The Moon And Sixpence 58.2

When I wasushered into the drawing-room I found that Mrs. Strickland had a visitor, andwhen I discovered who he was, I guessed that I had been asked to come at justthat time not without intention. The caller was Mr. Van Busche Taylor, anAmerican, and Mrs. Strickland gave me particulars with a charming smile ofapology to him."You know,we English are so dreadfully ignorant. You must forgive me if it's necessary toexplain. " Then she turned to me. "Mr. Van Busche Taylor is thedistinguished American critic. If you haven't read his book your education hasbeen shamefully neglected, and you must repair the omission at once. He'swriting something about dear Charlie, and he's come to ask me if I can helphim. "Mr. Van BuscheTaylor was a very thin man with a large, bald head, bony and shining; and underthe great dome of his skull his face, yellow, with deep lines in it, lookedvery small. He was quiet and exceedingly polite. He spoke with the accent ofNew England, and there was about his demeanour a bloodless frigidity which mademe ask myself why on earth he was busying himself with Charles Strickland. Ihad been slightly tickled at the gentleness which Mrs. Strickland put into hermention of her husband's name, and while the pair conversed I took stock of theroom in which we sat. Mrs. Strickland had moved with the times. Gone were theMorris papers and gone the severe cretonnes, gone were the Arundel prints thathad adorned the walls of her drawingroom in Ashley Gardens; the room blazedwith fantastic colour, and I wondered if she knew that those varied hues, whichfashion had imposed upon her, were due to the dreams of a poor painter in aSouth Sea island. She gave me the answer herself.我被领进客厅以后才发现屋里还有一位客人。当我了解了这位客人的身份以后，我猜想思特里克兰德太太约我在这个时间来，不是没有目的的。这位来客是凡·布施·泰勒先生，一位美国人；思特里克兰德太太一边表示歉意地对他展露着可爱的笑容，一边详细地给我介绍他的情况。“你知道，我们英国人见闻狭窄，简直太可怕了。如果我不得不做些解释，你一定得原谅我。”接着她转过来对我说：“凡·布施·泰勒先生就是那位美国最有名的评论家。如果你没有读过他的著作，你的教育可未免太欠缺了；你必须立刻着手弥补一下。泰勒先生现在正在写一点儿东西，关于亲爱的查理斯的。他特地来我这里看看我能不能帮他的忙。”凡·布施·泰勒先生身体非常削瘦，生着一个大秃脑袋，骨头支棱着，头皮闪闪发亮；大宽脑门下面一张脸面色焦黄，满是皱纹，显得枯干瘦小。他举止文静，彬彬有礼，说话时带着些新英格兰州口音。这个人给我的印象非常僵硬刻板，毫无热情；我真不知道他怎么会想到要研究查理斯·思特里克兰德来。思特里克兰德太太在提到她死去的丈夫时，语气非常温柔，我暗自觉得好笑。在这两人谈话的当儿，我把我们坐的这间客厅打量了一番。思特里克兰德太太是个紧跟时尚的人。她在阿施里花园旧居时那些室内装饰都不见了，墙上糊的不再是莫里斯墙纸，家具上套的不再是色彩朴素的印花布，旧日装饰着客厅四壁的阿伦德尔图片也都撤下去了。现在这间客厅是一片光怪陆离的颜色，我很怀疑，她知道不知道她把屋子装点得五颜六色的这种风尚都是因为南海岛屿上一个可怜的画家有过这种幻梦。对我的这个疑问她自己作出了回答。