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！
A steward came up to me。
'Can I get you anything； sir？'
'A whisky and soda； not iced。'
'I'm sorry； sir； all the soda is iced。'
'Is the water iced； too？'
'Oh yes； sir。'
'Well； it； doesn't matter。'
He trotted off； puzzled； soundless in the pervading hum。
'Charles。'
I looked behind me。 Julia was sitting in a cube of blotting paper； her hands folded in her lap； so still that I had passed by without noticing her。
'I heard you were here。 Celia telephoned to me。 It's delightful。'
'What are you doing？'
She opened the empty hands in her lap with a little eloquent gesture。 'Waiting。 My maid's unpacking； she's been so disagreeable ever since we left England。 She's plaining now about my cabin。 I can't think why。 It seems a lap to me。'
The steward returned with whisky and two jugs； one of iced water； the other of boiling water； I mixed them to the rig ht temperature。 He watched and said： 'I'll remember that's how you take it； sir。'
Most passengers had fads； he was paid to fortify their self…esteem。 Julia asked for a cup of hot chocolate。 I sat by her in the next cube。
'I never see you now； ' she said。 'I never seem to see anyone I like。 I don't know why。'
But she spoke as though it were a matter of weeks rather than of years； as though； too； before our parting we had been firm friends。 It was dead contrary to the mon experience of such encounters； when time is found to have built its own defensive lines； camouflaged vulnerable points； and laid a field of mines across all but a few well…trodden paths； so that； more often than not； we can only signal to one another from either side of the tangle of wire。 Here she and I； who were never friends before； met on terms of long and unbroken intimacy。
'What have you been doing in America？'
She looked up slowly from her chocolate and； her splendid； serious eyes in mine； said： 'Don't you know？ I'll tell you about it sometimes I've been a mug。 I thought I was in love with someone； but it didn't turn out that way。' And my mind went back ten years to the evening at Brideshead； when that lovely； spidery child of nineteen； as though brought in for an hour from the nursery and nettled by lack of attention from the grown…ups； had said： 'I'm causing anxiety； too； you know；' and I had thought at the time； though scarcely； it now seemed to me； in long trousers myself； 'How important these girls make themselves with their love affairs。'
Now it was different； there was nothing but humility and friendly candour in the way she spoke。
I wished I could respond to her confidence； give some token of acceptance； but there was nothing in my last； flat； eventful years that I could share with her。 I began instead to talk of my time in the jungle； of the ic characters I had met and the lost places I had visited； but in this mood of old friendship the tale faltered and came to an end abruptly。
'I long to see the paintings；' she said。
'Celia wanted me to unpack some and stick them round the cabin for her cocktail party。 I couldn't do that。'
'No。。。is Celia as pretty as ever？ I always thought she had the most delicious looks of any girl of my year。'
'She hasn't changed。'
'You have； Charles。 So lean and grim； not at all the pretty boy Sebastian brought home with him。 Harder； too。'
'And you're softer。'
'Yes； I think so。。。and very patient now。'
She was not yet thirty； but was approaching the zenith of her loveliness； all her rich promise abundantly fulfilled。 She had lost that fashionable； spidery look； the head that I used to think quattrocento； which had sat a little oddly on her； was now part of herself and not at all Florentine； not connected in any way with painting or the arts or with anything except herself； so that it would be idle to itemize and dissect her beauty； which was her own essence； and could only be known in her and by her authority and in the love I was soon to have for her。
Time had wrought another change； too； not for her the sly； placent smile of la Gioconda； the years had been more than 'the sound of lyres and flutes'； and had saddened her。 She seemed to say： 'Look at me。 I have done my share。 I am beautiful。 It is something quite out of the ordinary； this beauty of mine。 I am made for delight。 But what do I get out of it？ Where is my reward？'
That was the change in her from ten years ago； that； indeed； was her reward； this haunting； magical sadness which spoke straight to the heart and struck silence； it was the pletion of her beauty。
'Sadder； too；' I said。
