按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
would he set his cunning at work to mislead me by some new
stratagem？ This latter course was the course which my past
experience of him suggested that he would take。 But； to my
surprise and alarm； I found my past experience at fault。 Ariel
succeeded in diverting his mind from the subject which had been
in full possession of it the moment before she spoke！ He showed
his face again。 It was overspread by a broad smile of gratified
self…esteem。 He was weak enough now to let even Ariel find her
way to his vanity。 I saw it with a sense of misgiving； with a
doubt whether I had not delayed my visit until too late； which
turned me cold from head to foot。
Miserrimus Dexter spoketo Ariel； not to me。
〃Poor devil！〃 he said； patting her head complacently。 〃You don't
understand a word of my stories； do you？ And yet I can make the
flesh creep on your great clumsy bodyand yet I can hold your
muddled mind； and make you like it。 Poor devil！〃 He leaned back
serenely in his chair； and looked my way again。 Would the sight
of me remind him of the words that had passed between us not a
minute since？ No！ There was the pleasantly tickled self…conceit
smiling at me exactly as it had smiled at Ariel。 〃I excel in
dramatic narrative； Mrs。 Valeria；〃 he said。 〃And this creature
here on the stool is a remarkable proof of it。 She is quite a
psychological study when I tell her one of my stories。 It is
really amusing to see the half…witted wretch's desperate efforts
to understand me。 You shall have a specimen。 I have been out of
spirits while you were awayI haven't told her a story for weeks
past； I will tell her one now。 Don't suppose it's any effort to
me！ My invention is inexhaustible。 You are sure to be amusedyou
are naturally seriousbut you are sure to be amused。 I am
naturally serious too； and I always laugh at her。〃
Ariel clapped her great shapeless hands。 〃He always laughs at
me！〃 she said； with a proud look of superiority directed straight
at me。
I was at a loss； seriously at a loss； what to do。
The outbreak which I had provoked in leading him to speak of the
late Mrs。 Eustace warned me to be careful； and to wait for my
opportunity before I reverted to _that_ subject。 How else could I
turn the conversation so as to lead him； little by little； toward
the betrayal of the secrets which he was keeping from me？ In this
uncertainty； one thing only seemed to be plain。 To let him tell
his story would be simply to let him waste the precious minutes。
With a vivid remembrance of Ariel's 〃ten claws；〃 I decided；
nevertheless on discouraging Dexter's new whim at every possible
opportunity and by every means in my power。
〃Now； Mrs。 Valeria；〃 he began； loudly and loftily； 〃listen。 Now；
Ariel； bring your brains to a focus。 I improvise poetry； I
improvise fiction。 We will begin with the good old formula of the
fairy stories。 Once upon a time〃
I was waiting for my opportunity to interrupt him when he
interrupted himself。 He stopped； with a bewildered look。 He put
his hand to his head； and passed it backward and forward over his
forehead。 He laughed feebly。
〃I seem to want rousing；〃 he said
Was his mind gone。？ There had been no signs of it until I had
unhappily stirred his memory of the dead mistress of Gleninch。
Was the weakness which I had already noticed； was the
bewilderment which I now saw； attributable to the influence of a
passing disturbance only？ In other words； had I witnessed nothing
more serious than a first warning to him and to us？ Would he soon
recover himself； if we were patient； and gave him time？ Even
Benjamin was interested at last； I saw him trying to look at
Dexter around the corner of the chair。 Even Ariel was surprised
and uneasy。 She had no dark glances to cast at me now。
We all waited to see what he would do； to hear what he would say；
next。
〃My harp！〃 he cried。 〃Music will rouse me。〃
Ariel brought him his harp。
〃Master；〃 she said； wonderingly； 〃what's come to you？〃
He waved his hand； commanding her to be silent。
〃Ode to Invention；〃 he announced； loftily； addressing himself to
me。 〃Poetry and music improvised by Dexter。 Silence！ Attention！〃
His fingers wandered feebly over the harpstrings； awakening no
melody； suggesting no words。 In a little while his hand dropped；
his head sank forward gently； and rested on the frame of the
harp。 I started to my feet； and approached him。 Was it a sleep？
or was it a swoon？
I touched his arm； and called to him by his name。
Ariel instantly stepped between us； with a threatening look at
