my　brother；　and　appeared　glad　to　see　him。



'What　brings　you　to　London？'　said　he。



Whereupon　my　brother　gave　him　a　brief　account　of　his　commission。　　

At　the　mention　of　the　hundred　pounds；　I　observed　the　eyes　of　the　

painter　glisten。　　'Really；'　said　he；　when　my