'Oh yes； much sadder。'
My wife was in exuberant spirits when； two hours later； I returned to the cabin。
'I've had to do everything。 How does it look？'
We had been given； without paying more for it； a large suite of rooms； one so large； in fact； that it was seldom booked except by directors of the line； and on most voyages； the chief purser admitted； was given to those he wished to honour。 （My wife was adept in achieving such small advantages； first impressing the impressionable with her chic and my celebrity and； superiority once firmly established； changing quickly to a pose of almost flirtatious affability。） In token of her appreciation the chief purser had； been asked to our party and he； in token of his appreciation； had sent before him the life…size effigy of a swan； moulded in ice and filled with caviar。 This chilly piece of magnificence now dominated the room； standing on a table in the centre； thawing gently； dripping at the beak into its silver dish。 The flowers of the morning delivery hid as much as possible of the panelling （for this room was a miniature of the monstrous hall above）。
'You must get dressed at once。 Where have you been all this time？'
'Talking to Julia Mottram。'
'D'you know her？ Oh； of course； you were a friend of the dipso brother。 Goodness； her glamour！'
'She greatly admires your looks； too。'
'She used to be a girl friend of Boy's。'
'Surely not？'
'He always said so。'
'Have you considered；' I asked； 'how your guests are going to eat this caviar？'
'I have。 It's insoluble。 But there's all this' … she revealed some trays of glassy titbits … 'and anyway； people always find ways of eating things at parties。 D'you remember we once ate potted shrimps with a paper knife？'
'Did we？'
'Darling' it was the night you popped the question。'
'As I remember； you popped。'
'Well； the night we got engaged。 But you haven't said how you like the； arrangements。'
The arrangements； apart from the swan and the flowers； consisted of a steward already inextricably trapped in the corner behind an improvised bar； and another steward； tray in hand； in parative freedom。
'A cinema actor's dream；' I said。
'Cinema actors；' said my wife； 'that's what I want to talk about。'
She came with me to my dressing…room and talked while I changed。 It had occurred to her that； with my interest in architecture； my true m閠ier was designing scenery for the films； and she had asked two Hollywood magnates to the party with whom she wished to ingratiate me。
We returned to the sitting…room。
'Darling； I believe you've taken against my bird。 Don't be beastly about it in front of the purser。 It was sweet of him to think of it。 Besides； you know； if you had read about it in the description of a sixteenth…century banquet in Venice； you would have said those were the days to live。'
'In sixteenth…century Venice it would have been a somewhat different shape。'
'Here is Father Christmas。 We were just in raptures over your swan。'
The chief purser came into the room and shook hands； powerfully。
'Dear Lady Celia；' he said； 'if you'll put on your warmest clothes and e on an expedition into the cold storage with me tomorrow； I can show you a whole Noah's Ark of such objects。 The toast will be along in a minute。 They're keeping it hot。'
'Toast！' said my wife； as though this was something beyond the dreams of gluttony。 'Do you hear that Charles？ Toast。'
Soon the guests began to arrive； there was nothing to delay them。 'Celia；' they said； 'what a grand cabin and what a beautiful swan！' and； for all that it was one of the largest in the ship； our room was soon painfully crowded； they began to put out their cigarettes in the little pool of ice…water which now surrounded the swan。
The purser made a sensation； as sailors like to do； by predicting a storm。 'How can you be so beastly？' asked my wife； conveying the flattering suggestion that not only the cabin and the caviar； but the waves； too； were at his mand。 'Anyway； storms don't affect a ship like this； do they？'
'Might hold us back a bit。'
'But it wouldn't make us sick？'
'Depends if you're a good sailor。 I'm always sick in storms； ever since I was a boy。'
'I don't believe it。 He's just being sadistic。 e over here； there's something I want to show you。'
It was the latest photograph of her children。 'Charles hasn't even seen Caroline yet。 Isn't it thrilling for him？'
There were no friends of mine there； but I knew about a third of the party； and talked away civilly enough。 An elderly woman said to me； 'So you're Charles。 I fe