me。 At the same moment Miserrimus Dexter raised his head。 My
voice had reached him。 He looked at me with a curious
contemplative quietness in his eyes which I had never seen in
them before。
〃Take away the harp；〃 he said to Ariel； speaking in languid
tones； like a man who was very weary。
The mischievous； half…witted creaturein sheer stupidity or in
downright malice； I am not sure whichirritated him once more。
〃Why； Master？〃 she asked； staring at him with the harp hugged in
her arms。 〃What's come to you？ where is the story？〃
〃We don't want the story；〃 I interposed。 〃I have many things to
say to Mr。 Dexter which I have not said yet。〃
Ariel lifted her heavy hand。 〃You will have it！〃 she said； and
advanced toward me。 At the same moment the Master's voice stopped
her。
〃Put away the harp； you fool！〃 he repeated； sternly。 〃And wait
for the story until I choose to tell it。〃
She took the harp submissively back to its place at the end of
the room。 Miserrimus Dexter moved his chair a little closer to
mine。 〃I know what will rouse me；〃 he said； confidentially。
〃Exercise will do it。 I have had no exercise lately。 Wait a
little； and you will see。〃
He put his hands on the machinery of the chair； and started on
his customary course down the room。 Here again the ominous change
in him showed itself under a new form。 The pace at which he
traveled was not the furious pace that I remembered； the chair no
longer rushed under him on rumbling and whistling wheels。 It
went； but it went slowly。 Up the room and down the room he
painfully urged itand then he stopped for want of breath。
We followed him。 Ariel was first； and Benjamin was by my side。 He
motioned impatiently to both of them to stand back； and to let me
approach him alone。
〃I'm out of practice；〃 he said； faintly。 〃I hadn't the heart to
make the wheels roar and the floor tremble while you were away。〃
Who would not have pitied him？ Who would have remembered his
misdeeds at that moment？ Even Ariel felt it。 I heard her
beginning to whine and whimper behind me。 The magician who alone
could rouse the dormant sensibilities in her nature had awakened
them now by his neglect。 Her fatal cry was heard again； in
mournful； moaning tones
〃What's come to you； Master？ Where's the story？〃
〃Never mind her；〃 I whispered to him。 〃You want the fresh air。
Send for the gardener。 Let us take a drive in your pony…chaise。〃
It was useless。 Ariel would be noticed。 The mournful cry came
once more
〃Where's the story？ where's the story？〃
The sinking spirit leaped up in Dexter again。
〃You wretch ！ you fiend！〃 he cried； whirling his chair around；
and facing her。 〃The story is coming。 I _can_ tell it！ I _will_
tell it！ Wine！ You whimpering idiot； get me the wine。 Why didn't
I think of it before？ The kingly Burgundy！ that's what I want；
Valeria； to set my invention alight and flaming in my head。
Glasses for everybody！ Honor to the King of the Vintagesthe
Royal Clos Vougeot！〃
Ariel opened the cupboard in the alcove； and produced the wine
and the high Venetian glasses。 Dexter drained his gobletful of
Burgundy at a draught； he forced us to drink （or at least to
pretend to drink） with him。 Even Ariel had her share this time；
and emptied her glass in rivalry with her master。 The powerful
wine mounted almost instantly to her weak head。 She began to sing
hoarsely a song of her own devising； in imitation of Dexter。 It
was nothing but the repetition； the endless mechanical
repetition； of her demand for the story〃Tell us the story。
Master！ master！ tell us the story！〃 Absorbed over his wine； the
Master silently filled his goblet for the second time。 Benjamin
whispered to me while his eye was off us； 〃Take my advice；
Valeria； for once； let us go。〃
〃One last effort；〃 I whispered back。 〃Only one！〃
Ariel went drowsily on with her song
〃Tell us the story。 Master！ master！ tell us the story。〃
Miserrimus Dexter looked up from his glass。 The generous
stimulant was beginning to do its work。 I saw the color rising in
his face。 I saw the bright intelligence flashing again in his
eyes。 The Burgundy _had_ roused him！ The good wine stood my
friend； and offered me a last chance！
〃No story；〃 I said。 〃I want to talk to you； Mr。 Dexter。 I am not
in the humor for a story。〃
〃Not in the humor？〃 he repeated； with a gleam of the old impish
irony showing itself again in his face。 〃That's an excuse。 I see
what it is！ You think my invention is goneand you are not frank
enough to confess it。 I'll show you you're wrong。 I'll show you
that Dexter is himself again。 Silence； you Ariel； or you shall
leave the room！ I have got it； Mrs。 Valeria； all la